Reporters around the world face challenges in seeking and publishing information about environmental issues, including climate change, pollution, deforestation, supply chain problems, illegal mining and animal trafficking, according to the United Nations.
“The world is going through an unprecedented environmental emergency which poses an existential threat to this and future generations. People need to know about this – and journalists and media workers have a key role in informing and educating them,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a message to commemorate the day.
Guterres warned that “media freedom is under siege,” with UNESCO reporting that there have been about 750 attacks on journalists and media covering environmental issues over the last 15 years.
“A UNESCO study published this month shows that 70% of environmental reporters have been the victims of attacks, threats or pressure because of their work, and 44 environmental journalists have been killed in the last 15 years,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
Africans largely support press freedom, according to Afrobarometer. And with Africans suffering disproportionally from climate change, reporters on the continent are increasingly covering issues related to the environment.
"In light of this year's World Press Freedom theme, A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis, we are living in that reality in many parts of the world, as millions of people are impacted by climate change. Here in Zambia, we are experiencing the worst droughts in 20 years," said Kathy Short, who reports for VOA from Zambia’s capital Lusaka.
Barriers such as limited resources and poor infrastructure can also prove challenging for journalists.
“Journalists in South Sudan have done their part as far as reporting on these issues are concerned, but there are still some challenges as far as reporting on these issues. When you look at floods and drought in the country, you realize that all these issues do happen in places where there is insecurity, where it is inaccessible for a journalist to go to those places. So it becomes very difficult for a journalist to go and get the information from the source,” said Logonyi Denis Muye, a Juba-based South Sudanese freelance journalist.
Misinformation and disinformation campaigns about environmental issues and scientific research are exacerbating the problem, the U.N. said.
Disinformation campaigns seeking to manipulate information systems in Africa — particularly through social media — have surged nearly fourfold since 2022, according to the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
Press freedom, the protection of journalists and the responsible governance of digital platforms are essential to address the global environmental crisis and possible solutions, the U.N. said.
World Press Freedom Day is marked annually on May 3 with evaluations of the state of press freedom around the world and calls to action.