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Sun, 04 May 2025 Feature Article

Journalism Under Siege: Defending Truth in an Authoritarian Age

GJA President Albert K. DwumfourGJA President Albert K. Dwumfour

As the world marks another World Press Freedom Day, the principles that underpin this global observance, truth, transparency and accountability, are being challenged as never before. From arbitrary arrests and media blackouts to digital surveillance and disinformation campaigns, authoritarian regimes are deploying a growing arsenal of tactics to suppress independent journalism. In many parts of the world, the mere act of seeking or disseminating the truth has become a perilous endeavour. This growing hostility towards the press not only threatens journalists but imperils the democratic values they uphold.

This moment calls for an honest, sobering reflection: Journalism is under siege and it is the shared responsibility of global citizens to protect it.

Authoritarian Playbook: Silencing the Messengers

Authoritarian regimes have long viewed a free press as a threat to their grip on power. What is new, however, is the systematic, global and increasingly sophisticated manner in which these governments now target journalists. They no longer merely censor headlines or shutter newspapers; today’s autocrats engage in widespread intimidation, weaponize national security laws, manipulate digital technologies and launch coordinated disinformation campaigns to control narratives and quash dissent.

In Russia, the invasion of Ukraine was matched by a sweeping crackdown on the domestic press. Independent media outlets like Novaya Gazeta, once a beacon of fearless reporting, were forced to halt operations under the weight of repressive legislation that criminalized “fake news” about the military, defined solely by the Kremlin. Journalists faced prison sentences for contradicting the official narrative.

Similarly, in China, the state maintains one of the world’s most draconian media environments. The Chinese Communist Party has achieved an unparalleled level of information control, extending its reach to Hong Kong where the independent newspaper Apple Daily was shuttered and its editors arrested under a national security law designed to criminalize dissent. The “Great Firewall” has also ensured that alternative voices and foreign journalism are kept at bay, thereby shaping a public sphere that echoes only state-approved messages.

Elsewhere, regimes in countries like Iran, Turkey, Myanmar, Egypt and Eritrea continue to imprison journalists en masse. In these nations, reporters are routinely labeled “enemies of the state”, and journalism is treated not as a public service but as subversion. These crackdowns often intensify in times of political unrest, election cycles or major protests, periods when public access to factual reporting is most essential.

These are not isolated incidents. Rather, they are part of a transnational trend of media repression designed to dismantle the pillars of accountability and shield governments from scrutiny.

Digital Authoritarianism: A New Battleground

Technology, once heralded as a democratizing force for journalism, has become a double-edged sword. While digital platforms allow journalists to reach global audiences, authoritarian regimes have co-opted these very tools to surveil, censor and intimidate. Sophisticated spyware such as Pegasus has been used to hack into journalists’ phones, exposing sources and compromising investigations. In some cases, this surveillance has preceded abductions, imprisonments or assassinations.

Social media, too, has been weaponized. State-sponsored troll farms and bot networks spread disinformation to delegitimize factual reporting, polarize public discourse, and drown out independent voices. Journalists become the targets of coordinated harassment, with women journalists facing particularly vicious online abuse.

In this new landscape, authoritarian regimes don’t just silence the press; they actively work to erode public trust in journalism. The term “fake news” is no longer a descriptor of falsehood but a rhetorical weapon used to discredit uncomfortable truths. The consequence is a citizenry that becomes sceptical of all information, unable to discern fact from fiction, a condition that suits autocrats just fine.

The Democratic Dilemma: When Democracies Falter

It would be a grave mistake to assume that press freedom is under threat only in traditionally authoritarian states. Even in established democracies, political actors have adopted tactics that undermine journalistic integrity. From the United States to India, Brazil to Hungary, elected leaders have attacked the media, cast doubt on its legitimacy and manipulated public perception through populist rhetoric.

In some cases, economic pressure is applied where legal means fall short. Independent news outlets are starved of advertising revenue, especially when state-owned enterprises are instructed to direct funds toward government-aligned media. Public broadcasting institutions, once impartial watchdogs, are repurposed as mouthpieces of ruling parties.

What happens when democracies imitate autocracies in their treatment of the press is a slow but dangerous erosion of institutional trust. The press loses its role as a check on power and without that accountability, even democratic systems begin to falter.

Journalism’s Enduring Role in Democracy

Despite the rising threats, the press remains a cornerstone of democratic life. It is through journalism that citizens become informed, that corruption is exposed, that human rights violations come to light and that public discourse is enriched by diverse perspectives. In countries where democracy has thrived, it is no coincidence that a vibrant, independent media has flourished alongside it.

Investigative journalism, in particular, has proven to be one of the most potent tools against tyranny and abuse. The Panama Papers, the Pegasus Project and numerous reports from conflict zones are testaments to journalism’s power to unveil the truth, even when those truths are inconvenient to those in power.

Moreover, local journalism, often overlooked in international conversations, plays a critical role in community engagement, fostering transparency at municipal and regional levels. Yet, local newsrooms are especially vulnerable to financial hardship and political pressure, a fact that autocrats exploit.

Collective Responsibility: Defending the Press

The defense of press freedom is not the responsibility of journalists alone. It is a civic duty that falls on all of us, governments, civil society, educators, the private sector and individual citizens. If we accept that a free press is essential to democracy, then we must act accordingly.

Governments must uphold international commitments to press freedom, including those enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Democratic nations must not only protect press freedom at home but must actively pressure authoritarian regimes through diplomatic channels and multilateral institutions.

Civil society has a vital role to play in monitoring press freedom violations, advocating for imprisoned journalists and supporting media development initiatives. Organizations like Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International serve as essential watchdogs and support networks.

Technology companies must take greater responsibility for protecting journalists from digital threats. This includes stronger security features, accountability in moderating harmful content and resisting government efforts to co-opt platforms for censorship.

Educational institutions must foster media literacy so that citizens can better navigate the modern information ecosystem. A society that understands how journalism works is more likely to value it, and to defend it when it is under attack.

Citizens, perhaps most importantly, must support journalism by subscribing to credible news sources, calling out disinformation, demanding transparency and standing in solidarity with journalists under threat. The survival of a free press ultimately depends on public demand for it.

A Call to Action
As we observe World Press Freedom Day, let us remember that journalism is not a crime, though in many places it is treated as such. Let us reflect on the courage of journalists who, despite harassment, imprisonment or worse, continue to report with integrity. Let us not take for granted the liberties we enjoy in societies where the press is still relatively free, for those liberties are fragile.

The challenges are formidable, but so is the resolve of those who believe in the power of the pen. The fight for press freedom is not just about protecting journalists, it is about preserving truth, defending democracy and ensuring that future generations live in a world where facts matter more than fear.

In the end, journalism’s greatest strength lies not only in its capacity to inform but in its ability to inspire. On this World Press Freedom Day, may we be inspired to act, not tomorrow, not when the threats become too large to ignore, but today.

The writer is a journalist, columnist specializing in international affairs and a journalism educator with a PhD in Journalism. Contact: [email protected]

Richmond Acheampong
Richmond Acheampong, © 2025

The writer is a journalist, international affairs columnist and a journalism educator with a PhD in Journalism. Contact: [email protected]Column: Richmond Acheampong

Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here." Follow our WhatsApp channel for meaningful stories picked for your day.

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