WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2022: Hailed as the fourth pillar of democracy, journalists have time and again risked their lives and reputation to reveal the truth behind an incident, event or scandal. In a bid to appreciate their hard work, every year, May 3 is observed as World Press FreedomDay. The special day celebrates the spirit of journalism and recognises the dedication of journalists. It is extremely significant, as the United Nations considers it an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, assess the state of press freedom across the globe, defend the attacks on media independence, and pay tribute to the journalists who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Theme
Every year, a specific theme is chosen for World Press Day, and this year’s theme is “Journalism under digital siege”. This year’s theme not only highlights the ways that endanger journalism but also the consequences of all this on public trust over digital communications. Mostly, it focuses on the risks faced by journalists by surveillance and digitally-mediated attacks. The origin of WorldPressDaydates back to 1991, when an African Journalist present at a UNESCO conference in Windhoek, which was based on ‘Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Media’, opened up about an idea to encourage press free domin different parts of the world.
History
UNESCO adopted the Windhoek declaration on May 3 in 1993, which aimed toward the ‘development of a free, independent and pluralistic press. The day also highlights the importance of freedom of journalists in few countries, like China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Eritrea, Djibouti, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, and Cuba, that have severely limited press freedom. Last year’s theme was, “Information as a Public Good” which focused on the importance of cherishing the information as a public good and explored the ways to strengthen the fourth pillar of democracy.
