Shooting the Messenger: The Demonisation of Journalists Must End

Since then, however, the fight to defend journalistic freedom has flagged, and public mobilisation has proved to be fleeting — including in the case of Charlie Hebdo.

In January 2019, the magazine's staff complained in an editorial that people no longer wanted to hear about the shootings. "Perhaps you should move on!" they were reportedly told.

This apparent indifference has a lot to do with what many believe Charlie Hebdo represents: the freedom to express yourself in a way that might provoke others. And this freedom has come under even more pressure in the last five years.

Such a trend is evident in the responses directed at journalists who shine a light on unpopular or inconvenient facts and opinions. They are exposed to a daily barrage of attacks on their integrity, including by important political leaders.

In the United States, President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to journalists who are critical of him as the "enemy of the people."

And at a press conference two years ago, Czech President Milos Zeman brandished a replica of an AK-47 inscribed with the words "for journalists". By indulging in such behavior, these and other leaders normalise attacks against members of the press.

At a press conference two years ago, Czech President Milos Zeman brandished a replica of an AK-47 inscribed with the words 'for journalists'.

And members of the press are very much under attack. According to Reporters Without Borders, 49 journalists worldwide were murdered in 2019 because of their work. (The annual average for the last five years is even higher, at 81.)

In addition, the number of journalists who were arbitrarily detained rose to 389 last year. Threats on social media, against female...