DAVID WALMSLEY AND TAWFIK JELASSI

September 28 is both World News Day and the International Day for Universal Access to Information – a good time to remember that if we lose our fundamental universal right to access to information, and if independent journalists lose the ability to report the facts, then our rights and democracies may vanish entirely.

Access to information is a fundamental human right that empowers us all to make informed decisions, to participate in democratic processes, and hold our leaders accountable. It’s also critical for survival in a host of situations.

In a natural disaster, timely updates about evacuation routes, shelter locations, and weather conditions can mean the difference between life and death. In public health emergencies – as we saw during the COVID-1

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