World Press Freedom Day

Dear Friend,

On World Press Freedom Day, we ask that you support our work with journalists around the world in their vital role providing the public with accurate, life-saving information, even in the face of a pandemic, government persecution and rampant disinformation.

We equip them with skills to expose corruption, enrich their storytelling, build financially strong newsrooms and more. In addition, through our new research arm, we are now shedding light on important trends in our field that deserve urgent attention.

In our recent study for UNESCO, for example, we shed light on a dangerous trend: horrendous online violence against women journalists, threatening personal safety, free speech and democracy itself. The violence takes many forms, from death threats and doxxing to orchestrated disinformation, and it aims to silence journalists. The findings are devastating: Nearly three out of four women in our global survey experienced such attacks. Some women from the U.S., Sri Lanka, the U.K. and South Africa even had to relocate. In other cases, the attackers targeted their children. There is truly nothing virtual about this scourge. One-fifth of survey respondents said they suffered abuse and harassment in the physical world that was seeded online. By researching and spotlighting the problem, our goal is to trigger action that puts an end to this violence. Join us in our efforts. Your gift is critical, especially at times like this when journalists face daunting challenges for bringing us the news.