World Press Freedom Day - 3 May

Theme 2012:
New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. It is an opportunity to:

• celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
• assess the state of press freedom throughout the world;
• defend the media from attacks on their independence;
• pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The recent uprisings in some Arab States have highlighted the power of the media, the human quest for freedom of expression and the confluence of press freedom and freedom of expression through various traditional and new media.
This has given rise to an unprecedented level of media freedom. New media have enabled civil society, young people and communities to bring about massive social and political transformations by self-organizing, and engaging the global youth in the fight to be able to freely express themselves and the aspirations of their wider communities.
Yet, media freedom is fragile, and it is also not yet within the reach of everyone. Furthermore, as more reporting is transmitted online, more and more online journalists including bloggers are being harnessed, attacked and even killed for their work.

 

 

Freedom of Expression, a Human Right

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Media freedom and access to information feed into the wider development objective of empowering people. Empowerment is a multi-dimensional social and political process that helps people gain control over their own lives. This can only be achieved through access to accurate, fair and unbiased information, representing a plurality of opinions, and the means to actively communicate vertically and horizontally, thereby participating in the active life of the community.

2011 in figures

• 66 journalists killed
• 71 journalists kidnapped
• 1,044 journalists arrested
• 1,959 journalists physically attacked or threatened
• 499 media censored
• 68 countries subject to Internet censorship

Source: Reporters Without Borders

However, in order to make freedom of expression a reality, there must be:

• a legal and regulatory environment that allows for an open and pluralistic media sector to emerge;
• a political will to support the sector and rule of law to protect it;
• laws ensuring access to information, especially information in the public domain; and
• the necessary media literacy skills among news consumers to critically analyze and synthesize the information they receive to use it in their daily lives and to hold the media accountable for its actions.

These elements, along with media professionals adhering to the highest ethical and professional standards designed by practitioners, serve as the fundamental infrastructure on which freedom of expression can prevail. On this basis media serves as a watchdog, civil society engages with authorities and decision-makers, information flows through and between communities.

Freedom of Information

The fuel that drives this engine is information and therefore access to information is critical. Freedom of information laws, which permit access to public information are essential, but so are the means by which information is made available, be it through ICTs or the simple sharing of documents.
Information can change the way we see the world around us, our place in it, and how to adjust our lives in order to maximize the benefits available through our local resources. Fact driven decision-making can significantly alter our political, social and economic perspectives. Therefore, open and pluralistic media are, perhaps, most precious when they simply provide the mirror for society to see itself. These moments of reflection are instrumental in defining community objectives, making course corrections when society or its leaders have lost touch with each other or gone astray.
The right to access information can be interpreted within the legal frameworks that support freedom of information as it applies to information held by public bodies, or in a wider sense to encompass both access and circulation of information held by other actors, where it becomes intrinsically linked to freedom of expression.
Freedom of information and the transparency it promotes, has a direct consequence on fighting corruption, which in turn has a tangible impact on development. Former World Bank president James Wolfensohn often identified government corruption as the primary hindrance to development and an independent media sector as the number one tool to fight public corruption.

Press Freedom and Governance

Ensuring freedom for the media around the world is a priority. Independent, free and pluralistic media are central to good governance in democracies that are young and old. Free media:

• can ensure transparency, accountability and the rule of law;
• promote participation in public and political discourse, and
• contribute to the fight against poverty.

An independent media sector draws its power from the community it serves and in return empowers that community to be full a partner in the democratic process.
Freedom of information and freedom of expression are the founding principles for open and informed debate. New technology will continue to evolve and allow citizens to further shape their media environments as well as access a plurality of sources. The combination of access to information and citizen participation in media can only contribute to an increased sense of ownership and empowerment.

Secretary-General's message for World Press Freedom Day 2012

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

New York, 3 May 2012 - Secretary-General's message for World Press Freedom Day

 In an era of rapid and often momentous change, the value of a vigorous, independent and pluralistic press is undeniable.

