Overview
- The Freedom of Expression Index fell by 10% from 2012 to 2024, a drop UNESCO says is comparable to wartime and Cold War periods.
- The decline accelerated after 2020, with sharp rises in self-censorship and avoidance of topics such as corruption, environmental crimes, and human rights.
- Governments have expanded digital surveillance and increasingly misuse defamation, hate‑speech, and misinformation laws to intimidate or silence journalists.
- The report links the downturn to weakened checks and balances, growing polarization, and broader democratic erosion, noting 72% of people now live under authoritarian governments.
- UNESCO flags AI as a growing competitor to independent journalism, highlights gains in cross-border investigations and citizen media, and urges protections for journalists, rule‑of‑law safeguards, and media literacy.