Risking their Lives to Uncover the Truth
USAID recognizes the critical role journalists play in protecting and preserving democracy
On Oct. 8, 2021, journalists Dmitry Muratov of Russia and Maria Ressa of the Philippines jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their vital and courageous work in the face of states that exercise censorship and control over media.
No journalist has won the Nobel Peace Prize since 1936, and this rare selection of journalists for one of the world’s most prestigious awards puts the spotlight on the role journalists play fighting for democracy, but also the odds against them: they face physical and legal threats just to do their jobs, as do many other journalists around the world working in politically restrictive environments.
World Press Freedom Day reminds us that democracy and good governance depend on a vibrant, free press, capable of producing timely and accurate information on the issues that matter to the communities it serves. Authoritarian and corrupt governments try to silence journalists. Many are killed in the line of duty. New technologies have provided repressive states new methods to track and harass reporters.
USAID is committed to supporting journalists working in some of the most challenging environments in the world — from Latin America to Eastern Europe to sub-Saharan Africa.
Around the world, more than 1,200 journalists have been killed since 2006, with 90% of such cases going unsolved. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the number of journalists jailed around the world reached a record global high last year, the highest level since they began tracking this 30 years ago.
In Russia, six journalists at Muratov’s Novaya Gazeta have been killed for their reporting since 2000 while other journalists there have been threatened and Muratov was attacked with paint on April 7. In the Philippines, Maria Ressa’s investigative work relating to President Rodrigo Duterte has unleashed a barrage of lawsuits, harassment, arrests, and numerous criminal charges by the government designed to silence her.
Since 1992, according to CPJ, 58 journalists have been killed as a result of their work in Russia. In tandem with Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin’s efforts to systematically dismantle independent media in Russia reached a new low.
After passing a law barring ‘fake news’ on Russia’s war, the majority of independent media outlets closed and many journalists departed the country. On March 4, Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia’s few remaining independent news outlets that was still operating inside the country and one of the country’s leading newspapers, announced that it had ceased reporting on the conflict — all in an effort to continue operations. A few weeks later, the outlet announced it was suspending publication after a second warning from the state censor (a third warning could result in the closure of the outlet).
At a time when the powerful have fostered an environment of impunity against truth tellers, the mission to inform the public perhaps has never been more important, or more dangerous. Around the world, more than 1,200 journalists have been killed since 2006, with 90% of such cases going unsolved.
By March 2022, eight journalists have already been killed in Mexico, compared with at least seven in all of 2021. At least 252 have been killed since December 2006, making Mexico the single most dangerous country (among countries not at war) for journalists. This track record, and the failure to bring perpetrators to justice has corroded trust between journalists and the authorities meant to protect them.
In Mexico, USAID partners with local and international advocacy groups, in addition to Mexican law enforcement and government institutions, to address the alarming rates of violence against journalists in the country. USAID is helping to rebuild trust between journalists and those charged with protecting them by strengthening communication between prosecutors and civil society organizations on crimes against freedom of expression and journalists. The Agency is also helping bring attention to the broader consequences on the country’s governance and security when journalists are under attack.
In Mexico, USAID works with Articulo 19, an NGO committed to supporting freedom of speech and access to information, and with the Government of Mexico to document and publicize all acts of aggression against journalists.
The results have been promising. In 2021, Mexico’s Specialized Attorney General’s Office for Crimes Against Journalists successfully prosecuted seven cases. Additionally, USAID’s support for Mexico’s National Protection Program helped provide protection plans and security measures for 37 journalists and 81 human rights defenders in 2021 alone.
Two shocking assassinations of journalists in recent years in European Union member states — Daphne Galizia of Malta and Jan Kuciak of Slovakia — underline the importance of providing holistic support to prevent violence against journalists, even in regions where press have traditionally operated more freely. In these cases, as in most instances of violence against journalists, victims found themselves surveilled, harassed, and targets of costly lawsuits before any physical violence took place.
In the Eastern Europe and Eurasia regions, USAID is helping to finance and equip journalists with a range of tools to prevent and counter legal, digital, and physical intimidation. USAID’s Regional Investigative Journalism Network (RIJN), which ended in March, facilitated digital, physical, and legal security training to network members, ensuring they could do their work more securely. RIJN’s implementing partner, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, has responded to the two murders by mobilizing its network of journalists to finish Jan’s and Daphne’s work.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, USAID is providing legal assistance for media outlets and journalists facing politically motivated defamation lawsuits, a common tactic used by corrupt individuals to silence journalists. Our implementing partner, the Center for Civil Society Promotion, creates and runs education programs for journalists to improve their legal literacy and create content less vulnerable to lawsuits.
In Southern Africa, USAID is committed to helping journalists counter efforts to manipulate laws that punish hard hitting journalism. The Advancing Rights in Southern Africa initiative, implemented by Freedom House, the American Bar Association, Internews, and Pact, has provided advocacy and legal assistance for journalists facing politically-motivated prosecution in Mozambique, Angola, and elsewhere. With arrests and restrictions for journalists on the rise in some countries in the region, it is now more important than ever for local and international partners to stand shoulder to shoulder with independent media.
Today, as we draw attention to the struggle of those on the frontline of defending freedom of the press, USAID remains committed to supporting journalists as they continue to brave risks to their livelihoods, and sometimes their lives, to deliver the truth to the world.
About the Author
Timothy Wright served as a Democracy and Governance Officer in the USAID Bureau for Europe and Eurasia.
