From the Editor: Press freedom is deteriorating around the world, why we should be more outraged

As we approach the last stretch of 2024, it’s safe to say we have lived through several historical moments, from the biggest election year in history and the escalating war in the Middle East to the apparent assassinat ion attempts on former U.S. president Donald Trump.

Amid all of these unprecedented developments, what has also become clear this year is the increasing attacks on press freedom around the world.

Reporters Without Borders, an international non-profit, tracks global press freedom with an annual index based on five indicators — political, economic, legislative, sociocultural, and security. The organization’s index for this year found the political indicator, which looks at the degree of support and respect for media autonomy from states and other political forces, worsened the most worldwide.

More than half of the world’s population lives in a country or territory where the situation surrounding press freedom is considered very serious, and less than 8 per cent live in places where the situation is classified as good or satisfactory.

China is the world’s largest jailer of journalists, India has seen 28 journalists killed since its current leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came into power a decade ago, and new internet laws introduced in Russia earlier this year have restricted access to reliable news and information.

Bangladesh and Pakistan join China, Russia, and India in being five of the 10 most populous countries in the world — these five countries are also coloured in red on Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 press freedom map, signifying their alarming statuses for journalists.

Following Hamas’s attack on Israel last year, which killed about 1,200 people, the country’s ongoing war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza has killed tens of thousands of civilians. As of Sept. 30, 116 journalists and media workers were confirmed killed — 111 Palestinian, three Lebanese, and two Israeli, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Palestine, Iran, Myanmar, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and Syria sit at the bottom of Reporters Without Borders’ index when filtered on just the security indicator, which evaluates the media’s ability to do their job without unnecessary risk of physical, psychological, or professional harm.

Here at home, Canada ranks 14 out of 180 countries overall on the index, suggesting a relatively healthy handling of press freedom practices and protections. However, this year didn’t go without concerning journalist arrests, calling into question how committed the country is in protecting journalists.

In January, Indigenous reporter Brandi Morin was arrested and charged with obstruction in Edmonton while covering the clearance of a homeless encampment. Fortunately, the charges were dropped two months later, but the actions by Edmonton police didn’t go without swift condemnation from agencies including Reporters Without Borders and the Canadian Association of Journalists.

In April, Savanna Craig, a video journalist for Concordia University’s student-run T.V. station Community University Television (CUTV), was arrested while covering a pro-Palestine protest in downtown Montreal. She was wearing a visible press pass and informed police she was a journalist, according to Reporters Without Borders.

Whether it be the worldwide arrests and killing of journalists or the censorship and control of information sharing, it goes without saying these trends are a direct threat to forming and maintaining democracies.

During a year when large swathes of the population are heading to the polls or already have, the media plays an important role in informing our decisions on who we want to put or keep in power and what consequences that could create on a larger scale.

The press also brings us into places we can’t enter, such as election day in a foreign country or a dangerous war zone, providing glimpses into the realities of so many people.

We shouldn’t wait until May 3, World Press Freedom Day, to reflect on the state of global journalism and the free press. It can feel daunting and discouraging to see the growing harm to independent and reliable media, but we all must continue to show or adopt ways of supporting the free press.

Sharing interesting stories on social media and with peers, subscribing and bookmarking a diverse range of news outlets, donating to media organizations whose work you value, speaking out when seeing limitations to a free press, and showing up to events on journalism-related issues are among the ways we can all help support this essential pillar of democracy.