Thomson Reuters Foundation

Right now, there are more journalists behind bars than at any other point in history. Journalists around the world are being imprisoned, exiled, facing legal harassment or are simply being prevented from doing their jobs.

Read this Insight in English Una nueva investigación realizada por Thomson Reuters Foundation ha revelado un patrón de restricciones hacia la sociedad civil en América Latina, reduciendo la capacidad de las organizaciones para financiarse y participar en la esfera pública.

“Right now, AI governance is not keeping pace with technological advancements. This leaves the human cost of Artificial Intelligence largely unmeasured, and therefore not managed. Our AI Company Data Initiative (AICDI) shows that companies behave more responsibly when regulation demands it. Yet, the data shows just how far there is to go: 14% of companies assess the impact of their AI use on privacy and a mere 7% conduct human rights assessments.

REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl Civil society organisations (CSOs) and independent media are essential pillars of any healthy democracy. They hold institutions accountable, protect human rights and empower citizen participation. Yet these organisations are facing mounting challenges on multiple fronts. Civic space is shrinking. Restrictive laws are on the rise. Foreign funding is being criminalised or curtailed.

New research facilitated by the Thomson Reuters Foundation has exposed a pattern of restrictions on civil society in Latin America. The report “A generation of laws that block civic space in Latin America,” published by Fundamedios, with the support of Thomson Reuters Foundation, identified four emerging risks across ten Latin American countries, which have the effect of weakening the work of civil society organisations, restricting their funding and limiting their participation in public spaces.

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins When Ghanaian journalist Kweku Bolton investigated the growing practice of mobile money fraud in the country, his reporting was followed by 32 arrests by the cybersecurity authority and coincided with telecommunications companies implementing quarterly system upgrades. This is accountability journalism in action – exposing harm that would otherwise remain hidden, prompting institutions to respond and giving the public evidence that power can be challenged.

Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville Last year, a youth organisation in Venezuela approached us after a ban on funding from foreign sources had left them legally exposed and operationally paralysed. Through our TrustLaw service, we connected them with pro bono governance advice, which supported them to navigate the new regulations and keep their doors open. Reflecting on this case and what we’ve heard from this organisation – and so many others like it – revealed a deeper problem.

REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain Businesses would not be able to function without the millions of workers who power them. That’s why workers’ rights are at the centre of an inclusive economy, which is woven into the fabric of a resilient democracy. When workers know they can safely disclose their concerns, influence decisions and secure effective remedy, they are empowered to hold to account the people and institutions that affect their lives.

Content creators face the same legal risks as journalists, including defamation, copyright infringement, and privacy violations. This guide breaks down key risks and how to avoid them. More people than ever are consuming news via social media, podcasts and other digital platforms. Whilst journalists have traditionally been trained on ethical and legal considerations as part of their professional education, content creators may not have had the same grounding.

This shift matters. Once quality carries real, binding weight, companies may need to demonstrate things like social inclusion, gender equality, decent working conditions, human rights protection across their supply chains – not just state that they exist. For years, companies have treated workforce disclosure as a reporting obligation – something undertaken to meet regulatory requirements, reassure investors, or tick an ESG box.