News & Updates
New tactics to silence and intimidate journalists
The legal warfare unleashed on journalists across the world in systematic efforts to silence their voices was discussed by human rights lawyers and media professionals on World Press Freedom Day.
Broadcasting peace in South Sudan
UN Mission’s Radio Myrria supports peacekeeping efforts over the airways. Caroline Vuillemin, executive director of Fondation Hirondelle, responds to questions about supporting fragile media landscapes at the 30 Years of Peacekeeping Radio: Lessons for UN Media in a...
Combating digital threats
Surging violent acts against journalists including detention, intimidation, harassment, assault and murder were a central topic of discussion among academics and journalists from around the globe at World Press Freedom Day.
Sharing truth through spoken word
Spoken word poet, J. Ivy, opens official WPFD events with a performance in the General Assembly Hall. He emphasized the power of stories and words.
Democracy on the line
Academics, journalists share concerns over the rise of global misinformation and the fate of journalism as fundamental to human rights.
“My voice is my weapon”
Journalist Masih Alinejad speaks to news outlets at the United Nations Headquarters for the World Press Freedom Day “speaking out for our rights” panel.
Actions speak louder than words
To commence the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day events, international leaders and UN freedom of expression advocates gathered at the United Nations Population Fund Headquarters to discuss Freedom of Expression and Gender Justice in the digital age.
Freedom of Expression and Gender Justice panel highlights misogynistic algorithms
Freedom of expression advocates from UN Women, United Nations Population Fund and Association for Progressive Communications hosted the Freedom of Expression and Gender Justice panel at the UNFPA headquarters Monday to discuss innovation, technological change and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality.
Journalists in the crosshairs
Last year, 363 journalists were imprisoned worldwide — an all-time high — according to annual point-in-time data collected by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
UNESCO/UNITWIN 30th Anniversary Conference
On 3-4 November 2022, UNESCO hosted an international conference called “Transforming knowledge for just and sustainable futures” to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme. Here are some short video messages created by various UNESCO...
We support a Christmas cease-fire in Ukraine
More than 1,000 faith leaders in the United States have called for a Christmas truce in Ukraine, 10 months following Russia's invasion. Their statement says: "As people of faith and conscience, believing in the sanctity of all life on this planet, we call for a...
30th Anniversary of UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Program
This November 3rd and 4th, UNESCO convened a 30th-anniversary celebration of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Program to celebrate three decades of accomplishments. The event's theme, “Transforming knowledge for just and sustainable futures," reflects the cross-sectoral,...
Executive Director of Article 19, Quinn McKew, on Elon Musk, Twitter and the EU’s new Digital Services Act
by Noah Camuso “When every major freedom of expression organization is telling you that you don't know what you're talking about, maybe pause a little bit to listen” Within the past week, the European Union reached a historic agreement to create the Digital Services...
International free speech rapporteurs launch the 2022 Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Gender Justice
by Noah Camuso A 2020 UNESCO study on online violence against women journalists reported that 73% of women respondents said they had experienced online violence. Nearly a third (30%) of respondents said that they reacted to online violence by self-censoring on social...
Access Now: Protecting Journalists from Digital Threats
by Karl FurlongPunta del Este, Uruguay – Digital threats against journalists are on the rise around the world, an issue being explored in depth this week at a global event hosted in Uruguay as part of UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day (WPFD)Sitting behind a small desk...
The Elijah Interfaith Summer School and Interreligious Leadership Seminar 2022: Return to Jerusalem
The Elijah Interfaith Summer School and Interreligious Leadership Seminar 2022: Return to Jerusalem We are returning to Jerusalem and you, too, are invited to return to Jerusalem with us. Following a two-year break from Jerusalem, when our summer school program only...
‘I just couldn’t be a part of these platforms when their whole revenue is based upon people like me getting chewed up and spit out’: Trans father and activist on online harassment
by Noah Camuso audio transcript: Amid the back-and-forth acquisition of Twitter by “Free Speech Absolutist,” Elon Musk, The Pew Research Center conducted a survey on American support for regulating tech companies. They found that support for regulating tech...
The Rise of Artificial Intelligence and its implications on Journalism
by Karl Furlong In 2014 The Los Angeles Times created an algorithm to generate a story after an earthquake. The tool, Quakebot, brought AI into the company’s newsroom. By pulling data from the US Geological Survey and other trusted sources, the computer algorithm is...