UNESCO Sounds Alarm Over “Historic Regression” in Global Freedom of Expression

UNESCO Sounds Alarm Over “Historic Regression” in Global Freedom of Expression

Despite the “alarming picture” described by the report, UNESCO identified several positive trends. Between 2020 and 2025, 1.5 billion people gained access to social media and messaging platforms, broadening the scope for civic participation.

RMN News Human Rights Desk
New Delhi | December 28, 2025

PARIS — A flagship report released by UNESCO warns of a historic 10% decline in global freedom of expression between 2012 and 2024, a level of erosion not seen in decades. The findings, detailed in the World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Report 2022-2025, highlight an alarming rise in attacks against journalists and a surge in self-censorship.

A Deadly Period for Journalism: The report reveals a harrowing increase in violence against media workers. During the 2022–2025 reporting period, 186 journalists were killed while covering wars and conflict zones—a 67% increase over the previous four-year period. In 2025 alone, 93 journalists were killed, with 60 of those deaths occurring in conflict zones.

Despite international commitments to end such violence, accountability remains rare. While the impunity rate for killing journalists dropped from 95% in 2012 to 85% in 2024, the vast majority of perpetrators still face no legal consequences.

Rising Threats: From Exile to Online Violence: Beyond physical violence, journalists face a growing spectrum of digital and legal threats. Self-censorship among journalists has increased by 63% since 2012, rising at a rate of approximately 5% every year.

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Other key findings regarding journalist safety include:

• Targeting of Women: In 2025, 75% of women journalists reported experiencing online violence while performing their jobs.
• Environmental Risks: UNESCO recorded 749 attacks on journalists covering environmental issues between 2009 and 2023.
• Forced Exile: Since 2018, more than 900 journalists in Latin America and the Caribbean have been forced to flee their homes.

Glimmers of Progress: Despite the “alarming picture” described by the report, UNESCO identified several positive trends. Between 2020 and 2025, 1.5 billion people gained access to social media and messaging platforms, broadening the scope for civic participation. Additionally, collaborative investigative journalism and fact-checking units are on the rise, while new laws are increasingly recognizing community media as a trusted local information source.

A Call for Global Action: UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany stressed that freedom of expression is not an option but “the very condition for lasting peace”. The report urges Member States to prioritize the protection of independent journalism and invest in Media Information Literacy.

To combat the crisis of trust, UNESCO has already trained over 10,500 content creators from more than 150 countries to engage audiences ethically and critically. The organization also continues to advocate for transparency in the digital sphere through its Global Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms.

Protecting the free press is much like maintaining a lighthouse: if the light is allowed to dim or the structure is attacked, those navigating the surrounding waters lose their ability to find a safe path through the darkness.