Washington, DC – On World Press Freedom Day 2024, a Unesco joint research study conducted over 15 years revealed alarming statistics of violence and intimidation targeting environmental journalists. The findings indicated that more than 70% of environmental journalists have encountered attacks for their work since 2009, with 749 journalists facing violence and intimidation in the last decade alone, including 44 reported murders.
The research, carried out by Unesco in partnership with the International Federation of Journalists, highlighted the growing threats faced by environmental journalists globally. Factors such as the isolated nature of their work and the contentious subjects they cover, including issues like fossil fuel companies, land grabbing, and deforestation, contribute to the dangerous environment in which they operate.
Audrey Azoulay, director general of Unesco, emphasized the crucial role of environmental journalists in providing accurate information about the ongoing environmental crisis. She underscored the importance of defending freedom of expression and ensuring the safety of journalists worldwide in order to address the pressing environmental challenges we face.
Physical violence, including assaults, arbitrary detention, murder attempts, and abductions, were identified as the most common forms of attack against environmental journalists. The number of incidents has significantly increased over the years, with 111 reported cases in the past five years alone, up from 61 between 2014-2018 and 45 between 2009-2013.
A survey of 905 environmental journalists from 129 countries revealed that state actors were responsible for at least half of the violence documented. Male reporters were found to experience various forms of attacks more frequently than women, except for digital aggression. The report also highlighted a troubling trend of routine attacks on environmental journalists, with an average of 50 attacks per year between 2009 and 2023.
Guilherme Canela, the lead report author for Unesco, emphasized the critical role journalists play in informing societies about the environmental crisis and combating misinformation on these issues. He called on public authorities to urgently prioritize the protection of journalists to ensure access to accurate information needed to address the environmental challenges we currently face.
The report further revealed that nearly half of the surveyed journalists had engaged in self-censorship due to fears of attacks or jeopardizing their sources. To address this issue, the authors urged governments to hold perpetrators of attacks on environmental journalists accountable and provide increased safety training for reporters. They emphasized the need for advocacy groups, journalism networks, donors, and other stakeholders to support a free press and advocate for the safety of journalists worldwide.
In light of the escalating threats faced by environmental journalists, the report called for country-specific measures, legislative reforms, and policy changes to safeguard the crucial work of environmental reporting. The findings underscored the importance of upholding press freedom and ensuring the safety of journalists in the face of the global environmental crisis.