Key Points
- Freedom of expression has dropped 10% globally since 2012, the steepest decline in decades
- Self-censorship among journalists rose 63% between 2012 and 2024
- 186 journalists killed covering conflicts from 2022–2025, with 93 killed in 2025 alone
- Online harassment of women journalists surged to 75% in 2025
- 1.5 billion people gained access to social media between 2020–2025, expanding civic engagement opportunities
ISLAMABAD: Freedom of expression worldwide has suffered a historic setback, according to UNESCO’s latest report on global trends in journalism and media development.
The World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Report 2022–2025, titled “Journalism: Shaping a World at Peace”, highlights a dramatic increase in the risks faced by media workers.
Between 2012 and 2024, freedom of expression declined by 10%, the steepest drop in decades, driven by an alarming rise in self-censorship and threats against journalists both online and offline.
During the reporting period, 186 journalists were killed covering conflicts—a 67% rise compared to 2018–2021. In 2025 alone, 93 journalists were killed, 60 of them in conflict zones. Despite some progress in addressing impunity—dropping from 95% in 2012 to 85% in 2024—most perpetrators continue to escape justice.
Journalists face a growing spectrum of threats, including physical attacks, legal harassment, and forced displacement. Since 2018, more than 900 journalists in Latin America and the Caribbean have been forced into exile.
Environmental reporters are particularly vulnerable, with UNESCO recording 749 attacks on journalists covering environmental issues between 2009 and 2023.
Online harassment has surged, disproportionately targeting women journalists: a 2025 study by UNESCO and the International Center for Journalists in partnership with UN Women found that 75% of women journalists experienced online violence, up from 73% in 2020.
Despite these challenges, the report notes positive trends. Over the past five years, 1.5 billion people gained access to social media and messaging platforms, expanding opportunities for civic engagement.
Collaborative investigative journalism is on the rise, cross-border investigations are gaining momentum, fact-checking units are expanding, and more laws are recognizing community media as vital sources of trusted local information.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany emphasized the urgent need to act: “Freedom of expression and information is not an option; it is the very condition for lasting peace. Faced with historic regression, we must act together to protect and defend everyone’s right to think, write and inform.”
The report outlines practical solutions for Member States, including: Protecting and investing in journalism to promote peaceful societies. Ensuring transparency in the digital sphere by fostering accountability and access to information. UNESCO has guided over 130 countries in implementing global digital platform governance standards.
Promoting media and information literacy, with more than 10,500 content creators from over 150 countries trained to engage audiences ethically and foster trust.
The UNESCO report, published every four years, is based on insights from over 100 experts and hundreds of academic and institutional sources. It is the only global study analyzing freedom of expression and journalism trends over a multi-year period, with data collected between January 2022 and December 2025.
With 194 Member States and a network spanning more than 13,000 educational and cultural institutions worldwide, UNESCO continues to champion press freedom and the protection of journalists as essential pillars of global peace.
