Signpost: Gap revealed in SA view of press freedom

In South Africa, freedom of expression is a right enshrined in the Constitution. Yet for many citizens, it remains a right experienced in theory more than in practice.

According to new global data, South Africans believe in the value of press freedom, freedom of speech, and unimpeded internet access, but a growing number are less certain these freedoms are genuinely accessible.

A sweeping 35-nation study released this week by a nonpartisan American think-tank known for its Internet research, the Pew Research Centre, uncovers a striking global consensus: people overwhelmingly consider freedom of expression important. Yet, in country after country, far fewer believe they actually possess it.

This disconnect, quantified as the “freedom gap,” reveals not only a gulf between ideals and experience, but also exposes the subtle erosion of democratic values in societies that pride themselves on them.

In South Africa, the story is more nuanced. Compared to most nations, it is one of a handful – including Bangladesh, Ghana, Israel, and the Philippines – where no significant gap exists between valuing press freedom and believing it exists.

At first glance, this could be interpreted as a success story. But a closer look reveals that the absence of a gap is not because South Africans feel freer than others, but because the share who see press freedom as “very important” has declined sharply since 2015. South Africa joins Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria and Peru as countries where faith in press freedom has visibly eroded over the past decade.

Globally, a median of 61% say it is very important to have freedom of the press, but only 28% believe their media are completely free to report the news. Freedom of speech follows a similar pattern: 59% say it is very important, yet only 31% say they feel completely free to speak.

The internet fares no better. While 55% value uncensored access, only 50% believe they actually have it. In this context, South Africa’s alignment between principle and perception means expectations have simply fallen to meet reality.

There are places where the pattern bends in surprising ways. In India and Kenya, for example, the gaps are reversed: larger shares say they have press freedom than say it is important to have it. In both countries, rapid economic development and political turbulence have reshaped media landscapes to the point where familiarity with press freedoms may be breeding complacency. It is a reminder that freedoms can be taken for granted just as easily as they can be suppressed.

The phenomenon of “freedom gaps” extends beyond the media. Significant speech freedom gaps were recorded in 31 of the 35 countries surveyed, almost always because more people valued free speech than believed they enjoyed it. The largest gap emerged in Turkey, but it was also stark across Latin America, particularly in Chile, Argentina and Peru. By contrast, South Africa once again saw no major gap between the value placed on free speech and the experience of it, As with press freedom, though, this reflects a sobering decline in enthusiasm rather than a soaring of freedom.

When it comes to the internet, an even more curious trend emerges: in many countries, more people believe they can use the internet freely than think freedom online is important. South Africa fits this model. Citizens may feel relatively unfettered online because overt government censorship is rare, but that sense of liberty can mask deeper threats like surveillance, disinformation, and self-censorship driven by online harassment. Freedom on paper or screen does not always equate to true digital safety or diversity of thought.

Another dark undercurrent highlighted by Pew is the near-universal anxiety about fake news. Across the 35 countries surveyed, more than eight in 10 adults view made-up news and information as a significant problem, with 59% describing it as a very big one. In countries like South Africa, where misinformation regularly fuels political unrest, social division, and public health crises, this figure rings alarm bells.

The clearest warning comes from the numbers themselves. In Turkey, where authoritarian crackdowns have become commonplace, the gap between valuing press freedom and believing it exists is a staggering 51 percentage points. In South Africa, that gap is close to zero – but only because belief in the ideal has withered.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.