As the World Press Freedom Day 2026 highlights, the boundaries between journalism, technology, civic space and human rights are increasingly intertwined.  

In our current global context, when we think about press freedom, we are likely to think about all the journalists who have lost their lives or been detained in their pursuit of reporting the truths. 

But freedom of press is also at risk apart from extreme situations. In all environments, press should have the freedom to be safe in reporting the news, physically, mentally and legally.

Why does freedom of press matter for human development? It is an essential component of a democratic society. Journalists are our eyes and ears. Having clear, transparent and critical voices allows people to understand the issues facing their societies and have the information and tools to hold communities, organizations and governments accountable for the decisions and plans that impact their lives – from how they put food on the table to whether the nearby natural area will be torn up for a factory, from how many local jobs the new business initiative will actually deliver to which politicians are saying what and whether they actually said it or meant it. The BBC noted that the more freedom journalists have, the greater the control over corruption, and the greater the focus of resources on priority development issues.

Thus, it is necessary for press to have the freedom to investigate and report—for societies to be informed, aware and understanding of the dynamics around us; for the transparency of how government works and how systems are set up—so that the public understands the landscapes and problems so that they can better decide on responses and solutions. 

But the Freedom of Expression Index has declined by 10 percent globally since 2012.

It’s not just political climates that are tightening freedoms of press but also the business of journalism itself. As the media industry faces declines as a business model, the news sector is moving to digital ecosystems, which are often guided by algorithms and pressures to monetize on quantity rather than quality, impacting how one can report and what might get restricted by big digital industry gatekeepers. We need to protect the freedom of press to be independent. 

With that decline in the media industry, people are turning to social media for their news, where there are additional risks of misinformation or inaccuracy (not that they aren’t present on the large media platforms) and artificial intelligence – used without guardrails – is undermining trust in media. This is especially crucial for young people.

In an interview we did for our 2025 Foresight exercise with Mite Kuzevski, Co-founder and Head of Media Innovation at Vidi Vaka, he noted that amongst youth, “news avoidance is highest, and the main reason they give is that the information provided does not feel useful or valuable to them. Instead of adapting to the new needs and expectations of audiences, media outlets continue to flood the space with content that lacks relevance and impact. If we want engaged citizens, they need to be informed with meaningful journalism.“

We need the freedom of press to be reliable, accurate and accountable. Digital developments are increasing access to information but also flooding the market. Press outlets and journalists need to be able to learn and use those digital developments to their advantage. Media needs to adapt and be agile, to be able to build trust with its audiences and deliver reliable information; to find a balance between what people need and what people need to know. 

So what does it take to protect that freedom of press? 

- Alternative ways of financing independent journalism. The International Fund for Public Interest Media explores how national and regional journalism funds can safeguard editorial independence and rebalance power, amidst risks of being shut down, interfered with or censored.

- Using AI and open source effectively and ethically.  Instead of using AI to scrape (often unreliable) information, models can be deployed or built to improve workflow or research to allow more time for reporting, like scanning public documents related to election candidates. UNDP Moldova recently held a workshop for journalists (and public institutions, CSOs) on using OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) techniques combat disinformation, monitor electoral processes and investigate illicit political financing.

-Strengthen the media ecosystem. Just as climate change doesn’t stop at borders, journalism also can benefit from cross-boundary collaboration, using national or regional networks to share information for investigations and disseminate news that affects everyone.

-Increase and protect diversity, inclusion and representation. Reliable narratives and trust in media require different voices – not just the dominant ones.

UNESCO’s recent World trends in freedom of expression and media development report has a chapter on the impact on the climate crisis, and we’ve seen work in our region to strengthen the landscape for environmental reporting.

(From 2021 to 2024, climate denial posts increased by up to 40% across major digital platforms, and despite its connection with science-backed data and perspective, climate journalism is facing increased backlash.)

Since 2016, UNDP Moldova, with support from EU, Sweden and the Global Environment Facility, have been supporting the development of journalists’ capacities and skills in covering environmental issues; they are just finishing a training programme for emerging journalists to produce engaging, high-quality media content that contributes to public awareness of environmental issues and informed dialogue on climate change, the environment and sustainability. UNDP Georgia invited regional media representatives for an in-depth conversation on Georgia’s new climate pledge and NDC 3.0 where climate experts provided scientific data and insights, and journalists shared their experiences, challenges and ambitions in climate reporting.

Over the last decade in the region, UNDP has run many media monitoring trainings around elections, workshops to improve journalists’ skills for human rights reporting and programmes to build more inclusive and just media reporting. Whether it is around the environment or civil society, free and diverse press are crucial for transparency and accountability in governance and shaping public opinion and policy for inclusive and democratic societies.