Annie Game

On the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, and the 10th anniversary of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, IFEX’s Executive Director underscores the need for States to start living up to their commitments.

What is next for Brazil? There is no simple answer, but democracy is at risk as the country approaches national elections – and we should all be concerned.

We need to value and support the critical work of journalists countering the mis- and disinformation flooding our communications channels, especially during crises, conflicts, and elections. The good news is that when the media and civil society work together, they create a better information climate – and a healthier civic space – for us all.

It’s thanks to the work of journalists that the crimes of state surveillance were first exposed. Now, they are among those being stalked.

It’s good to know that, on the road to end impunity, we are in good company.

We know that extraordinary measures are a necessary companion to these extraordinary times. Protecting people’s health and safety are paramount. But that doesn’t take away our responsibility to ensure that, down the road, such exceptional measures do not become the new rule of law.

Imagine a world without impunity, where everyone is free to exercise their right to freedom of expression and information and able to access, generate and share ideas and information in any way they choose, without fear.

We do.

If ever there was a time to remind ourselves of the power we hold to tackle injustice and deny impunity, even when the odds seem to be stacked against us, that time is now.

Frankly, it has become far too easy to interfere with the media’s key role in supporting fair elections and healthy democracies. As the Executive Director of the IFEX network writes, each World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to renew our vow to make it difficult for those who try to do so.

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the ensuing cover-up were carried out by people who apparently believed they were untouchable. And why wouldn’t they? On this fifth International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the guilty are still rarely held to account.

We need to support a free and independent media; efforts to undermine them are on the rise, and we need to hear a diversity of voices and opinions more than ever. Our 2018 campaign images underscore the fact that one side of the story is never enough.

As IFEX enters its 25th year, Executive Director Annie Game asks: Is freedom of the press still worth defending? More than ever.

Annie Game, IFEX’s Executive Director, discusses why we need women journalists…and why they need us.

During the International Day to End Impunity, we profile the cases of Jineth Bedoya Lima, Musa Saidykhan and Shan Dahar: Three cultures of impunity…and three paths to justice.