Home | News & Events | U.S. Embassy Monrovia Celebrates World Press Freedom Day
The U.S. Embassy celebrates World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, because an independent media is an essential pillar of responsive and accountable democracies. Journalism plays a crucial role in combatting corruption, drawing attention to human rights abuses, and providing the public with accurate information.
On May 3, 1991, a group of African journalists and media professionals attending a conference in Namibia issued the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press, which established fundamental press freedom principles (read more: https://www.un.org/en/observances/press-freedom-day). World Press Freedom Day was born, and now 30 years later, these principles and the importance of press independence are as relevant as ever. Freedom of expression remains under threat in many parts of the world as authoritarian regimes use intimidation of the medi
In a year, 49 journalists lost their lives in the line of duty worldwide
By
Brutal crackdowns on the press are surfacing from all over the world.
Executive Director International Press Institute says rise in open attacks on press freedom is a bad omen for the future of democratic freedom.
The International Press Institute, an international organisation that protects journalism against censorship, warns that dictatorial-minded governments are stepping up their efforts to suppress free media.
According to the annual report of the institute, which was released on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, within the last 12 month, 49 journalists from across the globe have lost their lives in the line of duty.
U.S. Embassy Monrovia Celebrates World Press Freedom Day U.S. Embassy Monrovia Celebrates World Press Freedom Day
Monrovia, Liberia – The U.S. Embassy celebrates World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, because an independent media is an essential pillar of responsive and accountable democracies. Journalism plays a crucial role in combatting corruption, drawing attention to human rights abuses, and providing the public with accurate information.
On May 3, 1991, a group of African journalists and media professionals attending a conference in Namibia issued the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press, which established fundamental press freedom principles (read more: https://www.un.org/en/observances/press-freedom-day). World Press Freedom Day was born, and now 30 years later, these principles and the importance of press independence are as relevant as ever. Freedom of expression remains under threat in many parts of the world as aut
(UN News) The United Nations Secretary-General on Monday
[3 May 2021] urged governments to “do everything in their power” to support free, independent and diverse media, which the UN’s top human rights official highlighted as “a cornerstone of democratic societies”.
Unsplash/Zeg Young | Press gather at an event in Shanghai, China.
In a message on World Press Freedom Day, marked annually on 3 May, Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the importance of reliable, verified and accessible information.
“During the pandemic, and in other crises including the climate emergency, journalists and media workers help us navigate a fast-changing and often overwhelming landscape of information, while addressing dangerous inaccuracies and falsehoods”, he said.
File image
NATIONAL NEWS - Government has emphasised the importance of media in sharing credible information with the public.
“In an era of instant information sharing, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for trustworthy and fact checked news for public good is crucial,” Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Director General, Phumla Williams, said in a statement on Monday.
Williams made her comments as government joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Press Freedom Day under the theme, ‘Information as a Public Good’.
This year’s Press Freedom Day is a call to affirm the importance of valuing information as a public good, realising the importance of having access to credible information, especially in an era of misinformation and disinformation.