A.G. Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, warned on Tuesday that “when the erosion of a free press, democratic erosion always follows.”
He spoke at a United Nations event marking the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, at a time when deadly attacks on journalists have increased — particularly in the wars in Ukraine and Latin America — and a record number have been jailed, according to one reporter. control group.
Today’s program in the United Nations General Assembly HallIt was also to include an address by Latour, publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Freedom of the world press The day is officially celebrated on Wednesday.
The Times, The Journal and other news organizations have taken a stand against Russia’s detention of US reporter Ivan Gershkovitch, 31.
He was arrested in late March while on a press trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, and soon returned to the Russian capital and accused of espionage, accusations the United States considers bogus. A full-page ad in The Journal, The Times and The Washington Post last week said Mr. Gershkovitch’s arrest was “the latest in a troubling trend in which journalists are harassed, arrested, or worse for reporting.”
the Committee to Protect Journalistscontrol group, It reported that at least 67 journalists and media workers were killed in 2022. This was the highest number since 2018 and an increase of nearly 50 percent from 2021.
The Commission attributed increase to the large number of journalists killed covering the war in Ukraine and the “sharp rise” in murders in Latin America, where, According to the committee chair, Judy Ginsberg“Covering politics, crime, and corruption can be more devastating or deadly than covering a full-scale war.”
The committee said that since Russia began its all-out invasion of Ukraine last year, 14 journalists and media workers have been confirmed killed there. The latest was Ukrainian journalist Bogdan Petek, who was shot dead on Wednesday while working for Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica along with Italian reporter Corrado Zunino who was wounded.
The commission is investigating the circumstances of the death of two other journalists in Ukraine to determine if they were linked to the work.
So far in 2023, nine journalists and media workers have died worldwide, including six confirmed deaths directly related to the work of journalists. The committee said the journalist or media worker was killed or was killed in a crossfire, in combat, or while carrying out a dangerous assignment.
The arrest of journalists is even more common. As of December 1, 2022, the Committee It found that 363 journalists were behind bars – A new global rise that exceeded the previous year’s record by 20 percent.
The committee described the figure as “another grim milestone in a deteriorating media landscape”.
Robert Mahoney, Group Special Projects Director, on monday He noted that independent journalism once flourished globally as the Internet undermined state control over information and the press and introduced freedoms of publication.
That has subsequently shifted as governments acquire new technologies to use as tools of censorship and surveillance, he wrote, adding: “Journalism needs democracy and the rule of law to thrive. It is losing both now.”
May 2, 2023
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An earlier version of this article misstated the name given to an Italian journalist. It’s Corrado Zunino, not Corada.
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