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Last year, a record number of journalists were reported detained in about 30 countries, according to CPJ and Reporters Without Borders, although their figures vary somewhat. The two organizations agree the most prolific jailers of journalists include the usual suspects — Iran, China, Myanmar and Turkey, with others countries such as Vietnam, Belarus, Saudi Arabia and Egypt not far behind.
Russia is a particularly egregious offender. This year saw the outrageous arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who remains in a Russian prison as part of President Vladimir Putin’s assault on truth. The State Department correctly designated Mr. Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” on a groundless accusation of espionage. A more accurate description would be to say he is a hostage, as Mr. Putin aims to intimidate all independent reporting on how Russians are suffering because of his illegal war against Ukraine.
Besides Mr. Gershkovich, as of December 2022, at least 19 journalists are known to be imprisoned in Russia, many for their reporting on the war. They include Maria Ponomarenko of the website RusNews, who was sentenced in February to six years in prison for supposedly spreading false information about the Russian military.
Hong Kong deserves a special dishonorable mention, as no other place has tumbled so far so fast in the global press freedom indexes. The former British colony could once boast of having among the freest medias in Asia. But since China imposed its far-reaching and draconian National Security Law on the territory, in an attempt to crush the population’s aspirations for more democracy and stifle any dissent, Hong Kong has plummeted to 148th place out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, an ignominious drop of 68 places in a single year.
Hong Kong now has some 13 journalists and media workers in prison, including Jimmy Lai, founder and publisher of what was once among the city’s most popular newspapers, Apple Daily. Mr. Lai has been hit with multiple specious charges, and is still awaiting the start of his trial for violating national security, which has now been delayed until at least September. With Mr. Lai’s arrest, Apple Daily was forced to close, as was the scrappy pro-democracy news website Stand News, whose top editors are currently on trial for sedition. Make no mistake — these arrests and trials, with their pretty much forgone conclusions, have nothing to do with national security and everything to do with the ruling Communist Party’s attempt to eliminate free and independent media in the restive territory.
The United States, despite its cherished First Amendment right to a free press, has not been immune from the global trend lines. The United States ranks only 42nd on the Reporters Without Border index, as the group noted “press freedom violations are increasing at a troubling rate.” The report said American reporters increasingly face unprovoked physical attacks, harassment and intimidation in the field. Former president Donald Trump’s verbal assaults against so-called fake news have fostered a climate of intimidation.
There is other trouble on the media front. Hate speech and disinformation continue to proliferate online. As U.N. Secretary General António Guterres noted, there is also the problem of concentration of media ownership and financial struggles that have forced many outlets to shutter. April in the United States brought the news that digital pioneer BuzzFeed was closing down its namesake news division, BuzzFeed News, and Vice Media was ending its flagship show “Vice News Tonight.”
So this is a sober 30th anniversary for World Press Freedom Day. The media industry is facing myriad threats and challenges. But a free press and access to truthful information remain essential to free societies, and journalists need to be respected and protected. Governments and citizens should be reminded of that not just on May 3 but every day, both overseas and right here at home.
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