Addis Ababa – South African journalist Phathiswa Tshangana moderated a session on the UNESCO 2022/2025 World Trends Report on Freedom of Expression and Media Development at the 2025 African Women in Media conference, held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday.
The report paints a troubling picture of press freedom worldwide. It shows that 72 percent of the global population now lives under authoritarian regimes, marking the highest level since 1978. For the first time in two decades, authoritarian governments now outnumber democratic ones.
During the session, Tshangana spoke with Rokhaya Diallo, a French journalist and filmmaker, and Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information for the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The discussion explored the drivers behind shrinking media freedoms and the challenges facing journalists across Africa and beyond.
The UNESCO report is scheduled for official release in mid-December.
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