World Press Freedom Day

  The planet is facing a triple environmental crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Simultaneously, there is a worldwide erosion of press freedom and democratic backsliding, undermining the role of journalism in finding evidence-based solutions. This is magnified by algorithm-driven, anti-science disinformation on the internet. Even as public awareness about climate-induced disasters grows, denialism of climate change is evolving: outright rejection is giving way to a ‘new denial’, which accepts the basic facts of climate change but casts doubt on its seriousness and spreads misleading narratives and conspiracy theories. As a result, journalists and climate scientists are increasingly being silenced by trolling and threats. This session tracks these trends and argues for greater investment in investigative journalism and training in digital techniques. Coverage needs to go beyond soft-focus stories to seek the economic and political roots of climate breakdown....

  In a world where women and marginalized groups have made hard-won gains in public representation, a coordinated backlash is underway. Digital platforms – once tools of empowerment – are increasingly weaponized to silence, intimidate, and discredit women, particularly those in media, politics, and activism. Gendered disinformation, cyberviolence, and defamation campaigns are rising sharply, often backed by powerful political and economic forces. These attacks are not isolated; they reflect a broader, systemic effort to reinforce patriarchal control and reverse the progress toward equality. This chapter outlines the links between online and offline violence, the erosion of journalistic independence, and the misuse of laws to restrict women’s freedom of expression. It also calls for urgent action: from strengthening legal protections to reforming media structures and ensuring women’s access to justice and leadership.  What is at stake is freedom for women, for truth, for us all...

  Over the past two decades, technologies have emerged that both amplify and stymie freedom of expression. In just the last four years, rapid technological advancements have accelerated this trend. Yet these tools do not operate in a vacuum: their design, deployment, and governance are shaped by the economic and political interests of the companies that control them. These technological advances are expanding and constraining public discourse. The use of these technologies is reshaping journalism and open debate, pioneering new forms of expression. The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has amplified content creation, but its ability to produce synthetic or altered material, coupled with rapid digital dissemination, has disrupted information integrity at scale. Paradoxically, despite the risks, AI-powered platforms are increasingly used by the public and in some cases are seen as more trustworthy than traditional news outlets. AI sits today at a volatile intersection f...

This session highlights the critical relationship among freedom of expression, independent journalism, and constitutional democracy . Global progress in democracy, especially between 1980 and 2010, was accompanied by constitutional and legal reforms that enhanced protections for journalists and greater government transparency. However, since 2010, there has been a global decline in the global state of democracy, which also includes a notable deterioration in freedom of expression. This trend has continued over the last four years. It has been driven, among other things, by the weakening of accountability mechanisms for public and private actors that are key to the protection of human rights and democratic systems. The chapter notes that the rise of digital platforms has transformed information ecosystems. These developments had significant positive effects but also led to new and major challenges that erode public trust and undermine the ability of journalists to counter disinformatio...

On Tuesday 05 May 2026; The World Press Freedom Freedom Conference Side events in Lusaka will now take place in the Mulungushi Wing within the Mulungushi International Conference Centre. The Registration for the World Press Freedom Day conference on 4 May grants you access to side events on May 5. However, please note that you will need to pick up your badge on May 4 from 07:00-09:15 Main Auditorium 9:00 - 16:00 - African Media Convention TAEF Hosted by the AMC Steering Committee, chaired by Mr. Churchill Otieno, President of The African Editors’ Forum (TAEF), in collaboration with UNESCO, the African Union Commission (AUC), the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA), the M20 and other partners. Contact: izak.minnaar@gmail.com Room 3 9:00 - 16:00 - Academic Conference University of Zambia The Academic Conference on the Safety of Journalists brings together scholars, policymakers, journalists, and civil society actors to examine current challenges and emerging researc...

On Monday 04 May, 2026, from 17:45 - 18:00 - The WPFD 2026 Closing Ceremony will be held. This segment provides an opportunity to reflect on the key outcomes and messages from the conference . It will highlight the main takeaways and reinforce commitments to advancing press freedom . The session is also designed to set the stage for continued action beyond the event . Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa, MP, Minister of Information and Media, Government of Zambia. Ms. Mariya Gabriel, Assistant Director-General Communication and Information, UNESCO.