Experts from the Centre for the Promotion of Participation and Democracy (CPD) at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) contributed to a UNESCO report highlighting a "significant" deterioration in freedom of expression and the conditions for practising journalism worldwide.
The report, World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development 2022-2025: Journalism Shaping a World at Peace, also involved Romanian experts and received support from the UNESCO Chair in Science and Innovation Policy at SNSPA and Romania's permanent delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Simona-Mirela Miculescu, according to an SNSPA press release.
It shows that the global freedom of expression index has fallen sharply, the steepest drop in decades, linked to weakening democratic institutions, rising social polarisation, declining public trust in media, and growing disinformation, driven in part by the rapid expansion of new technologies, including generative artificial intelligence.
"SNSPA's contribution to this report is substantial. The CPD-SNSPA team coordinated an international study included in chapter 2, analysing the impact of new technologies on democracy, journalism, and the future of work. The study draws on data from Romania, the US, South Africa and Mexico, offering a comparative view of major transformations in the global information ecosystem," the cited source shows.
The report highlights a sharp rise in self-censorship among journalists, alongside increased attacks on media professionals. Between 2022 and 2025, 186 journalists were killed, mostly in conflict zones.
It also documents escalating online harassment, especially against female journalists, and commercial and technological pressures that undermine media pluralism and diversity.
"However, there are positive trends. Between 2020 and 2025, around 1.5 billion people gained access to social media and messaging platforms, expanding opportunities for civic participation. Collaborative investigative journalism has grown, subscription-based news models have strengthened, and more countries have passed laws recognising and protecting community media as a vital source of local information," SNSPA notes.
UNESCO urges member states to prioritise the protection and funding of independent journalism, strengthen transparency and governance in the digital environment through multi-sector cooperation, and invest in media and information literacy to help citizens navigate an increasingly complex information ecosystem responsibly.
Comentează