Arcuri: The cost of impunity, unsolved crimes against journalists kill public trust
The safety of journalists is no longer just about physical protection, but a complex intersection of legal resilience, digital hygiene, and psychological support. In a interview for Portalb.mk, Pablo Arcuri, Thematic Programme Lead for Journalist Safety at Free Press Unlimited (FPU), outlines a holistic vision for protecting the press in an era of multi-dimensional threats. From the rise of SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) in democracies to the weaponization of AI-driven smear campaigns in conflict zones like Gaza, he reveals how online disinformation acts as a precursor to real-world violence. By highlighting FPU’s work in reopening “cold cases” to combat a 90% global impunity rate, Arcuri emphasizes that the fight for journalist safety is ultimately a fight for the health of society and the survival of truth itself.
Author: Elida Zylbeari
What is the single most urgent danger that journalists around the world are facing right now, is it physical violence, online attacks, or legal action?
Pablo Arcuri: It’s difficult to name a single, universal threat, because journalists’ safety risks are highly contextual. What journalists face depends on where they work, what they report on, and often who they are.
In countries that still present themselves as democratic or semi-democratic, we increasingly see legal harassment as the primary tool of repression, particularly through SLAPPs, which are designed not to win in court, but to exhaust, intimidate, and silence journalists. In Europe, for example, investigative journalists exposing corruption or environmental crimes are being dragged into lengthy and costly defamation cases, sometimes across multiple jurisdictions, creating a chilling effect even where strong legal systems exist.
In more repressive environments, digital surveillance and online attacks are used to monitor, intimidate, and discredit reporters. And in the most extreme contexts, like conflict zones or authoritarian regimes, journalists are exposed to direct physical violence, arbitrary detention, and even targeted killings.
It’s also important to stress that risks are not evenly distributed. Women journalists, for example, face disproportionate and highly specific threats, including gender-based online harassment, stigmatization, sexualised attacks, and physical violence rooted in misogyny. These risks are often underestimated, but they have very real consequences for women journalists’ ability to continue their work.
At Free Press Unlimited, we approach safety as an all-embracing concept. We don’t separate physical safety from legal, digital, or psychosocial safety; they are deeply interconnected. And because risks vary so widely across contexts, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Our role is to respond in a way that is context-specific, journalist-centred, and flexible, whether that means emergency protection, legal support, digital security, or psychosocial care.
What is one practical thing that local journalists in high-risk areas can do today to immediately improve their digital protection?
Pablo Arcuri: If I had to give just one practical piece of advice, it would be: treat your phone as your most sensitive piece of reporting equipment and protect it accordingly.
For journalists in high-risk environments, the phone is often the primary point of entry for digital attacks. Simple habits make a big difference: don’t connect your phone to unknown laptops or charging stations, avoid downloading unnecessary or suspicious apps, and be extremely cautious with links or files, even when they appear to come from trusted contacts. Even many highly sophisticated attacks, including state-sponsored spyware like Pegasus, often still rely on some form of user interaction. That means awareness and basic digital hygiene can significantly reduce risk.
There are also a few tools that immediately strengthen protection such as using a reputable VPN or relying on a password manager instead of reusing passwords across platforms.
At Free Press Unlimited, we strongly believe that digital safety shouldn’t be inaccessible or overly technical. That’s why we support practical, journalist-friendly resources like the Totem Project (www.totem-project.org), which offers free, self-paced digital safety courses designed specifically for journalists and media workers working under pressure.
Why is it so important to pursue justice for crimes against journalists even if that happened years ago, and what is the biggest roadblock to ending impunity worldwide?
Pablo Arcuri: Pursuing justice for crimes against journalists is essential, no matter how much time has passed, because these crimes don’t only harm an individual, they harm society as a whole. When a journalist is killed or attacked and no one is held accountable, it sends a powerful message: there are topics you shouldn’t touch, and silencing the press comes without consequences. That leads to fear, self-censorship, and a weakened society in general. In parts of the Western Balkans, for example, prolonged impunity has led to extremely low public trust in the judiciary, which in turn undermines democratic stability itself.
