Left to right: James Ball (The New European), Amie Ferris-Rotman (Global New Lines), Kiran Nazish (Coalition for Women in Journalism)

The numbers are stark and troubling. Today, 71 per cent of the world's population lives under autocratic rule—governments where power sits in the hands of just one person. A decade ago, that figure was 48 per cent. We're watching democracy retreat across the globe.

What's driving this shift? Economic inequality, the spread of false information, and the rise of populist leaders who know exactly which buttons to press. These factors feed off each other perfectly: loud politicians making bold promises whilst stoking social tensions to gain support.

Perhaps most worryingly, populist leaders seem to inspire copycats elsewhere. Even the United States, long seen as a beacon of democracy, is showing troubling signs of moving in an autocratic direction.

Kiran Nazish has seen this pattern play out firsthand across multiple countries. The journalist, who began her career in Pakistan, has spent two decades covering human rights abuses, terrorism, war and drug cartels for major news organisations including the New York Times, LA Times, and BBC.

Her work has taken her to Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Mexico—countries with vastly different political situations. Yet despite their unique circumstances, she's noticed one crucial similarity.

"Of all factors that underpin an autocracy, all of them are connected to community and people," Nazish explained, speaking at our Newsrewired conference (13 May 2025).

This insight led her to establish the Coalition for Women in Journalism in 2019, supporting female........

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