A free press is crucial to countering the harmful effects of disinformation, but the business model that supported independent journalism is collapsing when we need it most. To defend against the rising tide of authoritarianism, democracies must support fact-based news and ensure that it is readily accessible to all.
SEOUL/THE HAGUE – If democracy had its own doomsday clock, it would be at two minutes to midnight. According to the most recent analysis by Varieties of Democracy (known as V-Dem), 72% of the world’s population lived in autocracies last year, compared to 50% a decade ago. For the first time in more than two decades, there are more authoritarian regimes than liberal democracies – and we are not doing enough to address this threat.
SEOUL/THE HAGUE – If democracy had its own doomsday clock, it would be at two minutes to midnight. According to the most recent analysis by Varieties of Democracy (known as V-Dem), 72% of the world’s population lived in autocracies last year, compared to 50% a decade ago. For the first time in more than two decades, there are more authoritarian regimes than liberal democracies – and we are not doing enough to address this threat.