Friends, do
you listen/read/watch news everyday? Have you ever thought of those great
journalists who relentlessly work, explore, and even face threats,
challenges and series of obstacles to bring daily news
to the public? Do you think you could feel comfortable without media/news-papers?
Dropping these questions for you, I’d like to inform you that today marks the
World Press Freedom Day 2014. This day is annually observed on May 3 to inform people
that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are fundamental human
rights. Not only that, this is a global observance that paves the way to celebrate the
fundamental principles of press freedom, to assess the state of press freedom
throughout the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence,
and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of
duty.
While talking about it’s history, World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1993 as an outgrowth of the Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press. This seminar took place in Namibia in 1991 and led to the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting Independent and Pluralistic Media.
The Windhoek Declaration called to establish, maintain and foster an independent, pluralistic and free press. It emphasized the importance of a free press for developing and maintaining democracy in a nation, and for economic development. Thus, World Press Freedom Day is celebrated annually on May 3, the date on which the Windhoek Declaration was adopted.
Although World Press Freedom Day has only been celebrated since 1993, it has much deeper roots in the United Nations. Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights states that everyone “has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers".
According to the UN’s website, this year, the focus is given to the three major inter-related thematic areas: the media’s importance in development, safety of journalists in the rule of law, and sustainability and integrity of journalism.
To define “Press freedom” in simple words, it can be worth-mentioning that press freedom is a condition of disseminating news, views, write-ups, editorials and features via press or media freely and independently without prior-restriction, fear or interference. In the context of Nepal, the interim constitution, in it’s article 15, guarantees the freedom of press in the explicit way.
Today, the importance of press or media is so pervasive that we can’t detach ourselves from the ever-growing influence of it in every facet of our lives. Objectivity, accuracy, unequivocal flow of information, and balance in opinion always make the space of press in the highest position. Happy World Press Freedom Day!!
