G7 pledges to counter ‘state-driven censorship’ and help protect journalists
- ‘Around the world, journalists face harassment and violence for their work, and press freedom is being restricted online and offline,’ say G7 media ministers
- A 2022 assessment of global press freedoms by Reporters Without Borders places China 175th out of 180 countries
The Group of Seven countries pledged on Wednesday to improve efforts to counter censorship and state-backed disinformation campaigns, amid deepening scrutiny in Washington of China’s and Russia’s treatment of journalists and governance of the internet.
“We commit to … act against state-driven censorship, network connectivity disruptions and media bans of the free press, while bolstering the important role of independent media,” media ministers from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain wrote in a joint statement.
Summarising a ministerial meeting that took place in Germany on Sunday, the communique included commitments to counter disinformation and propaganda, promote transparency around media ownership and strengthen efforts to protect journalists from threats.
“When democracies are under attack, all too often journalists and members of the media are the first to have their human rights curtailed and to face threats and repression,” the G7 ministers wrote.