Press Freedom Here and Abroad

Renowned journalist Joyce Barnathan discusses press freedom and its importance to democracy

By Ren Brabenec | April 29, 2023

The World Press Freedom Index assesses the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories. In 2022, a record number of countries—28 of them—were ranked “very bad” for press freedom, including Russia, China, and Iran, as well as North Korea, which placed dead last in the rankings at No. 180.

Perhaps that list of countries doesn’t surprise you. But if you thought the United States would be ranked in the top spot—we’re the land of the free, after all—then you will be surprised.

The U.S. came in at No. 42, meaning we’re not even in the top 20 percent of those 180 countries. Reporters Without Borders, which compiles the World Press Freedom Index, says “In the United States, once considered a model for press freedom and free speech, press freedom violations are increasing at a troubling rate.”

This month, Northwestern Michigan College’s International Affairs Forum (IAF) will seek some answers about press freedom in our country and abroad.

Joyce Barnathan, former president of the International Center for Journalists and winner of five Overseas Press Club Awards and the National Headliner Award, will speak at IAF’s World Press Freedom Event on May 10 at Dennos Museum. Barnathan will draw on her background as a journalist in Moscow and Hong Kong to address the importance of press freedom, rising threats to a free press here and abroad, and signs of hope.

A Canary in the Coal Mine

The press and those who work in it—journalists, reporters, editors, publishers—are often called the “Fourth Estate” for their critical role in reporting on and holding to account other power structures within the nation, a moniker Barnathan finds fitting.

“Journalism is a canary in the coal mine for whether democracy thrives or not,” she says. “It’s the first place autocrats go to crack down on dissent, because autocrats want to close-off vibrant discussion and debate. They don’t want to be challenged by reporters who might air their malfeasance for citizens to see. When you see crackdowns on journalism, you know democracy is on the line.”

As news stories from March of this year broke with headlines of an American citizen and journalist, Evan Gershkovich, being wrongfully detained by Russia’s Federal Security Service on espionage charges, it’s clear there is trouble on the horizon regarding international press freedom.

Having served as the State Department correspondent and Moscow Bureau Chief for Newsweek, Barnathan is all too familiar with the chilling nature of this return to Cold War-style tactics.

“Russia just grabbed an American journalist,” she says. “That hasn’t occurred since 1986 when I happened to be reporting from Moscow. Back then, an American journalist named Nicholas Daniloff was detained by the Soviet Union. My colleagues and I were on pins and needles, wondering if we’d be next.”

Gershkovich’s detainment is just the most recent event in what’s becoming an episodic series featuring frequent attacks on the freedom of the press around the globe.

“Authoritarian leaders are on the rise worldwide, and they don’t always achieve power through military coups,” Barnathan explains. “Sometimes they’re elected democratically. Once elected, they often try to change the rules to stay in power. Once the press starts reporting on their actions, autocrats attack the press. We have to watch out for what’s happening in these countries and ensure the same doesn’t happen here.”

The Voices of the Media

The fact that the United States is getting the equivalent of a C+ in the World Press Freedom Index seems like it could be something of a wake-up call. Their report finds that “While most major media outlets in the United States operate free from government interference, many popular outlets are owned by a small handful of wealthy individuals” and that “in a diverse global media landscape, local news has declined significantly in recent years.”

As the media landscape evolves, Barnathan points to nonprofit media organizations that “are doing truly incredible work,” naming ProPublica, the Marshall Project, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, the International Center for Journalists (where Barnathan worked for 15 years), and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that brought us the Panama Papers.

“These are independent, investigative journalism groups that are creating valuable news media networks,” she says. “Further, such networks enable journalists at small outlets in countries that have poor press freedom rankings to get their stories out and published to an international audience.”

Barnathan sees the rise of these journalism groups as a sign of hope, especially when considering large-scale layoffs and closures of newspapers around the country. Gannett—the largest newspaper publisher in the country with brands like USA Today and Michigan’s own Detroit Free Press—has laid off 600 people since August 2022. Last year, The New York Times reported that over 360 newspapers had gone out of business “since just before the start of the pandemic,” and The Washington Post wrote in 2021 that 2,200 papers had closed since 2005.

But even when the going gets tough, Barnathan says most good journalists simply don’t give up. She points to the 2018 shooting at the offices of Annapolis’ Capital Gazette, where a gunman angry with the newspaper killed five newspaper employees and injured several others. After that tragedy, a group of journalists came together to create the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation, an organization that’s supporting a memorial to journalists who have given their lives in the pursuit of truth.

“This memorial will be a place where Americans from all walks of life can come and learn about the importance of press freedom and its critical role in our democracy,” says Barnathan.

The Future of Democracy

When she gives her presentation in Traverse City, Barnathan will be hosted by Gene Gibbons, event moderator and former Reuters chief White House correspondent and United Press International reporter.

“The U.S. doesn’t rank as well as it used to in terms of press freedom,” says Gibbons, mentioning our low World Press Freedom Index ranking. “We used to be the gold standard for press freedom, but we’ve seen several encroachments on freedom of the press in recent years. If we don’t have robust and aggressive press institutions that hold the powerful to account, our First Amendment is all the weaker for it.”

Disinformation/misinformation and legal curbs on the press are of particular concern to Gibbons.

“From Fox News anchors admitting they lied to their viewers about the 2020 election being stolen to bills on the docket in Florida that would restrict bloggers from writing about the government without prior authorization; disinformation/misinformation coupled with efforts to suppress the press are highly concerning,” says Gibbons. “Americans should know about these efforts, and they should demand transparency from their media sources while simultaneously demanding respect for the First Amendment from their legislators.”

Barnathan seconds that sentiment. “There is much that citizens, journalists, and lawmakers can do to protect press freedom,” she says.

She recommends everyday news readers fact-check their media sources and not simply consume media that tells them what they want to hear. Lawmakers should set regulations on nascent technologies that may make it more difficult to discern verified information from misinformation. New technology like AI and social media can provide groundbreaking ways to tell compelling news stories, but only if such tools are utilized with journalistic integrity and a ruthless dedication to legitimacy.

“The U.S. has a vibrant press, and not many countries have constitutionally-protected freedom of the press as we do,” says Barnathan. “That distinguishes us in many ways, but we shouldn’t take that freedom for granted. As we witness the rise of authoritarian leaders across the world and flirtations with authoritarianism here at home, we need to be even more mindful of our First Amendment rights. The future of our democracy depends on it.”

About the Event

The World Press Freedom Event is presented by NMC’s International Affairs Forum. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 10, at Dennos Museum’s Milliken Auditorium. Reception is at 5:30pm; the presentation begins at 6:30pm. Hybrid event includes in-person and livestream options. To purchase $15 in-person tickets or register for livestream access, visit tciaf.com. This program is free to IAF members and NMC + area secondary school students and teachers.