Better data for better understanding

Key trends

The burgeoning data ecosystem offers the chance to improve our understanding of and support for the media sector and freedom of expression.
However, in the countries and communities where journalism is most at risk, the health of the news system on issues like ownership, pluralism, independence, and viability often remains a black box.

The picture outlined in this World Trends Report is a sobering one. Even as the global community has seen mounting evidence for the importance of a free, independent, pluralistic, and sustainable news media where the safety of journalists is secured, this public good is threatened on all fronts.

But there is cause for optimism, with a groundswell of efforts to preserve press freedom and protect the safety of journalists around the world.

Expanding and improving upon our ability to understand trends and challenges facing the media sector and freedom of expression is a vital step towards better informing policies and solutions.

For this Report, UNESCO and the Data-Pop Alliance identified, mapped, and analyzed 160 data sources. These datasets are now available in a public databank, hosted by UNESCO.

Mauricio Morales Duarte / UNESCO

The burgeoning data ecosystem offers the chance to improve our understanding of and support for the media sector and freedom of expression.

By capturing characteristics, trends, and patterns, data can be used to shape behaviours, policies, and programs. This provides the foundation for real world changes.

Data journalism efforts, for instance, have exposed global corruption, tax evasion, and money laundering. Other impactful uses of data range from monitoring national progress towards the Sustainability Development Goals to identifying hate speech online.

However, in the countries and communities where journalism is most at risk, the health of the news system on issues like ownership, pluralism, independence, and viability often remains a black box.

Using data to inform policies and solutions must first overcome significant gaps in availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. This includes the amplification of the geographic and thematic scopes of data production and the promotion of open data principles.