MORE than 50 global media organisations endorsed the Johannesburg Declaration on Tuesday, demanding G20 leaders prioritise information integrity and journalist safety amid rising threats to independent journalism worldwide.
The inaugural M20 Summit, organised by the South African National Editors’ Forum and Media Monitoring Africa, concluded after two days of discussions that produced a comprehensive declaration targeting key challenges facing the media landscape globally.
The declaration, which will be presented to G20 leaders at their November summit in South Africa, focuses on four critical areas: information integrity, journalist safety, artificial intelligence regulation, and media viability.
“Independent media must reinforce the highest standards of journalistic ethics and develop robust mechanisms to uncover and counter disinformation campaigns, including those fuelled by artificial intelligence,” the declaration states, highlighting concerns over increasing misinformation worldwide.
The summit delegates issued a strong condemnation of journalist persecution, particularly citing ongoing violence in Gaza and calling for an end to impunity for those who attack journalists during armed conflicts. The declaration emphasises the urgent need to address both physical violence and rising online threats, especially those targeting women journalists.
On artificial intelligence, the summit advocates for ethical frameworks ensuring fair compensation for journalists whose work feeds AI systems, alongside demands for transparency from technology companies using journalistic content. The delegates noted particular vulnerabilities in AI deployment across the Global South.
The media leaders also addressed the financial crisis facing journalism, calling on G20 nations to establish sustainable funding models for independent media that prioritise public interest journalism.
The declaration includes specific provisions for children’s rights in digital environments, women journalists facing harassment, and access to accurate climate change information.
“The media’s viability is not merely an economic issue; it is foundational to democratic health and preservation of free societies,” according to the summit statement.
The delegates proposed establishing a Media Integrity Monitoring Framework to track progress on G20 and M20 commitments, envisioning it as an accountability tool for continuous improvement.
The M20 Summit took place ahead of the 2025 South African G20 Summit scheduled for November 22-23, with organisers urging world leaders to integrate the declaration’s elements into their final agreements.
Organisations interested in endorsing the declaration can contact the M20 Secretariat through SANEF’s Reggy Moalusi at [email protected] or Media Monitoring Africa’s William Bird at [email protected].
