In 1993, World Press Freedom Day was appointed to be celebrated on May 3 of every year. World Press Freedom was designated to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press, and to remind all governments of their duties to respect and uphold the rights to freedom of expression that is covered under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also to show the value of the sacrifices journalists have made to keep this freedom.
May 3 is also the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek. It is a statement of the free press principles written in 1991 by African newspaper journalists.
UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by handing out the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made a wonderful contribution to the defense and/or promotion to the freedom of the press anywhere in the world, but especially when it was done in the face of danger. This prize was created in 1997 and is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of 14 news professionals.
The Prize was named in honor of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogota, on December 17, 1986. Cano's articles had offended Colombia's powerful drug lords.
Besides the awarding of the Guillermo Cano Award, World Press Freedom Day is also celebrated by conferences that bring together media professionals, press freedom organizations and agencies to assess the state of the freedom of the press worldwide and to talk about solutions for taking care of the challenges that arise. The conferences are centered around a theme related to press freedom, including good governance, media coverage of terrorism, impunity, and the role of media in post conflict countries.
While in America we enjoy this freedom, freedom of the press and freedom of expression is not a given right in many countries. Like China for example. This year's World Press Freedom Day's theme is "The Olympic Challenge: Free the Presses in China!". This theme is because of the press censorship happening in China due to the Olympics being held in China this summer.
Even though China has made promises of reform, the Chinese authorities have not kept their promises, they also have intensified their strangulation of free press, they have oppressed the journalists, and others who seek to exercise their rights to freedom of expression!
The Chinese journalists continue to face this censorship, repression, and authoritarian laws that are being used by the government to control and restrict news gathering information and to jail journalists. Not to mention that the Chinese language media based abroad and foreign media have been routinely blocked or jammed in China.
The Foreign journalists who are reporting from China as we are getting ready to start the Olympics are regularly harassed and have even been expelled. This was the case in the events of March 2008.
This censorship violates the Organizing Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games pledge that states that foreign media would have "complete freedom to report when they come to China."
Already at least 30 journalists and 50 online correspondents are currently being held in Chinese prisons for reporting facts or peacefully expressing their views.
That is why this year's theme for World Press Freedom Day is "The Olympic Challenge: Free th
e Presses in China!". It is time that China honored their promises that they made pertaining to the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press and to grant the right of all people to access information without censorship!
The goal of this year's World Press Freedom Day is to get a clear message to Chinese authorities and other Olympics' stakeholder that we want freedom of the press!
May 3 is also the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek. It is a statement of the free press principles written in 1991 by African newspaper journalists.
The Prize was named in honor of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogota, on December 17, 1986. Cano's articles had offended Colombia's powerful drug lords.
Besides the awarding of the Guillermo Cano Award, World Press Freedom Day is also celebrated by conferences that bring together media professionals, press freedom organizations and agencies to assess the state of the freedom of the press worldwide and to talk about solutions for taking care of the challenges that arise. The conferences are centered around a theme related to press freedom, including good governance, media coverage of terrorism, impunity, and the role of media in post conflict countries.
Even though China has made promises of reform, the Chinese authorities have not kept their promises, they also have intensified their strangulation of free press, they have oppressed the journalists, and others who seek to exercise their rights to freedom of expression!
The Chinese journalists continue to face this censorship, repression, and authoritarian laws that are being used by the government to control and restrict news gathering information and to jail journalists. Not to mention that the Chinese language media based abroad and foreign media have been routinely blocked or jammed in China.
The Foreign journalists who are reporting from China as we are getting ready to start the Olympics are regularly harassed and have even been expelled. This was the case in the events of March 2008.
This censorship violates the Organizing Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games pledge that states that foreign media would have "complete freedom to report when they come to China."
Already at least 30 journalists and 50 online correspondents are currently being held in Chinese prisons for reporting facts or peacefully expressing their views.
e Presses in China!". It is time that China honored their promises that they made pertaining to the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press and to grant the right of all people to access information without censorship!The goal of this year's World Press Freedom Day is to get a clear message to Chinese authorities and other Olympics' stakeholder that we want freedom of the press!
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Thank you for sharing this news with us Miss Amanda. It will be interesting to watch this year's Olympics unfold. Please keep us updated on this.
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