Nepal, Aug. 14 -- The global decline in press freedom is undermining action to protect nature at a time when reliable information is more urgent than ever. Far-right populism and democratic backsliding are increasingly undermining journalism.

The collapse of the media industry's business model has already muted in-depth reporting on climate impact and scrutiny of environmental policy. Journalists also face pressure from corporate interests and their political patrons.

All this occurs as the planet itself is in the throes of the triple environmental calamity of global warming, biodiversity loss, and pollution. This coincides with other crises happening in parallel-democratic decay, suppression of press freedom, and social media disinfo...