Covid-19: the essential role of the press and journalists

Since the epidemic has been rampant around the world, covid-19 has been on the front page of every newspaper and media outlet. Some people are sorry to see the over-media coverage that has overshadowed all the rest of our international news. They are not entirely wrong, but what would we do without information, in this terrible global ordeal, to understand, protect ourselves and anticipate the risks?
If the free press is a sine qua non of our democracies, it is even more necessary in times of pandemic. Authoritarian regimes, used to gag journalists in normal times, are now finding additional grounds for repression. Reporters Without Borders reacted immediately by setting up Tracker 19 to prevent press freedom violations in this unprecedented context. And Cartooning for Peace is joining forces with UNESCO through a cartoon awareness campaign (here), on the occasion of 3 May, World Press Freedom Day.

To see our previous weekly editorials on international news, take a look here!