“UNDER PRESSURE: Report on the Situation of Threatened Press Cartoonists Around the World (2023–2025)”, published by Cartooning for Peace and Cartoonists Rights, in collaboration with Freedom Cartoonists Foundation, FORHUM, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression, and Reporters Without Borders, is now available.
Based on data collected over the past two years by Cartooning for Peace and Cartoonists Rights, the report outlines global trends in threats targeting press cartoonists. In a context marked by the rise of authoritarianism, the cases documented cast a stark light on the state of democracy worldwide.
The report is structured around geographic and thematic insights contributed by numerous authors, including Riss, editorial director of Charlie Hebdo, Reporters Without Borders, Artists at Risk Connection, and the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation.
It also presents the findings of unprecedented research on the online experiences of press cartoonists, conducted by academics Alberto Godioli, Associate Professor at the University of Groningen and co-founder of the Forum for Humor and the Law (ForHum), and Ana Pedrazzini, researcher in communication and semiotic studies at the Patagonian Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (IPEHCS), CONICET, National University of Comahue in Argentina.
The findings reveal, among other issues:
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Acts of censorship and content removal, primarily linked to political content;
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Threats, harassment, and online violence, with marked regional disparities;
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A differentiated impact by gender and age, disproportionately affecting women and younger cartoonists;
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Widespread feelings of anxiety and fear associated with online insecurity;
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Suspicions of government involvement in online threats and censorship practices.
As a key advocacy and awareness-raising tool on the situation of threatened press cartoonists worldwide, the report puts forward a series of recommendations, particularly in response to the levels of threat and censorship faced by press cartoonists on digital platforms. It follows on from the previous report Press Cartoonists on the Front Line (2020–2022) and is supported by the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF) of UNESCO and by the Centre Français d’exploitation du droit de Copie (CFC).
Pedro X. Molina (Nicaragua) – Cartooning for Peace
The full report in English can be downloaded here.
The full report in French can be downloaded here.
The executive summary in Spanish can be downloaded here.
The executive summary in Arabic can be downloaded here.