South Africa, July 3 -- World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on 3 May, serves as a reminder of the vital role that a free and independent press plays in sustaining democracy and holding power to account. In South Africa, where press freedom is constitutionally protected, the day is both a celebration and a stark call to action.

Despite robust legal safeguards, journalists in South Africa continue to face a barrage of digital hostility ranging from coordinated disinformation campaigns and misogynistic harassment to cyberstalking and threats of physical violence. These attacks, often perpetrated on social media platforms, aim not only to intimidate individual reporters but also to erode public trust in journalism itself.

"The rise i...