UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning on World Press Freedom Day, highlighting the escalating dangers faced by media professionals globally and asserting that without a free press, there can be no peace or human rights.
He noted that while it is often said that in war, "truth is the first casualty," the reality is frequently more grim. "But far too frequently, the first casualties are the journalists, who risk everything to report that truth, not only in war, but wherever those in power fear scrutiny," he said.
Guterres pointed out that across the globe, media workers continue to face a barrage of threats, including "censorship, surveillance, legal harassment and even death." He expressed deep concern over the sharp rise in the number of journalists killed in recent years, particularly those who are "often deliberately targeted, in war zones."
Highlighting a systemic failure to protect media workers, the UN Secretary-General revealed that "85% of the crimes committed against journalists go uninvestigated and then punished," describing this as "an unacceptable level of impunity." He further cautioned that press freedom is under "unprecedented strain" due to a combination of economic pressures, new technologies, and active manipulation.
Guterres warned of the societal consequences that follow when the media is silenced or intimidated. "When access to reliable information erodes, mistrust takes root. When public debate is distorted, social cohesion weakens. And when journalism is undermined, crises become far more difficult to prevent and resolve," he stated.
Emphasising the foundational role of a free media, the UN Secretary-General remarked that "all freedom depends on press freedom." He maintained that without such liberties, "there can be no human rights, no sustainable development and no peace."
In his appeal to the international community on World Press Freedom Day, Antonio Guterres called for a global commitment to "protect the rights of journalists and build a world where the truth and truth-tellers are safe."
These warnings from the UN chief coincide with findings that global press freedom has plummeted to its lowest level in a quarter-century, with a new report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) revealing a catastrophic decline in media independence worldwide.
The World Press Freedom Index 2026 indicates that more than half of the 180 nations surveyed are now categorised under "difficult" or "very serious" conditions. According to the RSF, the worldwide average score has fallen to 54.3 points, marking the weakest performance since the Index was established in 2002.
