May 3 Observes World Press Freedom Day

Every year on May 3rd, the world commemorates World Press Freedom Day. 

Highlights:

• World Press Day is another name for it. The day also honors journalists who have died in the line of duty. 

• The theme for this year's World Press Freedom Day is "Journalism under Digital Siege," highlighting the several ways journalism is threatened by surveillance and digitally-mediated attacks on journalists and the implications for public faith in digital communications.

• In Punta Del Este, Uruguay, on May 2-5, 2022, UNESCO and the Republic of Uruguay will organize the annual World Press Freedom Day Global Conference in a hybrid format. The influence of the modern era on freedom of expression, journalist safety, access to information, and privacy will be debated under the theme "Journalism under Digital Siege."

History of the Day:

• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the third of May as World Press Freedom Day in 1993. 

• This proclamation followed a recommendation made by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its twenty-sixth general conference session in 1991. 

• The declaration was also a result of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, a statement regarding press freedom written by African journalists and delivered at a UNESCO seminar on May 3rd.