World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) was jointly established in 1991 by UNESCO and the United Nations DPI, within a conference held in Windhoek, Namibia. The conference supported the idea that press freedom and the ordinary citizen’s right to information is one of our most fundamental human rights and that governments must be encouraged to “provide the constitutional guarantees necessary for press freedom” and for the pluralistic dissemination of press information.
For more than two decades, WPFD is celebrated on May 3rd every year. The theme of media freedom continues to resonate, especially in light of recent events occuring in North Africa and the Middle East.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, opened with general remarks, asking for a moment of silence to pay respect to the brave individuals killed or imprisoned while covering stories. The President of Ireland, H.E. Michael D. Higgins, followed with a rousing defense of freedom of press and access to the internet for all peoples. H.E. Eduardo Ulibarri-Bilbao, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica and Chairperson, Committee on Information, warned against the adoption of the same new technologies and digital advances currently used by the new media voices of public citizens by the very governments against which they are uprising. The statistics tell the story with 21 journalists killed and 161 jailed. Our protection must not only embrace the dissemination of information and the free will of citizens against oppression but also the sister freedoms of thought, opinion and expression. To this end we must be vigilant on how to incorporate the new technology in our reporting, he said, further stating, “It is the challenge to develop, side by side with the spontaneous use of the new technologies by all citizens, a serious, reflective, balanced, legitimate and attractive journalism, capable of weighing and analyzing facts, verifying data, contrasting versions and generating analysis that rise over the emotional impulses, and are capable of generating rational inputs to nurture public discussion.” It is a warning to be heard as more and more “netizens” (public citizens employing the social media through the internet) join the media ranks in getting stories out to the public, sometimes despite barricading attempts of native governments.
Perhaps the most moving moment came when Giampaolo Pioli, President of the United Nations Correspondents Association read outloud the 63 names of the journalists who were lost this year.
A panel discussion followed, moderated by Mr. Mogens Schmidt who is Director of Field Coordination for UNESCO. Alluding to the fruit sellar in Tunisia who set himself afire and started the “revolution” in the Mideast, Delphine Halgand, the Washington D.C. Director of Reporters Without Borders told two true stories of “netizens” employing the internet to get their stories out to the public. Ian Bassin, Campaign Director and General Counsel at Avvaz brought us up to date on the advances of technology. He said that when the international journalists can’t go into a country because of repressive governmental crackdowns, Avaaz steps in to bring telecommunications equipment to the citizens. He urged that these 21st century tools be used to develop 21st century policy. The award-winning journalist, Amy Goodman, best known these days for her radio program “Democracy Now!” gave an impassioned speech about the freedom of the press to voice all viewpoints, not only those sponsored by corporations. She posed the question of what the reaction would be if for one week every media outlet, citizen on all the platforms available posted photos of the devastation of war. She ventured to say if done, there would be an outcry. When confronted with something that personal and that close, human beings tend to listen to their conscience.
