Media Freedom Coalition statement on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists 2025

On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the Media Freedom Coalition draws attention to the growing threats that journalists and media workers face, in particular women journalists, due to artificial intelligence and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. 

Journalists and media workers are exposed to an unprecedented level of harassment, reprisals, attacks and violence, that have far-reaching implications for the freedom of the press and violate their human rights.  

Women journalists and media workers face specific risks in relation to their work, in non-conflict as well as in armed conflict situations. Artificial intelligence and digital driven threats, including deepfake technology, non-consensual online dissemination of intimate images, automated sexual harassment campaigns, incitement to hatred against women journalist and smear campaigns that discredit their work, amplify forms of intimidation against journalists. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence creates a chilling effect, forcing women journalists to self-censor, abandon certain stories, or leave the profession. Online harm can develop into offline violence, which further impacts journalists’ safety.  

These attacks not only violate the safety of journalists and media workers, but also constitute a direct assault on the rights to freedom of opinion and freedom of expression, which includes the right to seek, receive and impart information. The impunity surrounding these attacks remains alarmingly high, with perpetrators rarely held accountable and online platforms often failing to adequately address these violations. We must act to ensure that this technological advancement, that may serve as a helpful tool, does not become an instrument for silencing voices and undermining press freedom.  

We reaffirm our commitment to work towards ending impunity for crimes against journalists and we urge the international community to: 

• First, prevent such attacks by supporting the creation of frameworks that address AI and technology-enabled violence against journalists, including women journalists reporting on sexual violence in conflict;  

• Second, fight impunity by investigating and holding accountable both offline and online attacks against all journalists and media workers; and support affected journalists, including through gender-sensitive legal assistance, digital security training and mental health services;  

• Third, put in place obligations requiring platforms to identify, analyze, and assess systemic risks that are linked to their services, including risks related to media freedom, misinformation, disinformation and gender-based violence, and to counter the misuse of their tools to target journalists, including robust and appropriate content moderation, and swift removal of illegal content.