In 1991, just a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, journalists from across Africa gathered in Windhoek, Namibia, for a UNESCO-led seminar on promoting an independent African press. After several days of seminars, on May 3, those African journalists published the Windhoek Declaration, a set of principles for a free press - first among which was the statement that an "independent, pluralistic, and free press is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy."
Today, as democracies around the world remain under attack and autocrats continue to repress the free flow of information and ideas, journalists are more critical than ever to promoting and maintaining democratic societies. Whether they are employed by international media organizations or report on their communities with just a cell phone and a blog, journalists all over the world tell stories that shine a light on corruption, hold leaders accountable, stimulate civic engagement, and sustain democratic institutions.
And they do so at great personal risk - because their reporting often places them squarely in the crosshairs of authoritarian and kleptocratic regimes intent on squashing democratic principles. Last year, at least 67 journalists and media workers around the world were killed - the highest number since 2018 and an almost 50 percent increase from 2021. And now, some countries target journalists outside their border. Vladimir Putin, for example, has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian journalists and media outlets covering the brutality of his invasion - and the Chinese government has harassed and imprisoned the family members of exiled journalists reporting on the plight of Uighur communities in China.
