“Under Pressure”: Report on the Situation of Threatened Press Cartoonists Worldwide (2023–2025)

From Cartooning for Peace.

Niels Bo Bojesen (Denmark)

The new report on the situation of threatened press cartoonists around the world will be released on March 2, 2026. 

It is the result of a joint effort by Cartooning for Peace, Cartoonists Rights and their partners: Freedom Cartoonists Foundation, FORHUM, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression – Columbia University, and Reporters Without Borders.

Based on data collected over the past two years by Cartooning for Peace and Cartoonists Rights, the report outlines trends in threats targeting press cartoonists. 

In a context marked by the rise of authoritarianism, the cases documented by Cartooning for Peace cast a stark light on the state of democracy worldwide.

It also presents the findings of an original study on press cartoonists’ online experiences, along with thematic and regional insights contributed by numerous authors, including Riss, publishing director of Charlie Hebdo, as well as Reporters Without Borders, Artists at Risk Connection, and the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation.

As a key advocacy and awareness-raising tool on the situation of threatened press cartoonists worldwide, the report also puts forward a series of recommendations, particularly in response to the levels of threat and censorship faced by press cartoonists on digital platforms. 

It follows on from the Report on the situation of threatened cartoonists around the world: “Cartoonists on the line” (2020-2022)

The publication of this report is part of a project supported by the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF) of UNESCO and by the CFC, aimed at documenting and highlighting the threats faced by press cartoonists.

The report can be downloaded here.