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Every year, the United Nations proclaims World Press Freedom Day. World Press Freedom Day is a special day that honours and symbolises the spirit of journalism, as well as those dedicated journalists who have dedicated their lives to informing the public about the truth of the world. World Press Day has a different theme each year. Continue reading to learn about the theme, history, and significance of World Press Freedom Day 2021.
Theme for the 2021 World Press Freedom Day
The World Press Freedom Day theme for 2021 is ‘Information as a Public Good,’ according to the official UNESCO website. According to UNESCO, this year’s theme is a call to affirm the value of information as a public good and to investigate what can be done in the production, distribution, and reception of content to strengthen journalism and advance transparency and empowerment while leaving no one behind. The theme, according to UNESCO, is urgently relevant to all countries on the planet. It acknowledges the evolving communications system’s impact on our health, human rights, democracies, and long-term development. According to UNESCO, there are three main highlights of this year’s World Press Freedom Day Theme.
- Measures to ensure the news media’s financial viability;
- Internet companies’ transparency mechanisms;
- People with improved Media and Information Literacy (MIL) can recognise and value
- journalism as a critical component of information as a public good, as well as defend and demand it.
The Importance of World Press Freedom Day and Its History
Freedom of expression is a basic human right, and the press plays a vital role in informing the general public about what is going on in their country and around the world. The World Press Freedom Day is observed to remind governments around the world of the importance of journalists in providing information, even in the most difficult of circumstances. The UN General Assembly declared World Press Freedom Day in December 1993, following a recommendation from UNESCO’s General Conference, according to the UNESCO website. Every year on May 3rd since then, World Press Day has been observed. World Press Freedom Day, according to UNESCO, is intended to:
- Celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
- Evaluate the state of press freedom around the world;
- Protect the media from attacks on their independence;
- Remember the journalists who died in the line of duty.
