Media representatives from across the world have sounded an alarm on what they described as a worsening global information integrity crisis, urging G20 leaders to prioritise press freedom, media viability, and the fight against disinformation as essential to safeguarding democracy and development.
Gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the inaugural M20 Summit on September 1 and 2, 2025, more than 50 media organisations endorsed the Johannesburg Declaration, a call to action to defend independent journalism as a public good.
The summit was organised by the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) during South Africa’s G20 presidency.
The declaration highlights growing threats to trustworthy information, including shrinking newsrooms, declining financial sustainability, political interference, and the rise of mis- and disinformation, much of it fueled by artificial intelligence. Delegates warned that without urgent reforms, the world risks sliding further into authoritarianism, conflict, and climate denialism.
“Independent journalism is fundamental to peace, democratic governance, and people’s right to information,” the declaration states, adding that “inaction will erode entire information ecosystems, with grave consequences for civil stability.”
The M20’s recommendations to the G20 leaders include embedding press freedom and media sustainability in international development financing; establishing safeguards against AI-driven disinformation, deepfakes, and data misuse; creating fair compensation systems for media content used by digital platforms and AI companies; strengthening protections for journalists, especially women and those working in conflict zones; and promoting children’s and young people’s rights in digital spaces.
The declaration also calls for the creation of a Media Integrity Monitoring Framework and an annual Integrity Index to hold governments accountable for their commitments to press freedom and information integrity.
This initiative builds on previous media-focused interventions at G20 summits in India (2023) and Brazil (2024) and aligns with global frameworks such as the “Windhoek+30 Declaration” and the UN’s Global Principles for Information Integrity.
As the G20 baton passes to the United States in 2026, the M20 Summit urged leaders to recognise journalism as a public good central to democracy, equality, and sustainable development. “What happens in journalism can be of decisive significance,” the declaration concludes, stressing that free, independent, and viable media must remain at the heart of global governance agendas.