According to UNESCO, nearly 9 out of 10 murders of journalists worldwide go unpunished, making it one of the safest crimes to commit. Reopening cases and pursuing accountability years later matters because it restores dignity to victims and their families, but it also raises the cost of committing these crimes.
The biggest roadblock to ending impunity varies from case to case, but through Free Press Unlimited’s cold case work we consistently see a combination of lack of political will and lack of capacity.
In one case in Greece, the main obstacle was a lack of will: authorities failed to conduct a serious and independent investigation. In a case in Pakistan, on which we will publish findings next year, the challenge was twofold: limited forensic capacity, including poor crime scene analysis and evidence preservation, combined with insufficient political pressure to move the case forward.
That’s why justice for crimes against journalists is not only about adopting strong laws, but about enforcing them, strengthening investigative capacity, and sustaining political and public pressure. At Free Press Unlimited we work beyond individual cases, advocating at European and international levels to ensure crimes against journalists are properly investigated, evidence is preserved, and impunity is no longer treated as inevitable.
How does the spread of online disinformation and coordinated smear campaigns directly put a journalist’s physical or legal safety at risk? Can you give an example of the link between online lies and real-world violence?
Pablo Arcuri: Online disinformation and coordinated smear campaigns are not abstract attacks to the credibility of journalists. They very often function as precursors to real-world harm. When journalists are systematically portrayed online as terrorists, traitors, or legitimate military targets, that narrative creates justification for arrest, attack, and sometimes even killing.
We have seen this most notably in conflict settings, where disinformation campaigns are used to delegitimise journalists’ civilian status. False allegations spread rapidly online can frame journalists as combatants or collaborators. Once that narrative takes hold it becomes much easier for armed actors to argue that attacks on journalists are justified or unworthy of investigation. So in practice these online lies translate into physical targeting.
At Free Press Unlimited, we have documented how smear campaigns against journalists in Gaza have had disastrous repercussions, particularly after the October 7 attacks. Journalists were publicly accused online of affiliations they did not have, their names and images circulated alongside false claims, and this content was used to normalise or excuse violence against them. In a context where journalists are already operating under extreme risk these campaigns significantly increased the likelihood of physical harm and eroded any remaining protection journalists may have under international law.
The legal risks are equally severe. Disinformation is often weaponised to trigger arrests, travel bans, asset freezes, or legal proceedings under counterterrorism or national security frameworks. This is why Free Press Unlimited treats online attacks as a core safety issue, not a separate or secondary concern. Disinformation, legal harassment, and physical violence are part of the same circle of violence. Our work then focuses on interrupting that chain before online narratives translate into irreversible harm.
When a journalist or news outlet is targeted by a large disinformation campaign meant to destroy their credibility, what is the most important action or resource FPU provides to help them fight back and rebuild trust with their audience?
Pablo Arcuri: The single most important thing we can help journalists do when they are hit by a large disinformation campaign is to keep reporting. Trust is rebuilt first and foremost through continued, credible journalism. If journalists are silenced the disinformation has already won.
At Free Press Unlimited, our priority in those moments is to remove the immediate obstacles that prevent journalists from continuing their work. Through our Reporters Respond programme we provide emergency financial, legal, and safety support when journalists are targeted and temporarily unable to operate. The support helps journalists stay active, visible, and independent when facing imminent threats. Journalists that feel are immediate danger due to their nature of their work can simply apply through our website or via e-mail to reportersrespond@freepressunlimited.org.
Beyond emergency assistance, we increasingly support journalists in actively dismantling disinformation narratives. Together with partners, and through our investigation unit, we help analyse and expose how smear campaigns are constructed, who is behind them, and how false claims are amplified. This kind of investigative support does not argue defensively, it demonstrates facts, and that is often the first real step toward restoring credibility with audiences.
So, our approach combines protection with agency: we don’t speak for journalists, we help ensure they are safe, resourced, and equipped to prove their credibility through their own reporting. That, ultimately, is what rebuilds trust.
Source: Portalb.mk
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