Freedom of expression worldwide has declined sharply over the past decade, according to UNESCO’s latest ‘World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development
Report (2022-2025)’. The organization reports a historic 10% drop in global freedom of expression since 2012, alongside a dramatic rise in self-censorship among journalists.
“Freedom of expression and information is not an option: it is the very condition for lasting peace,” said UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany. “Faced with historic regression, we must act together to protect and defend everyone's right to think, write, and inform.”
Journalists under threat
The report highlights a sharp increase in threats against journalists, both offline and online. Between 2022 and 2025, 186 journalists were killed while covering wars and conflict zones—a 67% rise from 2018–2021. In 2025 alone, 93 journalists lost their lives, 60 of them in conflict areas.
Impunity remains high despite international commitments to hold perpetrators accountable. While the rate of impunity has slightly decreased—from 95% in 2012 to 85% in 2024—most attackers still evade justice.
Journalists now face a broad spectrum of threats, including physical violence, legal harassment, and forced exile. Since 2018, over 900 journalists in Latin America and the Caribbean have been driven from their homes. Environmental reporters are increasingly at risk, with UNESCO documenting 749 attacks on journalists covering environmental issues between 2009 and 2023.
Online harassment has also surged, disproportionately affecting women. A 2025 study by the International Center for Journalists for UN Women, in partnership with UNESCO, found that 75% of women journalists experienced online violence, up from 73% in 2020.
Signs of progress
Despite the grim picture, the report notes some positive developments. Social media access expanded to 1.5 billion people between 2020 and 2025, broadening civic engagement. Collaborative investigative journalism has increased, leading to more cross-border reporting, while fact-checking units are growing globally. Legal recognition of community media is also on the rise, strengthening local information networks.
UNESCO’s recommendations
To address these trends, UNESCO urges governments to:
- Protect and invest in journalism to promote peaceful societies.
- Ensure digital transparency, fostering accountability in online platforms. UNESCO’s 2023 ‘Global Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms’ aim to support Member States in implementing independent regulation worldwide.
- Promote media and information literacy, training citizens to critically engage with information and safely navigate online spaces. Over 10,500 content creators from 150 countries have participated in UNESCO programs to enhance public trust and ethical media practices.
The UNESCO report, published every four years, draws on contributions from over 100 global experts and hundreds of academic and institutional sources. Its 2022–2025 edition, titled ‘Journalism: Shaping a World at Peace’, is the only comprehensive global study analyzing freedom of expression and media trends over multiple years.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, UNESCO leads international efforts in education, science, culture, and communication to promote peace and security. Headquartered in Paris, the organization operates in 54 countries, managing over 2,000 World Heritage sites and a global network of schools, universities, and research institutions. Photo by Henrik Sendelbach, Wikimedia commons.