Over the past year and a half of transformation across the Middle East and North Africa, social media, mobile telephones and satellite television have played a central part in generating an extraordinary ripple effect: from a vegetable seller’s simple cry for human dignity to the fall of autocratic regimes and the possibility that millions of people will enjoy, for the first time, democracy and opportunities so long denied.

This role is highlighted by the theme of this year’s observance of World Press Freedom Day: New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies.

A free press gives people access to the information they need to make critical decisions about their lives. It holds leaders accountable, exposes corruption, and promotes transparency in decision-making.  It raises awareness and offers an outlet for different voices, especially those that would otherwise go unheard.

But press freedom remains fragile.  Every day, journalists face dire threats as they try to carry out their work.  Last year, more than 60 journalists were killed worldwide, and many more were injured.  As of 1 December 2011, 179 journalists were detained, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists – an increase of 20 per cent over the year before, and the highest level since the 1990s.  Countless others were silenced or censored by governments, corporations and powerful individuals.  Yet impunity for those who attack or threaten journalists remains disturbingly prevalent.

I am outraged that attacks on journalists are on the rise.  I call on all concerned to prevent and prosecute such violence.  Defenders of a free press are safeguarding our rights and we must, in turn, ensure theirs.

In September last year, the United Nations held its first-ever inter-agency meeting devoted to the safety of journalists.  The meeting produced a comprehensive Plan
of Action, and the UN system is now mobilizing to intensify our efforts to raise awareness, help Member States strengthen legal frameworks and encourage them to investigate attacks against journalists.

As we mark World Press Freedom Day, let us pledge to do our utmost to ensure that journalists can perform their work -- in new and traditional media alike -- which makes an indispensable contribution to building stronger, healthier and more peaceful societies.

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Statements on 3 May 2012

• New York, 3 May 2012 - Secretary-General's remarks on World Press Freedom Day

The role of media as a catalyst for social and political change.

World Press Freedom Day celebrates the power of the media to bring about social and political change

 

UNESCO will celebrate World Press Freedom Day (3 May) in Tunis this year, with a packed three-day programme of events focused on the role of media as a catalyst for social and political change.

One of the highlights of World Press Freedom Day 2012 will be the award ceremony on 3 May for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. This year’s laureate, Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist Eynulla Fatullayev, will attend the ceremony. Addresses will also be made by with the President of Tunisia Moncef Marzouki, and the Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova.

            On the morning of 4 May, the Director-General and the Prime Minister of Tunisia Hamed Jebali will open an international conference on the theme of  “New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies” .

The conference will divided into three debates, held over 4 and 5 May:

Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies: New Voices, Youth, and Social Media will look at how the convergence of social media, mobile connections and satellite television has generated growth in freedom of expression. This in turn unleashed the protest movement that began in Tunisia in December in 2010 before spreading through much of the Arab world and beyond.

            The Reshaping of the Media Landscape in aTransitional Environment is the subject of the second session. It will focus on the changes experienced by government-owned media and their ability to become public service operators that meet high journalistic standards in a self-regulating environment.

            Finally, a Special Plenary Session on Tunisia will examine the way forward for the media in the country. Participants will include  the Minister of Human Rights and Transitional Justice, Samir Dilou and international participants such as Abdelkrim Hizaoui, Director of the Centre africain de perfectionnement des journalistes et des communicateurs.

            For the first time, this year’s World Press Freedom Day event also includes a number of side events, organised by UNESCO’s press freedom partners, including non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, international media outlets and youth groups. Information about  these events is available online.

Journalists wishing to cover the conference and linked activities are invited to register here.

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World Press Freedom Day   programme

Media contacts

In Tunis: Mehdi Benchelah - m.benchelah(at)unesco.org

In Paris: Roni Amelan – r.amelam(at)unesco.org; +33 1 4568 1706