World Press freedom Day is being observed on 3rd of May today. The day holds the significance of press freedom and its independence.
The theme for this year is A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis. On this occassion, United Nations General Secretary, António Guterres said Journalists have a key role in informing and educating the public about the world’s major environmental and climate emergency.
He said it is through their work that people can have a greater understanding of how they can bring change in the world.
The day was first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 on the recommendations of the UNESCO General Conference. The day is observed to mark the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of free press principles put together.
Nepal Celebrates 31st Press Freedom Day
Nepal is celebrating the 31st Press Freedom Day today. In a program organised by Media Action Nepal, Nawal Kishor Sah Saudi, Minister of Forests and Environment in the Government of Nepal launched the Annual Press Freedom Report. A
ddressing the August gathering, he mentioned that media is the third eye of a country and that freedom of the press is a sensitive matter and the government is responsible for protecting it.
UNESCO representative of Nepal, Michael Croft, discussed the report of UNESCO on Press and Planet in Danger and revealed instances in which at least 749 journalists and news media outlets reporting on environmental issues were targeted with murder, physical violence, detention and arrest, online harassment or legal attacks in the period 2009-2023.
He stressed that attack on Press freedom is a global problem, with attacks taking place in 89 countries in all regions of the world.
Press for Planet discussion provided a roadmap against Climate Disinformation, identifying the roles of governments, media, academia and researchers, civil society and digital platforms. It highlighted that supporting and protecting environmental journalists will promote the integrity of information on the environment and climate change.