Civic activists and independent media around the world are under pressure. In 2021, authoritarian rule has expanded globally for the 16th year in a row; and relative freedoms declined in 60 countries.1 This means citizens were unable to exercise their most basic rights, journalists were unable to safely and independently report the news, and activists were threatened, jailed, or even killed.
As the relative impact of foreign direct investment rises, and civic and media platforms managed by global companies continue to grow, the private sector has become more influential in civic and media environments, within and across national borders.