World Press Freedom day (3 May) is a date which celebrates the principles of press freedom, to evaluate and defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
World Press Freedom day also acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect and commitment to press freedom.
It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom – a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.
World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence.
Tags: academics, access to information, activism, Adrian Louw, advocacy, Africa, African, airwaves, apartheid, authorities, bill, broadcasters, Bush Radio, bushradio, campaign, cape town, career, Community radio, constitution, debates, democracy, discussion document, free speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the media, fundamental right, government, Grassroots, human rights, ICASA Amendment Bill, illegally, journalist, journalists, journalists in exile, journo, law, laws, legislation, liberation, listeners, mainstream media, making informed decisions, march, march to parliament, media, media appeals tribunal, media freedom, media role in protest, news, newsroom, NGOs, open and democratic, open letter, our community, Parliament, photographer, poi, politicians, press freedom, proposals, Protection of Information, Protection of Information Bill, protest, Public Service Broadcasting Bill, R2K, radio, research organizations, right to know, Right2Know, rights, secrecy bill, South Africa, struggle, training, world press freedom day, Worldpress Freedom Day
Leave a Reply