World Press Freedom Day

Joint Declaration 2022 on Freedom of Expression and Gender Justice. This document recognizes the structural barriers that prevent women from equal enjoyment of #FreedomOfExpression . Panelists: Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression.  RELE_CIDH , Mrs. Irene khan , Activist, OSCE_RFoM representative and the ''Comisionada Interamericana de Derechos Humanos - CIDH ,

Analyzing the concept of Freedom of Expression as applied to the arts in their different forms and modalities can be a problem. From different areas of expertise, the speakers are offering their reflections on the subject.

The UNESCO with the  Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa and   AIB news are organizing a session on the viability of the media in Latin America . Follow the conversation of the 2022 #WorldPressFreedomDay Conference.

The vital role of a vibrant, #FreePress in preserving the #RuleOfLaw cannot be overstated The UNESCO & the IBAHRI organised this session to discuss the role of international law in finding solutions to the use of sophisticated spyware products to target specific actors.

What can really be done for media viability? This is the question that will be addressed by researcher and other speakers in this #WorldPressFreedomDay2022 session below.

  Academic Conference on the Safety of Journalists. With interventions of an editor at VOANews and the Director of the   Dirección Nacional de Educación del Ministerio de Educación y Cultura del Uruguay .  Follow the conversation  #WorldPressFreedomDay .

What impact does disinformation have? What are the alternatives to face it through public policies? Concrete examples will be given and tangible results will be presented in this session bellow.

Source protection is essential to ensure not only free journalism but also that citizens and whistleblowers can share information . How can Source protection be strengthened? You will find out during this session bellow.  Don't miss it! It starts at 2 PM CET,

What might a feminist approach to the protection of journalists look like? Panel discussion on how to make the protection of Journalists more inclusive and diverse.

Internet companies currently share only limited data with media companies. - Greater transparency could help support economic viability of media; The Session bellow examined a draft document on potentially useful data sets held by the platforms .  Panelists : Mr. mliberini and Mrs. martha citlalin , Periodista Directora nacional editorial de OE Menlinea .

How to regulate the transparency of digital platforms? The session bellow aims to advance the implementation of recommendations made on that issue by  @Forum_InfoD   Speakers: Mr. virgilio almeida Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at UFMG, Mr. nighatdad Lawyer, women’s/Digital rights, and Mrs. marina pita , Activist, Advocacy assistent, researcher of ICTs and society.

#Violence against women journalists is surging on and off-line to discredit or silence them; This abuse has also weaponized to undercut public trust. Is this harassment limited, What more needs to be done?

"Killing the journalist won’t kill the story" That’s the powerful message sent by the SafeBox Network, a FbdnStories project that aims to give a journalistic response to defeat impunity for crimes against #journalists Panelists: Mr. laurent richard , Founder/director of Forbidden Stories and Mr. @GuachireM ,Ciberactivista y periodista 2.0.

  What can newsrooms do to prevent online violence and to protect Women Journalists from attacks? Panelists: Mr.  ariste guicnn ,  CNNEE  and Mr.  julie posetti ,  Global Director of Research   ICFJ  and others.

Growing #censorship and attempts to control information online have restricted civic space and hinder the free flow of information The session bellow will discuss the threats that media workers and  #HumanRights defenders face nowadays. Panelists: Executive Director, ARTICLE 19 and the executive director of GlobalPartnersD .

Why to raise awareness and strengthen political and diplomatic commitment? Panelists H.E. Mr; A bdulla_shahid , U.N. General Assembly President and Mr. F.Villegas Representante Permanente de la República Argentina ante los Organismos Internacionales en Ginebra . High level Dialogue on PressFreedom and the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity

  The number of attacks taking place online and digitally has increased over the last year, from 14,0% in 2020 to 16.8% in 2021. They occurred in 23 countries and affected a total of 154 media companies, journalists, family members, and journalistic sources. Slovenia , with 13 cases, was the most affected country within the period, followed by Turkey (12, Serbia (10, and the United Kingdom (10. The re‐ spective alerts for all attacks performed online and digitally in the year 2021 in MFRR countries can be viewed here. An increasing number of threats sent via email, on social media, or websites were reported as awareness around this issue grew. Journalists’ and media freedom or ganisations have been warning of the mental health consequences of such threats on media professionals who may feel isolated, at risk, or defenceless in the face of such violent events. The MFRR identified a large majority of the cases (85 as harassment and psychological abuse . This ranges from threaten...

