For about two decades I have had this activism for better political education, for more democracy and development, for more respect for human rights and better justice. The freedom of speech and a press free and independent are two pillars of democracy and justice and we all must defend them. We can't tolerate censorship of any kind. But if there is systematic bullying on TV against vulnerable human rights defenders, justice must be demanded. I have a YouTube channel, here is the link. https://www.youtube.com/@lucianofietto4773/videos. Since the creation of this channel its visualization counter doesn't work, the same has been happening with the counter of this blog since its creation in 2010. This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at https://www.un.org/en/observances/press-freedom-day. The second was published at https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2025/772836/EPRS_ATA(2025)772836_EN.pdf
The rapid growth and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing journalism, the media, and press freedom in big ways. While the principle of free, independent and pluralistic media remain crucial, AI's impact on information gathering, processing and dissemination is profound, presenting both innovative opportunities and serious challenges. AI can help support freedom of expression by making information easier to access, allowing more people to communicate across the world, and changing how information flows globally. At the same time, AI brings new risks. It can be used to spread false or misleading information, increase online hate speech, and support new types of censorship. Some actors use AI for mass surveillance of journalists and citizens, creating a chilling effect on freedom of expression. Big tech platforms use AI to filter and control what is seen, making them poweful gatekeepers of information. There are growing worries that AI may make global media too similar and push out smaller media outlets. AI can also help media organizations by automating tasks, making them more efficient. Generative AI tools reuse take away income from independent media and give it to tech platforms and AI companies. AI is playing a bigger role in elections, helping with fact-checking and fighting disinformation. It also gives tools to journalists and voters to support informed participation in democracy. But AI also creates risks. It can be used to make fake content, like deepfakes, which can damage trust in democratic systems. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among goverments, media and civil society. The U.N. Global Digital Compact, says it's important to deal with problems caused by technology while still protecting people's privacy and freedom of expression. World Press Freedom Day 2025 focuses on how AI affects press freedom, the free flow of information, media independence,and the global goal of access to information and protecting freedoms. May 3rd acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Digital technologies have now taken the world by storm. Newspaper sales continue to plummet, while the number of internet and social media users continue to rise. Internet intermediaries are now the gatekeepers of freedom of expression and information, influencing critically the way we receive. Governments around the world are resorting to internet shutdowns and other measures to silence online speech. Against this backdrop, 3 May remind us that freedom to seek, disseminate and receive information from different perspective on issues of public interest is a public good and vital to building healthy and pluralistic civic space in which democratic institutions and a healthy political debate can flourish. Without free and pluralistic media acting as public watchdog, citizens can't access the information they need to make sound political choice, and accountability is severely impaired. The media also offer citizens analysis of ongoing events, serve as a public forum in which different voices can be heard and interact with, and help citizens to understand an increasingly complex world. 3 May is also a day to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in pursuit of a story, to defend media from attacks on their independence, and to assess the state of media freedom worldwide. The European Commission monitors risks to media freedom in the E.U. Member States in its annual rule of law report. Additionally, since 2014, the Media Pluralism Monitor project, has been publishing reports assessing weaknesses in the E.U. Member States media systems that could hinder media pluralism. The 2024 editions of these reports confirm a negative shift regarding the journalistic profession, owing to an increase in the number of online and offline threats to journalists combined with abusive legal threats. The European Parliament has been an outspoken advocate for freedom of information and the protection of journalists both within and outside the E.U.
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