World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development: Global Report 2022/2025. Journalism: Shaping a World at Peace
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Paris: UNESCO (2025), 216 pp.
Contains many figures, glossary pp. 176-181, bibliogr. pp. 192-213
CC BY-SA
"Free, independent, pluralistic, and professional journalism is key for defending human dignity, advancing justice, and sustaining peace. Yet today, freedom of expression is under assault as seldom before. The 2022/2025 World Trends Report, Journalism: Shaping a World at Peace, underscores the profound role of free, independent, pluralistic, and professional journalism as a cornerstone of democratic life and as an indispensable condition for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite some positive developments such as the expansion of social media access, growth in collaborative investigative journalism, subscription models, and legal recognition of community media, this new Report reveals a 10% decline in the Freedom of Expression Index globally since 2012, and highlights weakened governance, hostility towards journalists, the climate crisis, and AI-driven dis and misinformation. Progress on gender equality has stalled, and women continuously face discrimination and violence. These trends undermine human rights, media freedom and plurality, and well-informed citizenship. The 2022/2025 World Trends Report emphasizes the urgency of supporting international norms, strengthening information integrity, and fostering trusted information to protect democracy, promote accountability, and ensure access to information as a public good, particularly for vulnerable populations and youth." (Short summary, page 3)
VOLUME 1. JOURNALISM: SHAPING A WORLD AT PEACE, 19
A changing political context -- The assault on journalism and the truth -- Forced to flee -- Violence against women journalists -- Weaponizing the legal system -- Media viability -- Freedom of expression and digital services -- AI generated content and information integrity -- Elections in the new information order -- Hate speech -- Impact on the climate crisis -- Impact on young people -- The path to sustainable development
VOLUME 2, 53
1 Journalism: Strengthening the Rule of Law / Catalina Botero Marino et al., 56
2 Journalism: Bridging the Promise and Threat of Technology / Alexei Abrahams, Dan Sultănescu et al., 74
3 Journalism: Raising Voices for All / Rokhaya Diallo, 102
4 Journalism: Protecting the Planet / Kunda Dixit, Kate Cell, 126
The World Trends Report in Data / Aldo Magoga, 152
Conclusion, 172
A changing political context -- The assault on journalism and the truth -- Forced to flee -- Violence against women journalists -- Weaponizing the legal system -- Media viability -- Freedom of expression and digital services -- AI generated content and information integrity -- Elections in the new information order -- Hate speech -- Impact on the climate crisis -- Impact on young people -- The path to sustainable development
VOLUME 2, 53
1 Journalism: Strengthening the Rule of Law / Catalina Botero Marino et al., 56
2 Journalism: Bridging the Promise and Threat of Technology / Alexei Abrahams, Dan Sultănescu et al., 74
3 Journalism: Raising Voices for All / Rokhaya Diallo, 102
4 Journalism: Protecting the Planet / Kunda Dixit, Kate Cell, 126
The World Trends Report in Data / Aldo Magoga, 152
Conclusion, 172