According to the UN, press freedom is under serious threat. Since October 2023, nearly 300 journalists have been killed in the Gaza Strip, and approximately 330 are being held worldwide. Impunity is widespread, as only one in ten murders results in prosecution. Africa exemplifies this trend: in several countries, journalists are murdered without their killings being solved; elsewhere, no independent journalist can work; critical radio stations have been shut down, and access to the media has been severely restricted during conflicts.

On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights paints an alarming picture. According to Volker Türk, at least 14 journalists have already been killed since the beginning of the year, and nearly 300 since October 2023 in the Gaza Strip alone. Globally, approximately 330 journalists are currently detained, along with 500 bloggers, while only one in ten murders results in prosecution. This widespread impunity sends a clear message: a reporter can be killed without consequence.

The UN report highlights two major trends. First, the normalization of targeting journalists in conflict zones. In Gaza, Lebanon, and Sudan, local reporters are no longer protected witnesses but targets.

However, the threat does not come solely from bombs. Laws on defamation, cybercrime, and disinformation are being misused to protect the powerful. Courts are becoming tools of intimidation, and women journalists are paying a heavy price: three-quarters of them suffer online abuse, ranging from denigration to sexual violence.

Added to these abuses is unprecedented economic pressure. In nearly a third of countries, media closures and layoffs are used to stifle critical voices. Internet shutdowns, media blackouts, and access restrictions complete this picture of widespread suffocation.

Africa tragically illustrates this accumulation of risks. In Sudan, Mali, and Burkina Faso, journalists investigating jihadist groups or military abuses are regularly murdered, often without their killings being solved. In Eritrea, no independent journalist can practice journalism. In Burundi, critical radio stations have been shut down. In Ethiopia, the war in Tigray has seen media access severely restricted.

Another phenomenon specific to the continent is also present: internet shutdowns during elections or protests (in Uganda, Tanzania, Congo, and Senegal) prevent journalists from disseminating information. Digital technology is becoming a weapon of mass censorship. Faced with these abuses, the UN is urging states to repeal abusive laws and tech giants to take action against online abuse. The question remains: who will be willing to pay the price tomorrow – in terms of safety, money, and freedom – to reveal what the powerful want to hide?