THEME: Safe to Speak; Securing Freedom of Expression in all Media.
Every year, May 3rd is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluate press freedom around the world, defend the media from attacks on their independence, and also pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom. It is also a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, media houses 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 initiative in favour of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.
It serves as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.
World Press Freedom Day is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
Having been officially proclaimed during the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
The call for the international calendar to observe the importance of press freedom was originally made at a meeting of African journalist’s convened by UNESCO in Namibia, in the year 1991. The declaration spelt out that the precondition for press freedom is a free, independent, and pluralistic media environment.
World Press Freedom Day 2013 focuses on the theme of “Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media, and puts the spotlight in particular on the issues of safety of journalists combating impunity for crimes against freedom of expression, and securing a free and open internet as the precondition for safety online.
It is clear today that building a culture of support to press freedom is a lengthy process because what has been won for press freedom after a process of clamouring can also be lost in a matter of months when negative forces gain control of a country. However, with changes such as experienced in countries touched by the Arab Spring and in Myanmar and South Sudan, decades of political regimes that were not conducive for press freedom are making way for a new environment that holds great promise.
The International community is working closely with the authorities and the citizenry in these and other countries to ensure that positive developments can translate into long lasting safeguards for freedom of expression and press freedom.
Prominent in this international cooperation is the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which was endorsed last year by the Chief Executive of all components of United Nations’ bodies.
Securing the safety of journalists will continue to be a challenge due to an upward trend in the killings of journalists, media workers, and social media producers. In 2012 alone, UNESCO’s Director-General condemned the killings of 121 journalists, almost double the figures of 2010 and 2011. To compound the problem, the rate of impunity for crimes against journalists, media workers and social media producers remains extremely high.
It is in response to this that the WPFD 2013 focuses on the theme: “Safe to Speak: Securing freedom of Expression in All Media, and puts the spotlight in particular on the issues of safety of journalists, combating impunity for crimes against freedom of expression, and securing a free and open internet as the pre-condition for safety online.
A free, independent and pluralistic media environment must be one in which journalists, media workers, and social media producers can work safely and independently without the fear of being threatened or even killed.
It needs to be an environment where attacks, intimidations, harassments, abductions, arbitrary imprisonments, and threats are the exceptions and not the norm. Journalists, editors, publishers should not be subjected to political or financial coercion and manipulation. They should especially be protected from threats to their individual security and that of their families.
Securing the safety of journalists and media workers is an urgent matter. In the last ten years, more than six hundred journalists and media workers had been killed just for bringing news and information to the public.
As the United Nations Plan recognizes, promoting the safety of journalists must not be constrained to after-the-fact action, rather much more must be done for preventive mechanisms and for actions to address the root causes of violence against journalists and of impunity.
This implies the need to deal with issues such as corruption, organized crime, terrorism and an effective framework for the rule of law.
Corruption is a vice which is international in scope, monstrous in nature, crudely rampant in developing economies and unconstructively devastating and pervasive in virtually all less developed countries (LDC) of the world. Corruption is as old as man, and as a result of its antiquarian foundation, one is tempted to argue that unless governments all over the world can figure out effective ways of combating it, it might remain, just like any other crimes. It is a roadblock to promotion of international standards for freedom of expression and the rule of law.
Impunity of crimes against press freedom means the impossibility of bringing the perpetrators of violations to account, whether in criminal, civil, administrative or disciplinary proceedings. This is possible for wreakers of violations because they are not being subjected to any inquiry that might lead to their being accused, arrested, tried, and if found guilty, sentenced to appropriate penalties, and to making reparation to their victims as stated in the United Nations set of principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity.
When freedom of expression and press freedom are muffled and suppressed, people tend to seek out alternative outlets. It is part of being human to speak out, to share news, to unearth truths, and to voice concerns and aspirations.
There should always be places for people to find reliable information, and where they can voice their opinions freely. There, they can voice their opinions freely. The best foundation for a public sphere wherein citizens can make optimum decisions is a free, independent and pluralistic media. In turn, this requires that the safety of its practitioners must be secured.
Where attacks do occur, they must be investigated swiftly and the perpetrators be brought to justice to avoid a vicious circle of impunity from developing.
All patriotic citizens must unreservedly condemn all forms of violence aimed at silencing the truth. We should all be in solidarity with all those committed to media freedom and freedom of expression. We should also remember journalists being deprived of their freedom just for practicing their profession.
Gbemiga Bamidele is the Senior Assistant National Secretary of NUJ.
