World Press Freedom Day: 5 Developing Stories to Watch
Photo by The Climate Reality Project on Unsplash
This Saturday (May 3) is World Press Freedom Day, which “acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.”
From rising numbers of journalists killed in war-torn areas to escalating press freedom battles here at home, the stories coming out around this topic are alarming.
Seven-in-ten Americans are at least somewhat concerned about potential restrictions on press freedom, according to new data from Pew Research Center. The concerns come as more Americans (77%) believe that press freedom is extremely or very important to the wellbeing of society, up from 73% in 2024.
In this busy news cycle, it can be easy to lose track of the latest updates. Here are several of the latest stories to be aware of, and keep following:
Audiences are still skeptical about generative AI in the news
This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme is “Reporting in the Brave New World: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media.” While AI tools allow for greater efficiency, multilingual accessibility and improved data analysis in newsrooms, they also present risks like AI-generated misinformation and disinformation, biased content moderation and surveillance threats to journalists.
New research from Poynter and the University of Minnesota shows people may not be ready for it in their news stories. The study found nearly half of Americans don’t want AI-generated news, while 20% of people say publishers shouldn’t use AI at all.
Of the most engaged news consumers — those with high levels of news literacy — more than 90% want disclosures for AI-generated text and photo editing.
The A.P. Says White House Is Defying Court Order to Restore Its Access
Despite a federal judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to restore the AP’s full access to the White House, the wire service said in a new filing that its reporters and photographers are still being barred from the press pool and some events.
For two months, the AP’s access to President Trump has been sharply curtailed over its refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. In a temporary order, Judge Trevor N. McFadden of the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., said the exclusion violated the First Amendment’s free-speech clause and instructed the White House to restore the AP’s access “immediately.”
At a hearing for the new filing, McFadden said it’s too soon to say that President Trump is violating his order. “I don’t intend to micromanage the White House,” he said. The Trump administration has said it plans to appeal McFadden’s ruling.
Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war
As of April 30, 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ preliminary investigations showed at least 176 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023.
The count makes it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.
“Without protection, equipment, international presence, communications, or food and water, they are still doing their crucial jobs to tell the world the truth,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna in New York. “Every time a journalist is killed, injured, arrested, or forced to go to exile, we lose fragments of the truth.”
In addition to the 176 journalists who were killed, 93 were reported injured, 2 were reported missing and 85 were reported arrested (as of April 30).
Judge orders Trump administration to restore Voice of America
Last week, a federal judge determined the administration’s efforts to shutter Voice of America (VOA) and affiliated news services were likely unlawful.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered VOA’s parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), to restore VOA and other outlets under the USAGM’s umbrella. He also directed the USAGM to restore employment to its workers placed on leave and not reduce its workforce while litigation continues.
“They [the defendents] took immediate and drastic action to slash USAGM, without considering its statutorily or constitutionally required functions as required by the plain language of the EO, and without regard to the harm inflicted on employees, contractors, journalists, and media consumers around the world,” Lamberth said.
In a separate ruling this week, Lamberth ordered the administration to restore $12 million that Congress appropriated for VOA’s sister network Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
CPJ Issues Rare Safety Advisory for Journalists Traveling to the U.S.
Under a draft Trump administration proposal, more than 40 countries, including Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and several African countries, are being considered for full or partially restricted travel to the U.S. Although the new travel ban has been postponed, it could be introduced quickly with little warning. As a result, The Committee to Protect Journalists is warning journalists about an unpredictable environment which warrants proactive preparation.
For journalists that could be affected by the travel restrictions, CPJ recommends they consider whether travel is essential or if reporting can be conducted remotely. If they must travel to the U.S., journalists should prepare for things like prolonged questioning, device searches and possible denied entry.
CPJ has created a checklist to help journalists prepare and mitigate the risks before traveling.
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Rocky Parker is the Manager of Audience and Journalist Engagement at Cision PR Newswire. She's been with the company since 2010 and has worked with journalists and bloggers as well as PR and comms professionals. Outside of work, she can be found trying a new recipe, binging a new show, or cuddling with her pitbull, Hudson.
