Media Freedom at a new Crossroads? A Shared Responsibility in the Digital Age


In an era defined by the speed of information and the complexity of worldwide narratives, media freedom has become both a lifeline for democratic accountability and a casualty of resurgent authoritarianism. Speaking at a recent key annual summit, a powerful call to action was issued by the top diplomat, the UN Undersecretary General Olga Algayerova (2017-23). It was during the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) first Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM) of 2025, titled “The Role of Civil Society in the Promotion and Protection of International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law” that was organised by the International Institute IFIMES.” 

The 57 participating States of the OSCE and their partners from the Middle East and Asia, discussed the current geopolitical moment and the security challenges of today. Less known outside Europe, the OSCE is the second largest multilateral system in the world, right after the UN. A unique organization that brings together everyone, from Vancouver to Vladivostok, it began as a strategic conference to relax tensions between the Western and Soviet blocs, in the form of the Decalogue in Helsinki, back in 1975.

This year’s SHDM, organized by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), offered a platform for civil society representatives, international organizations, and government officials to engage on the erosion of the human rights ecosystem across the OSCE region and beyond. Answering the OSCE call, IFIMES invited heavy-weight practitioners and thinkers, like Steve Clemons (US), Nathan Coyle (UK), Dr. Philipe Reinnisch (AUT), and Dr. Harvey Dzodin (US), among others and chaired by prof. Anis H. Bajrektarevic (CH), with Excellency Algayerova giving the opening key-note.

After welcoming panellists and participants by IFIMES Director Dr. Zijad Bećirović, madam Algayerova’s Key-note address served as both a warning and a rallying cry, translating as follows: the survival of press freedom must not rest solely on the shoulders of journalists—it is a collective (societal) burden to bear, it is a call to action. 

The UN Undersecretary General’s key-note contribution particularly underscored the essential role played by free media in exposing abuses, fostering transparency and contributing to trust-building in society, and holding power to account—a theme regrettably deeply resonant in our current world stage.



The global picture is bleak. With at least 124 journalists killed in 2024 alone, we are witnessing an alarming erosion of press related freedoms. Journalists across continents are being branded as foreign agents, silenced through intimidation or imprisonment, and, in the most harrowing cases, assassinated for simply carrying out their professional mandate. The digital realm, once a sanctuary for free expression, has increasingly become a battleground. Surveillance, cyber-attacks, and coordinated disinformation campaigns threaten not only media actors but the very integrity of public discourse as a whole.
 
Algayerova also emphasized that the issue is not confined to autocratic regimes alone. Even in democratic societies, the rise of misinformation and polarized media networks has sown public distrust, creating fertile ground for manipulation, extremism and authoritarian narratives. “With each freedom comes also responsibility,” she noted, underscoring the vital need for ethical journalism and robust media standards.

Yet amid these dark clouds, the message is not one of despair but of determination. The international legal architecture—anchored in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—remains a bulwark of democracy. Institutions like the OSCE, Council of Europe, and various watchdog organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists continue to monitor, advocate, and report with courage and consistency. 

Still, the future begs for more than observation. It demands action. Strengthening international collaboration through cross-border investigative efforts like the Panama Papers, leveraging tools like the UNESCO Observatory of Killed Journalists, and holding perpetrators to account through various diplomatic, legal and policy mechanisms are essential steps. These mechanisms represent the teeth of the international system. While some may be perhaps symbolic, they remain capable of biting when reinforced by political will and public endorsement.

Moreover, Excellency Algayerova advocated for a stronger stance against digital repression. She called for the recognition of internet shutdowns and digital censorship as violations of human rights and urged governments and institutions to challenge such practices through legal means. “We need to keep digital spaces open,” she said, pointing to examples such as Iran, where encrypted messaging apps like Signal have become lifelines for journalists despite persistent state efforts to block them. This highlights the need for anti-surveillance technologies and pressure on tech companies to uphold digital rights and transparency. The combination of these collective actions, modern characterization and stances will be instrumental for the next decade ahead. It will define the landscape of the very battleground we must navigate with vigilance, resolve, and unwavering commitment to fundamental rights.

And perhaps the most hopeful path also lies in prevention: fostering media literacy and civic education, as exemplified by Finland’s forward-looking curriculum, and embedding a culture of critical thinking that empowers our future generations. Equipping citizens—particularly youth—with the skills to discern misinformation and understand media structures is essential to reinject trust in journalism and in democratic processes more broadly.

The larger context of Algayerova’s key-note remarks aligns closely with the theme of the OSCE’s SHDM: civil society’s indispensable role in the protection and promotion of international human rights law. Free media is, after all, one of civil society’s most potent tools. It gives voice to the marginalized, shines light in dark places, and forces accountability on systems that would otherwise operate in secrecy. Without it, the very scaffolding of human rights protection begins to falter.

Ultimately, the Key-note address of Her Excellency Olga Algayerova reminds us that the defence of media freedom is not the concern of journalists alone. It is a shared democratic duty and common necessity, stretching from global institutions to national governments, from civil society to every single individual who values unhampered real-world insight. The world we leave behind—one where ethical journalism is either silenced or celebrated—depends on the choices we make today.

Nora Wolf 


Nora Wolf recently co-authored the book on the European Union (Institutions and Instruments) for the American publisher. So far, this book had several translations (in Eastern European languages and Mandarin), and was republished in Europe and Asia.  
 



















 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Ubicazione: Vienna, Austria

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