WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
03 May 2025
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) joins the international community in commemorating World Press Freedom Day 2025.
Freedom of the press is considered to be an essential pillar of democracy, with the press often being termed as the public watchdog. This is strongly recognised in the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, which in turn persuaded the UN to dedicate this day to defending and deepening press freedom.
Buttressing this point the South African Constitutional Court has noted the critical importance of the media, and held as follows:
“In a democratic society, then, the mass media play a role of undeniable importance. They bear an obligation to provide citizens both with information and with a platform for the exchange of ideas which is crucial to the development of a democratic culture. As primary agents of the dissemination of information and ideas, they are, inevitably, extremely powerful institutions in a democracy and they have a constitutional duty to act with vigour, courage, integrity and responsibility. And ideas about public and political issues between citizens, candidates and elected representatives is essential. This implies a free press and other media able to comment on public issues without censorship or restraint and to inform public opinion. The public also has a corresponding right to receive media output.” [ “Freedom of Expression: Litigating Cases of Limitations to the Exercise of Freedom of Speech and Opinion,” Southern Africa Litigation Centre and Media Legal Defence Initiative, 2016]
It is in this vein that May 3rd is annually celebrated, by reiterating the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluating the extent to which press freedom is promoted, protected and ensured, in addition to condemning attacks against the press media, both offline and online.
Similarly, the Commission has repeatedly condemned violations against media, including harassment and threats, both online and offline, journalists particularly women journalists, and arrests of journalists without proper justification and where no charges or bogus charges are preferred against them, or restrictions on as well as closure of media houses, among others. [ The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: A Commentary,” Rachel Murray, Oxford University Press, 2019, pg.267, 268]
The Commission has also recognized the key role of the media in promoting the free flow of information and ideas, in assisting people to make informed decisions and in facilitating and strengthening democracy, especially in conflict situations and during election times. It has been particularly aware of the importance of broadcast media, ‘given its capacity to reach a wide audience due to the comparatively low cost of receiving transmissions and its ability to overcome barriers of illiteracy.’ [Id]
The Commission deplores recent reports of violations on press freedom including the arrest, detention and conviction of journalists on the basis of laws which are not justifiable in any democratic state or compatible with international human rights law and standards, banning or withdrawing operating licenses of media houses and journalists’ association. There has also been an extremely worrying marked increase of reports of the abduction and enforced disappearances of journalists and media personalities, increasingly with reports of these abductions being carried out by persons from the military or intelligence services. These violations leave the next of kin with no information on either the state or whereabouts of the abducted person.
On this day, the Commission takes this opportunity to condemn all these and other attacks on the media, which constitute violations of Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Commission reiterates the responsibility of States Parties to “take effective legal and other measures to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of attacks against journalists and other media practitioners, and ensure that victims have access to effective remedies.”
This year’s World Press Freedom Day focuses on the theme of: “Reporting in the Brave New World: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media”. This theme takes into consideration the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, which has undoubtedly played a transformative role in journalism and the media, as well as digital communications more broadly.
As noted in the African Union’s Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, adopted by the AU Executive Council in July 2024, “Artificial Intelligence has great potential for Africa’s socio-economic transformation and cultural renaissance. […] However, these benefits are accompanied by AI risks and harms, ranging from bias due to the way data were collected and trained on AI applications, potential discrimination of women and vulnerable persons (migrants, children, persons with disabilities), to job displacement, effect on indigenous knowledge and liability issues due to AI overtaking certain human operations. The risks are being deepened by Generative AI, which include disinformation, infringement of data privacy, surveillance, and copyright violations.“ [“Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy - Harnessing AI for Africa’s Development and Prosperity,” African Union, July 2024 ]
The Continental AI Strategy further notes the following: “As Africa is embracing this revolutionary and very disruptive technology, there is a need to ensure the integrity of information and sustain trust in the use of AI Systems and platforms. The responsible and ethical use of AI should also cover media and information literacy that stimulate critical thinking, lifelong learning, global citizenship, freedom and autonomy and cultural competencies.” [ Paragraph 2.4.3.4 Information Integrity, Media and Information Literacy (MLI), AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy ]
It is also useful to consider the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa (2019), adopted by the Commission in November 2019 to give effect to Article 9 of the African Charter, which ‘recognizes the role of new digital technologies in the realization of the rights to freedom of expression and access to information,’ and further ‘acknowledges that the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and access to information using the internet are central to the enjoyment of other rights and essential to bridging the digital divide.’
During this year’s commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, the Commission takes the opportunity to stress the importance of the press freedom, in view of the important role of the media in society. Noting AI’s potential influence on the work of the media, and its potential to enable journalists to handle and process vast amounts of data efficiently and create content more effectively, the Commission encourages the media profession to make ethical use of AI systems in their operations and to be a watchdog that reports on the societal risks as well as opportunities of AI.
Further, as enunciated in the Commission’s Resolution 630 on developing Guidelines to assist States monitor technology companies in respect of their duty to maintain information integrity through independent fact checking, AI systems should be adequately trained to cover African languages, while digital platforms and their related AI services should be neutral and maintain their information integrity. [ Adopted during the 82nd Ordinary Session, held virtually from 25 February to 11 March 2025]
The Commission also encourages States Parties to develop national media and information literacy policies, in addition to developing a legal framework to regulate digital platforms and protect African people from misuse of emerging technologies, as recommended in the AU’s Continental AI Strategy.
In commemorating World Press Freedom Day 2025, the Commission wishes to buttress that AI should be a tool to advance human rights and strengthen press freedom and not a means to compromise information integrity and deepen the divide between Africa and the rest of the world.
Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
