What is World Press Freedom Day? Know why and how it is celebrated

World Press Freedom Day, as the name suggests is all about honouring the freedom of journalism and power of media across the world. World Press Freedom Day, popularly known as World Press Day, is celebrated every year on May 3, 2020. It is a day to raise awareness regarding the importance of freedom of the press.

Significance of World Press Freedom Day

The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day to honour the freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and abide by the rights to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This also marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in Windhoek in 1991. World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

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History of World Press Freedom Day

May 3 was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom - a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered. It is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.

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World Press Freedom Day: Celebrations and theme

A particular theme for every year is decided by the UNESCO for the celebration of World Press Freedom Day. A particular city where the main celebration takes place decides the theme for the day. Last year in 2019, Ethiopia decided the theme for World Press Freedom Day, it was, "Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”.

UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organisation or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. 

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The director-general of UNESCO issued a message regarding the theme for World Press Freedom Day 2020.

He stated. " At a time when we are mired in worry and uncertainty because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, free information is essential to helping us face, understand, think about and overcome this crisis. This is why the Organization has teamed up with the rest of the United Nations family to fight the “infodemic” of rumours and disinformation which is exacerbating the pandemic and putting lives at risk. To help put an end to the problem, we have joined forces to promote two major social-media campaigns, Together for Facts, Science and Solidarity and Don’t Go Viral."

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