SANTIAGO, Chile — Seventy percent of environmental journalists from 129 countries, polled in March, reported experiencing "attacks, threats or pressure" related to their job, UNESCO said Thursday.
Of those, two in five subsequently experienced physical violence, it said in a report released on World Press Freedom Day.
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization warned of an increase in violence against, and intimidation of, journalists reporting on the environment and climate.
"Without reliable scientific information about the ongoing environmental crisis, we can never hope to overcome it," UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay said in a statement.
"And yet the journalists we rely on to investigate this subject and ensure information is accessible face unacceptably high risks all over the world, and climate-related disinformation is running rampant on social media."