Today (May 3) was World Press Freedom Day. We are delighted that Jamaica has moved up a number of places in the annual index, according to Reporters Without Borders. Jamaica is now 24th on the index of 180 countries, up eight places from 2023 and the highest in the Caribbean region. We must be doing something right. Our (currently somewhat beleaguered) Government was quick to embrace and announce the good news. Information Minister Robert Morgan shared this chart on social media:
This year's theme is "A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis." Stories on the environment, the impacts of climate change, and climate justice can be difficult to cover - physically and emotionally. They are often stories of extreme hardship, injustice, inequality and struggle. On the other side are powerful governments and corporations, and their allies. So, yes - those stories can be both "political" and dangerous.
Jamaica is one rank ahead of Trinidad & Tobago, which is 25th, and one below the United Kingdom. As for the rest of the Caribbean, Suriname is the only other country in the top 30. The others seem to be lagging behind somewhat.
It's interesting to note that three countries not far from us in the Americas are close to the bottom of the table: Cuba (where we know privately owned media is prohibited, and media and Internet is tightly controlled and monitored by the State); Nicaragua (where many journalists have fled the country due to intimidation, threats and government censorship); and Venezuela (where independent journalism is under threat and online news content is blocked). Authoritarian regimes the world over don't like freedom of expression, which might include dissent and criticism. They want the media to be "tame" and toe the government line - or they are in trouble. In Mexico, journalists are an endangered species; since 2000, nearly 150 have been murdered. Corruption and its accompanying violence abound, and journalists are often an easy target.
So - we know that World Press Freedom Day is not just about rankings. The underlying issues are equally important (or even more so). RSF comments on Jamaica (and there are clearly some governance concerns here): "In the past two decades, freedom of the press as a whole has continued to improve in Jamaica. However, there is a growing gulf of distrust between government officials and the media that has contributed to a decline in institutional respect for press freedom."
Let's not forget our neighbours in Haiti. In a statement for World Press Freedom Day, the Haitian media organisation, SOS Journalistes, has asked the recently-installed Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) to use its influence to investigate the journalists who have been murdered in the country in recent years. They are seeking justice for all their murdered colleagues, and in particular Garry Tesse, who was kidnapped, tortured and killed in 2022 - allegedly with the support and complicity of high-ranking government officials.
Meanwhile, UNESCO released an important survey focusing on attacks against journalists covering the environment. Here is what they have to say (I found these numbers quite alarming, but a number of issues, e.g. targeting of female journalists, cyber-bullying etc., are unfortunately not unique to environmental reporters):
UNESCO is dedicating World Press Freedom day to the vital connection between press freedom and the many environmental challenges the planet is current facing, including climate change. This is the first time the UN dedicates a global discussion on this correlation.
This includes promoting the safety of journalists reporting on environmental issues and a discussion on how to counter climate denial and mis/disinformation.
On World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO is publishing a new study with a quantitative and qualitative analysis of attacks committed against journalists covering the environment. [Here is the link to the full report].
A Survey conducted by UNESCO and the International Federation of Journalists received responses from over 900 journalists from 129 countries.
The results below are based on a survey to assess the Safety of Environmental Journalists which received responses from 905 journalists, 41% of which women, from 129 countries, including 43% of responses from Africa.
- 948 respondents with 905 responses that can be considered for data aggregation.
- 371 women journalists responded (41%)
- From 129 countries. Out of a total of 895 responses:
- Africa: 383 (43%)
- Asia and the Pacific: 169 (19%)
- Latin America and the Caribbean: 146 (16%)
- Europe and North America: 124 (14%)
- Arab States: 73 (8%)
- No responses: 10 (1%)
Attacks, threats or pressure while covering environmental issues: Over 70% of journalists surveyed reported being subject to attacks, threats or pressure while covering environmental issues.
Physical attacks: Out of those journalists who were subject to attacks while covering environmental issues, 41% experienced physical attacks.
Victim of online harassment: 60% of the journalists reporting being subject to attacks while covering environmental issues indicated having been victims of online harassment.
Legal attacks (i.e. lawsuits against public participation or defamation allegations): Out of all the journalists reporting being subject to attacks while reporting on environmental issues, a quarter said they had been legally attacked.
Mental health: 75% of journalists that have experienced one of these attacks said this has impacted their mental health.
Self-censorship: Almost half of the journalists reported having to practice self-censorship, and said this was driven by fears of potential attacks, having their sources exposed to harm, and being aware that their environmental coverage might conflict with the interests of their employers or advertisers.
Gender: Over 80% of female journalists reporting being victim of attacks while reporting on environmental issues, received psychological threats or pressure.
Out of all of the respondents that reported being victim of at least one attack, female respondents said they experienced digital attacks more frequently than male respondents (62%). This concurs with the Global trend identified in the Chilling report that women journalists are more prone to online violence than men.
83% of female journalists that have experienced attacks and/or threats while reporting on environmental issues said it had impacted their mental health.42% of female journalists responding to the survey have practiced self-censorship.
Climate change disinformation: Over two thirds of journalists from the survey think that climate-change-related disinformation has increased over the past years, and consider journalism is not doing enough to counter it. Out of these, 68% report that this is related to issues of conflict of interests with concerned stakeholders.
Data on journalists killed while covering the environment:
- A total of 44 journalists reporting on environmental issues have been killed in the past 15 years, with only five cases resulting in convictions, according to UNESCO's Observatory of Killed Journalists. Additionally, at least 24 journalists survived murder attempts.
- A UNESCO study on attacks committed against journalists covering the environment.
- At least 749 journalists, groups of journalists and news outlets reporting on environmental issues have been attacked in 89 countries since 2009, according to the detailed review of various data sources. These journalists and outlets covered a wide array of stories, from climate change causes, illegal mining, deforestation and fossil fuels, to issues specific to their communities like agribusiness, land grabs, mega-infrastructure projects, and the aftermath of extreme weather events.
- Over 300 attacks occurred in the past five years, marking a 42% increase from the preceding five-year period. This surge is attributed to a rise in physical attacks like assaults, arrests and harassment, and legal actions including defamation lawsuits and criminal prosecutions.
- State actors, such as police, military forces, government officials and employees, have committed at least half of the 749 attacks. Private actors, including extractive industry companies, criminal groups, protesters and local communities, are responsible for at least a quarter.
- Since 2009, at least 204 journalists and news outlets covering environmental issues have faced legal attacks. Governments filed criminal charges against 93 of them, the most common type of legal attack. Moreover, 39 journalists have been imprisoned, primarily in Asia and the Pacific, in connection to their environmental reporting. Defamation lawsuits are also common with at least 63 cases, predominantly in Europe and North America.
- There have been at least 194 journalists and news outlets attacked while covering environmental protests in the past 15 years, mainly in Europe, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean. Police and military forces are the main perpetrators with 89 attacks, while protesters account for 32 attacks.
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