Today, May 3, is World Press Freedom Day. The day is celebrated every year in order to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And while I do believe that it is our responsibility — as consumers of the free press and as citizen journalists alike — to uphold the freedom of the press every day of the year, I’m glad that there is a UN-sanctioned day to recognize the struggle that many members of the press have to go through in order to ensure the adequate delivery of information to the masses.

Sadly, I don’t have the time to write a full post on my thoughts about the day because of commitments, but here’s a sampling of a few good articles from around the web, mainly from The Guardian, who are have some great reporting about this day.

From World Press Freedom Day:

Alarming numbers of journalists continue to die in the course of their work. Some are killed reporting wars but most - around 70% - are murdered because of what they have written or the questions they have been asking. In the vast majority of these cases, their killers are never brought to justice.

From Safety of Journalists:

In times of violent conflict, the dangers journalists are exposed to are more imminent than in ordinary times. Independent, precise and professional information is particularly vital under these circumstances.

From The Need to Know:

Politicians run governments and seek to exercise power in the name of the people. Journalists serve those people directly day by day, for they are their readers and viewers. They do not, if they’re wise, want power for themselves. They do, though, have a direct hand in the workings of democracy.

From Dying to Tell:

The Hollywood image of the intrepid foreign reporter is that of James Woods in the thick of a civil war in the film, Salvador, or Jennifer Connolly unearthing the truth in Blood Diamond. War correspondents do sometimes get caught in crossfire or executed by despots for being “spies”, but a little-known journalism statistic is that few of the correspondents who die are killed on the battlefield: seven out of 10 are murdered after being deliberately targeted for what they have written or aired. They are hunted down and shot by professional hit men, beaten to death by hired thugs, or simply “disappeared”.

From The Price of Press Freedom:

With reporters being killed or held hostage by groups in conflict, with governments jailing, threatening and censoring journalists and cyber dissidents for promoting democracy or political debate, and with drug traffickers, corrupt local politicians and other criminals getting rid of reporters investigating their whereabouts, members of the media are literally risking their lives just to get the story. Every year it seems there are more and more dangers to be overcome. And more and more journalists are paying the ultimate price — losing their lives — simply to protect our right to know.

From The Blogging Relationship:

Today, everyone has a voice through the plethora of internet forums, social communities and blogs that have sprung up on the internet over the last few years. There are no barriers to access beyond an internet connection, and blogs can be set up by anyone, anywhere in the world in a few minutes and at no cost.

From Heroes or Martyrs?:

It is not only that bloggers are widening the quantity of information available in a region where political gossip is often more trusted than official statements. They are also deepening the quality and breadth of debate with the abandon that only the rush of ego-driven publishing (and anonymity) can provide.

I’ll try and update this list as the day goes on, but if you find anything else insightful on the topic, drop me an email and let me know.