Press Freedom Day: Celebrating media freedom as election looms in many democracies

World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on May 3 every year to promote fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

"No democracy is complete without access to transparent and reliable information. It is the cornerstone for building fair and impartial institutions, holding leaders accountable and speaking truth to power," said António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, In his message a few days ahead of the World Press Freedom Day.

No democracy is complete without access to transparent and reliable information. On #WorldPressFreedomDay, we must all defend the rights of journalists, whose efforts help us build a better world for all. pic.twitter.com/nas2ilN3qY

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 2, 2019

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This, in turn, was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence.

UNESCO, the African Union and the Ethiopian government have come out with a joint effort to celebrate World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd this year with a series of events in Addis Ababa. This year's theme "Media for Democracy, Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation" will keep discourse on the new wave of journalism seen worldwide.

Without journalists, there is no journalism.Without journalism, there is no democracy.#iDefendJournalism, and you?ℹ️ https://t.co/h3XvwpEA73 #WorldPressFreedomDay pic.twitter.com/iy5qNKavcR

— UNESCO (@UNESCO) May 1, 2019

This year, UNESCO also launched the Defend Journalism Campaign that encourages media to show their solidarity for a free and independent press through the use of banners on their printed publications and digital platforms.

How can journalism rise above emotional content and fake news during an election? What should be done to counter speeches demeaning journalists? To what extent should electoral regulations be applied to the internet? This year's World Press Freedom Day will be the occasion to reflect on these issues.