‘I marvel at the stories I used to be able to write’: How frontline journalism became critically endangered

From Egypt to Iran, from the rise of strongmen to state-backed repression, it has become punishingly hard to report on the world as we find it, writes Borzou Daragahi after over two decades in the field

The dangers and difficulties have only worsened over the years, yet journalism is not a crime (AFP via Getty Images)

For more than 20 years, I have worked as an international journalist. The challenge and satisfaction of on-the-ground reporting, whether in Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region or in northwest Syria, is what drew me to this profession

But I've watched with growing dismay as international journalism has become increasingly dangerous. At a moment of overlapping global crises, when credible, ground-level coverage of world events is more vital than ever, international news is facing its own crisis.

In recent years, the dangers for journalists worldwide have spiked not only in conflict zones like Ukraine and Syria but also in stable nations that appear to be criminalising or stigmatising journalism to the point where it is nearly impossible to work. Many countries where it was feasible or even relatively easy for international journalists to work have steadily become careful-journalism zones, no-journalism zones, or outright no-go zones.