As World Press Freedom Day approaches on 3rd May, Internews Europe CEO Meera Selva reflects on the growing threats facing journalists worldwide — from conflict zones to courtrooms — and calls for urgent, coordinated action.

On 3rd May, the world marks World Press Freedom Day — a moment not just of reflection, but of urgent reckoning.

Every day, journalists around the world risk harassment, detention, exile, and even death simply for doing their job. From the frontlines of conflict zones to the quiet resistance against authoritarianism, their stories challenge power, inform the public, and give voice to the voiceless.

At Internews, we’ve had the honor — and heartbreak — of standing beside many of these journalists. We’ve seen what happens when press freedom is crushed: silence replaces accountability, fear replaces facts. And we’ve seen what happens when the world acts too late.

This reality was underscored with stark clarity in a recent debate in the UK’s upper chamber, the House of Lords, where peers from all the main parties, led by The Baroness Mobarik, called for stronger global action to protect media freedom. The message was clear: freedom of the press is not a luxury — it is the lifeblood of democracy.

Across continents, the threats are escalating:

• In Sudan, civil war has driven journalists into exile or silence, even as their reporting becomes a lifeline for communities navigating violence and displacement.
• In Myanmar, at least 35 journalists were imprisoned this year alone, while local reporters — cut off from international media — persist under immense risk to report events like recent natural disasters.
• In Afghanistan, the Taliban’s return to power has triggered a wave of repression and driven women journalists in particular into exile and hiding. Internews helped evacuate and resettle 62 at-risk journalists — but countless more remain in danger.
• In Gaza, the Israel-Hamas war has become the deadliest conflict for journalists ever recorded. With almost all international media barred entry, local reporters have been the sole source of on-the-ground reporting and have paid for it with their lives.

These stories are not anomalies. According to Reporters Without Borders, over 550 journalists are currently imprisoned worldwide — a 7% increase from last year. More than 80% of journalist murders go unpunished. This climate of impunity must not become the norm.

Journalism is a Lifeline

At Internews, we know the power of journalism — not just to expose corruption or challenge power, but to save lives. In moments of crisis, reliable information helps people find safety, shelter, medical care, and community. It supports peacebuilding, elections, and resilience.

And yet, in many parts of the world, this information is being smothered.

As Baroness Mobarik said: When journalists are silenced, so too is the voice of the people.

These steps, building on past recommendations and commitments, would create a framework for journalism to survive.

1. Diplomatic pressure and consequences for repression: Targeted sanctions and coordinated condemnation for governments that imprison or kill journalists must be standard tools of diplomacy — not rare exceptions.
2. Long-term investment in healthy information ecosystems: Independent media and public interest journalism require sustainable funding models. Cuts to development aid that jeopardize these services are a strategic error, not just a budget choice.
3. Accountability and justice: We need international investigative bodies to end impunity for crimes against journalists. The creation of a standing international task force is critical — and long overdue.
4. Emergency visas for journalists under threat. Emergency visa scheme for journalists under threat — an initiative already implemented by some countries including Estonia, Canada and Germany – would be a lifeline.
5. Legal support: Journalists are increasingly targeted by strategic lawsuits (SLAPPs), online, and cyberattacks. Funding through mechanisms like the Global Media Defence Fund must increase not shrink and promises on anti-SLAPP legislation should be followed through.
6. Cyber support: News organisations have their websites blocked, social media pages suspended, and accounts terminated. Journalists are hacked, doxed, and targeted by spyware and digital surveillance that puts both them and their sources in danger. Digital safety tools need to be widely available to journalists, accompanied by technological and legal infrastructure to support them.

Internews will continue to work where the risks are greatest — and the stories most urgent. We stand with journalists. And we ask you to stand with us.

Because a free press is not the enemy. It is our last, best hope for accountability and peace.

Watch the ‘Journalists and Media Workers: Safety and Security’ debate in full from 13:50:57 on Parliamentlive.TV.

You can read the full Hansard transcript of the debate here.