As the world’s journalists observe World Press Freedom Day, the fourth estate continues its many struggles aginst authoritarianism and protracted funding struggles in an ever-changing industry.
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On World Press Freedom Day, attention will naturally turn to the myriad ways that journalism, a key component of any well-functioning democracy, is under attack. But, amid the gloom, signs of journalistic resilience are emerging.
Every year on May 3 – World Press Freedom Day – news producers and consumers pause to reflect on the state of global media. This year, as journalists and government officials gather in Ghana for the event’s 25th observance, attention will turn to the myriad pressures and challenges confronting the profession worldwide, and how official and state-sponsored hostility toward the press is threatening democracy.
Read More: UN Plan of Action On Safety of Journalists
The introduction of the International Fund for Public Interest Media, an initiative intended to support public interest media around the world, was a reaction to the eroding advertising-based business model, something exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw shrinking revenues. In 2020, newspapers alone suffered a global revenue loss of U.S.$30 billion.