The world press freedom day is a day set aside by top world organizations to celebrate and raise awareness of the need for a free and transparent media. As identified by some media houses and professionals, their profession is always on the verge of attack from government officials, authorities and higher institutions hence it is necessary to ensure a free press zone where the practice can be in peace. The press day applies to publishers, authors, media personals, writers and so fourth.
At least 30 years old, The day is celebrated on the 3rd of May and it acts as a reminder to authorities to keep their promise of allowing for a free press. The day also prompts media professionals to reflect and evaluate their extent of freedom. It basically has three main aims as sited by Edmund Signeur.
–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 day was officiated by the UN General Assembly in December 1993 as recommended by UNESCO’s General Conference. However it is worth nothing that the press freedom comes from way back. America is the first ever country to include freedom of the press in its first, original laws. This was secured in the amendment to the states in 1787. Yet Sweden remains the first ever country to affirm to freedom of the press.
This came at a time when the media was highly sensored, as a watch dog of the society, the media was instead being watched and highly scrutinized. The press men at the time mostly newspaper publishers were tired of being subdued by authorities who would rather use them for their personal gain. Riots broke out first in the US then the news spread worldwide, press men that had been hiding due to fear surfaced and started demanding for freedom of speech and press. It stretched even as far as third world countries who equally tried to fit it into their laws.
The cries and riots couldn’t go unnoticed by the then world governing bodies. UNESCO in an attempt to curb the situation came out with suggestions on how to grant the press freedom which was then adopted by the UN general assembly. However according to Springer Nature, “While absolute freedom of the press is neither possible nor desirable, there are strong arguments for keeping restrictions and external pressure of every kind to a minimum”
Press freedom day has been celebrated this 2022 with theme “Journalism under surveillance or journalism under digital Siege” press institutions, media houses and practitioners celebrated the day in style slightly different from previous years. In the university of Buea, Cameroon the journalism students took had a match pass, a football match, conference and a gala night to crown it all.
•Sources =UNESCO.org, Africa Agenda, Eves info.blog
•Picture credit=Che Lum Kelly, UNESCO, insights tv.
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