World Press Freedom Day 2021: Theme, history, significance, key facts
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- Published: May 3, 2021 14:31
New Delhi: World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every year on May 3. It is one of the calendar events planned, organised and promoted by the United Nations.
As per UNESCO, the day dedicated to freedom of press underscores the need for governments and people across the world to ”respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.”
As per UNESCO, on May 3, national and local celebrations for World Press Freedom Day will take place around the world, which includes online debates and workshops.
Theme
The theme for World Press Day 2021 is “Information as a Public Good”.
Significance
The world has experienced a lot of crimes against good and sincere journalists. The day is celebrated to ensure the protection and safety of the press in the face of attacks against its independence, to discuss journalistic ethics and to celebrate journalists who gave their lives in the pursuit of truth.
The three topics to be highlighted at this year’s World Press Freedom Day 2021 Global Conference, as per UNESCO are:
• Steps to ensure the economic viability of news media
• Mechanisms for ensuring transparency of Internet companies
• Enhanced Media and Information Literacy (MIL) capacities that enable people to recognize and value, as well as defend and demand, journalism as a vital part of information as a public good.
