Freedom of the press, a fundamental pillar of democratic societies, is under attack in many parts of the world today. From growing pressure from authoritarian states to the spread of disinformation and censorship even in established democracies, free and independent journalism is being severely tested. This scenario highlights a profound contradiction: on the one hand, the desire of autocratic regimes to control and manipulate information; on the other, the need for an ethical, responsible and autonomous journalism profession that rigorously defends the values of truth and transparency.
The meeting aims to analyse this double front, highlighting the challenges facing the press, both in terms of external threats, such as repression, intimidation and restrictive laws, and internal threats, linked to compliance with codes of ethics, self-regulation and the social role of the media.
Through the contributions of journalists, legal experts, representatives of press freedom organisations and communication scholars, we will seek to understand what strategies to adopt to defend freedom of information and promote quality information in an increasingly polarised and complex global context.
This is an essential moment of reflection to reaffirm that press freedom is not only a right to be protected, but also a duty to be exercised responsibly, against all forms of censorship and manipulation.
