Agencies
As a step towards emphasising on how the freedom of press in a country is an important foundation of its development, the United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day. A fearless, independent and strong press is believed to be one of the most vital signs of a properly functioning democracy and this day is commemorated to raise awareness on just that. The UN also aims to uphold the right to freedom of expression of all that has been enshrined in the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights under Article 19. People across the globe joined in the celebrations, as they took to social media platforms, especially Twitter, celebrating World Press Freedom Day.
“Good journalism seeks the truth and holds the powerful accountable. All journalists must be afforded protection, and be free from harassment, intimidation, and threats.” “Only 13% of the world population enjoys a free press, where coverage of politics is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, and state intrusion in media affairs is minimal.” “Each time we talk about press freedom, let us also talk about an unbiased and responsible journalism which doesn’t spread lies and misinformation as against its very basic principles!Let free and fair speech prevail.” are some of the messages that people shared on the micro-blogging site. |
