Crackdowns on media intensify as World Press Freedom Day approaches

Human Rights Research Center
8 hours ago
3 min read

April 23, 2026

HRRC calls on all governments to mark World Press Freedom Day with a renewed commitment to ensuring that all members of the media are able to report on important issues without external interference. All journalists must be allowed to work in the knowledge that they are safe to report on stories that are in the public interest, and that they will not be subjugated to threats of any kind.

May 3 has marked World Press Freedom Day since 1993 [Image source: Strath Hits Radio, Strathmore University]

Since 1993, World Press Freedom Day has been marked annually as a reminder to all governments of the importance of press freedom and their responsibility to protect it. Recent changes in the global political landscape have contributed to a decline in freedom of expression and have created an atmosphere in which journalists regularly face the threat of personal harassment.

Research commissioned by the Council of Europe in 2025 found that, within Europe, there has been a significant increase in violations of media freedom. These have taken the form of physical assault, intimidation, and the use of legal pressure. In the most serious instances, it was found that almost 150 journalists were being held in detention—a strategy used by governments to deprive influential individuals of their freedom in the hope of controlling the narrative available to the public.

A recently published report from the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has shown that press freedoms are also under attack in the Americas, with the United States showing the sharpest decline. Each year, the IAPA releases a press freedom index, and in the current index, the U.S. has fallen from fourth to eleventh place. This significant drop has been attributed to President Donald Trump’s use of negative rhetoric against the media, the removal of institutional safeguards, and acts of aggression directed at reporters.

Within Asia, reports have been published documenting the threats that media workers are facing with increasing regularity. In Hong Kong, a press union recently warned of the harmful effect that stalking can have on press freedom. It strongly criticised the local authorities, as, although several instances of stalking have been reported since 2023, no individual has been charged, and the findings of any police investigations have not been made available to the public.

In Vietnam, it is believed that a state-backed expansion of surveillance systems is being introduced to increase the government’s control over digital freedom and independent media. In Kuwait, the six-week detention of award-winning journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been met with shock and regarded as a direct attack on press freedom within the country.

With the threat of reduced press freedom, efforts must continue, and pressure must be placed on governments to ensure that journalists are able to work freely and without interference. The recent acquittal of Italian journalist Roberto Saviano has been held up as a watershed moment for the ability to hold those in power to account, but pressure must be applied to all countries to implement legal safeguards that allow reporters to cover stories in the public interest without fear of state-led repercussions.

Glossary

Acquittal – a legal decision that someone is not guilty of a crime
Deprive – to take something, especially something necessary or pleasant, away from someone
Detention – the act of keeping someone in custody, usually by authorities
Digital freedom – the right to access and share information online without restriction
External interference – outside influence that affects actions or decisions
Freedom of expression – the right to share opinions and ideas freely
Institutional safeguards – systems or rules that protect rights and prevent abuse
Intimidation – actions that frighten or pressure someone
Mark – to recognise or observe an important event
Narrative – a version or account of events or a story
Personal harassment – repeated unwanted behaviour that upsets or threatens someone
Political landscape – the general political situation or environment
Press freedom index – a ranking that measures how free the media is in different countries
Press union – an organisation that represents journalists and media workers
Public interest – what benefits or is important for the general public
Repercussions – negative consequences of an action
Rhetoric – language used to persuade or influence people, often by politicians
State-backed – supported or controlled by the government
Stalking – repeatedly following or contacting someone in a threatening way
Subjugated – controlled or dominated by another group or power
Surveillance – close monitoring of people or activities
Violations – actions that break laws or rights
Watershed – an important turning point or moment of change

Sources

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Crackdowns on media intensify as World Press Freedom Day approaches

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