EDITORIAL: Reflections on World Press Freedom Day in Ireland

Today marks World Press Freedom Day. 

This year is the 31st year and is dedicated to reportage of the environmental crisis.

World Press Freedom Day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 and is held on May 3 every year to commemorate the Windhoek Declaration.

The Windhoek Declaration was the publication of a set of principles for press freedom written by African journalists.

Those principles include recognising the importance of the free press in a democracy and economic development, representing many views in the media and preventing the media from being stifled by violence, monopolies, and political and financial control.

When we think of restrictions on the press, we think of developing countries or far away war-torn places. But restrictions come in all shapes and sizes.

While it is incredibly safe to be a journalist in Ireland, we have other problems. Trust issues (AKA RTE), misinformation, underfunding, SLAPPS and online harassment can stifle free press as much as any Government policy.

In some publications, coverage of councils and courts is getting harder and harder, with reporters having less time to spend hours in one place.

A 2023 report by Dublin City University showed that 34% of journalists in Ireland faced legal action over something they reported. 55% had experienced verbal abuse, 25% reported being surveilled in the past five years, and 11% said they had been stalked.

Another report last summer, also by DCU, documented the impact of online harassment of female journalists in Ireland, which is a worldwide problem.

Ireland benefits greatly from its free press, which is why it is constitutionally protected.

Our access to information about the Government is extensive, but most people will not go on the deep dives a reporter will.

Because of the press you will have the information you need to make an informed decision on where your vote will go in the upcoming elections. When people see a problem that needs looking into, they contact us, and we don’t fear reprisals for our questions.

We don’t face the same challenges as journalists in places like Ukraine or Gaza, not even close. But violence is not the only obstacle to a free press, and Ireland is far from perfect.