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Press FreedomGlobal issues

Why press freedom matters to everyone, not just journalists

10:30

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Melissa Chan
May 2, 2026

Free speech is usually framed as a battle over who gets to speak. Former UN special rapporteur David Kaye argues the real issue is something else entirely: your right to know — and who is reshaping that right today.

On World Press Freedom Day, former UN special rapporteur David Kaye argues that press freedom is not only about protecting journalists, but about the public's right to know.

In a conversation with DW editor Melissa Chan, Kaye said free expression should focus on citizens as news consumers who need reliable information to hold power accountable. He warned that narrow, speaker-focused views of free speech and the growing influence of Big Tech risk weakening democratic debate.

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