World Celebrates 250 Years Since First Freedom of Information Act

Press freedom is not just a beautiful idea but a very concrete thing, included in the UN's Sustainable Development agenda which is meant to lead the humankind to sustainable development, UNESCO's director general, Irina Bokova, said at the opening of the World Press Freedom Day here Tuesday.

On World Press Freedom Day, A View From Asia

Travel in many parts of Asia, as I do, and you are likely to find everyone looking at their smartphones – even in remote areas - hungry for information wherever they can find it.

Could the UN be Doing More to Protect Journalists?

As the world commemorates World Press Freedom Day, a coalition of some 35 press freedom groups is calling on the 193-member General Assembly to appoint a Special Representative of the Secretary General to monitor and oversee the safety of journalists worldwide.

Analysis: The Role of the Free Press in Sustainable Development

This year’s World Press Freedom Day marks the 250^th anniversary of the first-ever freedom of information law, enacted in what are now Sweden and Finland. 3 May, 2016 is more than just an important anniversary, however; this is the first celebration of World Press Freedom Day since the adoption of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Securing a free press is essential for progress towards achieving these ambitious goals for people and planet by the year 2030.

Odd Situation in the “Paradise” of Press Freedom

A strange situation has emerged in Finland where some people feel that the press freedom is currently jeopardised. The small Nordic country is a press freedom celebrity leading the index kept by Reporters Without Borders since 2009 and hosting the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day on May 3.

Free Press a Casualty of Pakistan’s Terror War

Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is widely viewed as one of the world's most dangerous places to be a journalist, with at least 14 killed since 2005 and a dozen of those cases still unsolved, according to local and international groups.

Grilled for a Retweet: Press Freedom in Kenya

In early January, Judith Akolo, a journalist with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, found herself in unfamiliar territory when she was summoned and grilled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for retweeting a Twitter message.

Media Freedom in Africa Remains Under Attack

Imagine a world without the media, where we have no verified information about what’s going on around us. Where everything is hearsay and gossip, where there are no trusted sources of information. It would be hard to operate in a world like that: to make decisions about what to do about the things that affect our lives.

Violence Against Women Journalists Threatens Media Freedom

For women journalists, violence and intimidation don't just happen in conflict zones, they are every day experiences.

How We Can Keep Press Freedom from Withering Away?

Media freedoms appear increasingly under siege around the world, with concerning signs that achieving middle-income status is no guarantee for an independent political watchdog in the form of the press.

Times of Violence and Resistance for Latin American Journalists

Mexico is the most dangerous country in Latin America for journalists. In 2015 it accounted for one-third of all murders of reporters in the region, and four more journalists have been added to the list so far this year.