 The Internet has provided unprecedented opportunity for people’s exercise of the right to freedom of expression. However, censorship and surveillance of the Internet may also lead to the repression of journalists, human rights defenders and other individuals.  States should ensure that restrictions on online expression are lawful, necessary and proportionate . Companies also have a responsibility to respect the freedom of expression of end users throughout their operations, from technology design to the development of policies governing user behavior. The Battle for Owning the "Digital Space".

The developments described complement other issues related to journalism under digital siege . More transparency by Internet companies such as in the use of “ ad tech ” could help news media with viability issues, as well as with their negotiations for a share in the revenues that are generated through online news appearing on their platforms.  Greater transparency , and better privacy protection , would also advance accountability of the Internet companies , and enhance public understanding of the online ecosystem. In turn, this could lead to greater trust that digital communications do justice to availing reliable content such as free and professional journalism.

  Increased reliance on digital services means that citizens often unknowingly share private information and data in exchange for free services. Individuals’ data leaves behind a “digital footprint” that can be analysed in real time or ex-post by hostile and illegitimate actors. Moreover, data held by Internet and cybersurveillance companies about personal lives can often be obtained by authorities without adequate due process or transparency.  There is a growing global push encouraging more transparency regarding how Internet companies exploit citizens’ data, how it informs predictive models and artificial intelligence, and enables amplification of disinformation and hatred.  This was underlined in the Windhoek+30 Declaration call for technology companies to “work to ensure transparency in relation to their human and automated systems”.  Relevant here are UNESCO’s set of principles to enhance the transparency of internet platform companies, which will be discus...

The latest UNESCO World Trends Report Insights discussion paper “ Threats that Silence: Trends in the Safety of Journalists ” highlights how surveillance and hacking are compromising journalism . This was vividly shown in exposés by investigative journalists and researchers, giving rise to UN human rights experts calling for a temporary global moratorium on the sale and transfer of surveillance technology.  The growing sophistication and undetectability of mal- and spyware and their increasing use against journalists and human rights defenders by state and non-state actors, endanger free and independent journalism.  Surveillance can expose information gathered by journalists including from whistle-blowers, and violates the principle of source protection, which is universally considered a prerequisite for freedom of the media and is enshrined in UN Resolutions.  Surveillance may also harm the safety of journalists by disclosing sensitive private information which could be...

Opening Talk-show #WorldPressFreedomDay . Join us http:// bit.ly/3vR3RV6

Watch LIVE the opening ceremony of the World Press Freedom Day Global Conference 2022 and the opening talkshow " Journalism under digital Siege ", with Luis Lacalle Pou, President of Uruguay, Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression , Shoshana Zuboff, Author “Surveillance Capitalism”, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University,Timnit Gebru, Founder and Executive Director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR), Claudia Duque, Investigative Journalist, Will Cathcart¸ Head of WhatsApp, Dr. Marcelo Bechara, Director of Institutional Relations and Regulation of Globo Group, among others. On 2-5 May 2022, UNESCO together with the Government of Uruguay will host the Global Conference for the celebration of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD). The conference will be in a hybrid format, but – conditions allowing - with the ambition to have the...

On 2-5 May 2022, UNESCO and the Republic of Uruguay will host the annual World Press Freedom Day Global Conference in a hybrid format in Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Under the theme “ Journalism under Digital Siege ”, the digital era’s impact on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, access to information and privacy will be discussed.   World Press Freedom Day 2022 will reunite relevant stakeholders such as policymakers, journalists, media representatives, activists, cybersecurity managers and legal experts to explore these issues and develop concrete solutions to address the threats posed by increased surveillance to press freedom and privacy. Draft programme  -  Programme  -  FAQs  -  Summary of Concept Note ( English )

Whether in the context of COVID-19 or during war and conflict, reliable information is more than necessary: it is vital. Journalists play an essential role in providing this information . They assess, investigate and disseminate facts, ensuring people can make informed decisions. Journalism is therefore a public good, which we must defend and support as such. Yet even as the United Nations marks the 10th anniversary of its Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which UNESCO is proud to lead, journalists are facing a fast-evolving environment. As our newest World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development report shows, more than five in six people around the world live in a country that experienced a decline in press freedom over the past five years. Some 400 journalists were killed during the same period just for doing their jobs. Digital technologies are further revolutionizing this landscape. They have permitted unprecedented exchanges o...

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The observance of the  World Press Freedom Day 2022 will reunite relevant stakeholders such as policymakers, journalists, media representatives, activists, cybersecurity managers and legal experts to explore these issues and develop concrete solutions to address the threats posed by increased surveillance to press freedom and privacy. VIDEO - Honouring those who stand up for your freedom VIDEO: Journalism Under Digital Siege