Media body expresses solidarity with oppressed journalists worldwide

KARACHI: Members of the International Press Institute (IPI) Executive Board released a joint statement on Thursday to express solidarity with journalists and members of the media community across the globe who are oppressed, whether at the hands of the government or powerful actors.

“We — leading journalists, editors, and publishers from 21 countries around the world — are united in our unwavering commitment to the principles of press freedom and the indispensable role that a free media plays in supporting free and democratic societies,” the statement reads.

The journalists write that the media is a critical tool in holding powerful people accountable, exposing government overreach and abuse, and it also protects fundamental rights and liberties.

“We are in an unprecedented moment of geopolitical instability and change. Authoritarianism is on the rise and the institutions of free society — including the rule of law and fundamental human rights principles — are under tremendous strain. At this moment, the work that journalists and media do is more critical than ever,” it further states.

The IPI was founded 75 years ago at a time of global chaos; the Second World War had just ended and the dark clouds of the cold war were looming. The organisation was founded with the belief that press freedom and quality, fact-based journalism help build a better, freer and more peaceful world.

For more than seven decades, the IPI has advocated at the forefront for journalistic rights amid political pressure, censorship and repression, according to the statement.

“We have stood with journalists seeking to report the truth from behind the Iron Curtain, with those fighting censorship in apartheid-era South Africa, with reporters braving dictatorships in all corners of the globe, and with those risking their lives to document the truth in wars past and present,” it adds.

“Today, we stand in solidarity with our members and colleagues across the globe, who continue to report even as governments and other powerful actors attempt to vilify, discredit, or silence their work.

“Now is the time to stand together and reinforce and protect the essential work that journalists do. Without a free media, there is no free world.