Dear reader,

Around the world, the press is being gagged, taken over by the state, or shut down entirely. This is not a coincidence: the less we know, the more the powerful can get away with.

With the global environmental crisis continuing to escalate, crucial elections taking place across the globe, and wars raging on in Sudan, the Middle East and Ukraine, it is more important than ever that we have access to the truth about those with the means to swing the pendulum of democracy, freedom and justice.

Tomorrow is World Press Freedom Day, which is dedicated to spotlighting the necessity of editorial independence for a functioning democracy. With frontline reporters working in increasingly dangerous circumstances, and disinformation spreading like wildfire, we are marking this Unesco day of observance by doubling down on our commitment to a free media. Will you support us this World Press Freedom Day?

As you know, we do not have a billionaire owner or shareholders setting our news agenda: we are independent of political pressure. Maintaining our independence allows us to fearlessly challenge the powerful, in the paper and in the courts – but it is not cheap.

If you can afford to, please choose to support the Guardian. Your generosity will help to keep our journalism paywall-free, and you can rest assured that you are helping us to continue holding power to account by exposing lies and wrongdoing. It only takes a moment.

Thank you.