The World Press Freedom Day is celebrated in countries all over the world. It exists to recognise the sacrifices made in the struggle for freedom of the press and to put pressure on the numerous countries that continue to deny their citizens this basic human right. Here are some of the events relevant to Africa that will take place in commemoration of this day.
The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) invites newspapers around the world to download materials from its special World Press Freedom Day editorial package for publication. Available at http://www.worldpressfreedomday.com, the editorial and advertising materials can be downloaded and published for free on 3 May.
The package includes details on the killings of 46 journalists in 20 countries in 2002 and on 136 journalists currently imprisoned in 27 countries, along with infographics and maps showing where they were killed or are being held; editorial cartoons against press-freedom repression by Michel Cambon and from the International Editorial Cartoon Competition conducted by the National Press Club of Canada; and a series of advertisements that highlight widespread violations to the right to freedom of expression, including two created by the advertising agency Young & Rubicam.
On the WAN website there are also press freedom essays available for publication, for example: "Stop Insult Laws," by Raymond Louw, Editor and Publisher of the Southern Africa Report and Africa Representative of the World Press Freedom Committee and "The State of the Media in West Africa," by Alagi Yorro Jallow, Managing Editor and Director of "The Independent" of Gambia and Coordinator of the West Africa Press Union. All items are posted in English, Spanish, French and German.
Visit: http://www.worldpressfreedomday.com
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) is launching a new campaign calling attention to the dangers journalists face in Southern Africa and the urgent need to provide practical support for victims of attacks. "Journalists Under Fire" includes an information package detailing the state of free expression in 11 member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
MISA invites media to participate in promoting press freedom and freedom of expression in Southern Africa by using these materials in their publications on May 3 or on the nearest publication day. All the enclosed texts, graphics and illustrations are available electronically. Please write to info@misa.org if you experience any difficulties in downloading items from this website.
To view the information package, go to: www.misa.org
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) will mark World Press Freedom Day by naming the World’s Worst Places to Be a Journalist - 10 places whose hazards and restrictions represent the full range of current threats to press freedom, including government crackdowns, physical violence, and danger from military operations.
CPJ’s research staff documents hundreds of such attacks each year, and the Worst Places to be a Journalist list gives the organization the opportunity to spotlight particularly egregious situations. Four new places will be included on the list this year.
For more details, visit CPJ’s Web site: http://www.cpj.org
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is joining a coalition of media organisations, unions of journalists and press freedom groups to launch the International News Safety Institute (INSI), a global campaign to create a culture of safety within the media industry.
A forum on journalists’ safety worldwide will be held on 2 May at the IPC Residence Palace in Brussels, Belgium. Speakers include Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and media executives from CNN International, Reuters, BBC and al-Jazeera.
The event will also feature the launching of a new book by the Crimes of War Project, a collaboration of journalists, lawyers and scholars dedicated to raising public awareness of the laws of war and their application to situations of conflict.
Visit these links:
International News Safety Institute: http://www.ifj.org/hrights/wpfd2003/wpfd2003en.html
Crimes of War Project: http://www.crimesofwar.org
The Independent Journalism Centre (Nigeria) has invited a prominent Nigerian journalist to deliver a talk to mark World Press Freedom Day. The title of Babarinsa’s lecture is "Press Freedom in Nigeria: Prospects for the Immediate Future."
Visit: www.ijc-nigeria.org
On 3 May, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will present its 2003 Annual Report on the state of press freedom in 156 countries; a list of 42 "predators" responsible for attacks against press freedom; a magazine of photographs by Philip Plisson to raise funds for press-freedom campaigns worldwide; and a public awareness campaign in print, on radio and on television.
Visit: http://www.rsf.org/