Brussels - New York: Europe and the Arabs
A European Union statement issued in Brussels by the office of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaya Kallas, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day said, "We are increasingly concerned about the growing threats to journalists and other media workers, including intimidation, online and offline attacks, arbitrary detention, legal persecution, and transnational repression, all aimed at silencing their work. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can exacerbate these risks by enabling mass surveillance and targeted harassment.
The European Union supports UNESCO's vital efforts to protect journalists globally, with particular attention to women journalists, who face heightened gender-related risks. UNESCO's data and monitoring efforts play a fundamental role in informing effective policy responses to address widespread impunity for crimes against journalists.
Across the world, free and independent media need urgent and critical support. Without their survival, democracy falters, and with it the safety, security, and freedom of citizens. The European Union welcomes the OECD Development Cooperation Principles for Appropriate and Effective Support to the Media and Information Environment, as a common roadmap for strengthening media ecosystems worldwide. These principles should inspire concrete, transformative actions to restore and expand support for independent journalism.
On this World Press Freedom Day, the European Union reaffirms its unwavering commitment to defending a free and independent press in the face of unprecedented threats. Without press freedom, our right to information, the freedom to think critically, and the ability to hold those in power to account are at risk. A thriving, independent, and pluralistic media sector is essential for the survival and resilience of democracy. We must act now to secure its future.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that artificial intelligence "can either support freedom of expression or silence it," adding that press freedom is facing an "unprecedented threat." This came in a message on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, in which he stressed that people's freedom "depends on the freedom of the press" in a world plagued by conflict and division. He considered a free and independent press an essential public service and "the backbone of the principles of accountability, justice, equality, and human rights."
The Secretary-General said that the work of journalists becomes more difficult and dangerous year after year, as they are subjected to attacks, detention, censorship, intimidation, violence, and death simply for doing their jobs. The number of journalists killed in conflict zones is increasing, "particularly in Gaza."
However, he stressed that the focus on the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism and freedom of expression on this year's International Day serves as a reminder of the new danger. He said: "Biased algorithms, outright fabricated lies, and hate speech are landmines scattered on the information superhighway, and accurate, verifiable, fact-based information is the best tool to dismantle them." Mr. Guterres emphasized the importance of harnessing artificial intelligence in a manner consistent with human rights and placing facts first, emphasizing that the Global Principles on Information Integrity, announced last year, "support and enrich these efforts, as we work to advance a more humane media system." He called for a commitment to making these efforts a reality and to safeguarding journalism and press freedom everywhere.
The rapid growth and use of artificial intelligence is dramatically changing journalism and media, presenting both innovative opportunities and serious challenges.
While it can help support freedom of expression by facilitating access to information, artificial intelligence is also being used by certain actors for mass surveillance of journalists and citizens, creating a chilling effect on freedom of expression. World Press Freedom Day, which is observed annually on 3 May, serves as a reminder to governments to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day for reflection among media professionals on issues of press freedom and professional ethics, an opportunity to assess the state of press freedom, defend the media, and commemorate journalists who have lost their lives in the performance of their duties.