Fostering access to important and relevant information, updating the public on current events and providing trustworthy news, the mainstream press and independent journalists showcase courage on a daily basis.
According to BBC News, World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) originated in April of 1991, when 38 journalists from African countries came together in Namibia for a week-long seminar to discuss the need for a free, independent and pluralistic press on the continent.
The seminar was titled “Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press” by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
By the time the seminar was over, the journalists had created the Windhoek Declaration, which demonstrated a declaration of free press principles and defined free press as one independent from governmental, political or economic control.
On May 3, 1991, the day was officially declared World Press Freedom Day.
Today, journalists, media and press celebrate the sacrifices made to ensure freedom of speech for the new generations of reporters to serve as watchdogs for justice.
One of the most famous domestic examples of journalists serving as watchdogs for society is Edward R. Murrow, whose reporting played an influential role during the Red Scare of 1947-54. Murrow’s reporting during the Red Scare showed how journalists could challenge figures of authority and inform the public of their misdeeds, leading to justice in the name of truth.
Murrow put it best in his famous March 9, 1954 editorial, broadcast on his CBS television show, “See It Now.”
Murrow calls to action, “This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy’s methods to keep silent, or for those who approve,” Murrow said. “We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.”
Murrow’s words best convey the idea that journalists must rally those who are too quiet to speak out and have them challenge the status quo, no matter the consequences, lest we desert freedom at home.
In addition to Murrow, we saw journalists like Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who reported on the Watergate scandal, outing former president Richard Nixon for his crimes; Ida B. Wells, who reported on the lynching within the south during the late 19th century; and Ronan Farrow, who played a key figure reporting the story about Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual assault.
However, despite journalists being guardians of truth and rooting out those who seek to exploit the people, recently we have seen those same journalists regarded as enemies and attacked by both country and countrymen.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 330 journalists are jailed worldwide, simply for attempting to reveal the truth.
“Among those journalists (330) who have been sentenced, nearly three-quarters (121) face terms of five years or longer, including 60 journalists serving 5-10 years, 52 facing more than a decade, eight with life sentences, and one on death row,” CPJ said.
Not only are we shocked to see so many journalists arrested, but we also see many journalists killed attempting to report the truth.
A prime example is with the conflict that took place in the Balkans during the early 90s.
According to Balkan Insight, around 140 journalists were killed during the conflict, most of which in one city.
Often, they were targeted by Serbian snipers, killed in crossfire or from coordinated attacks. Furthermore, those who kill international or domestic journalists rarely received any punishment, with only one being convicted.
This is not okay, and its injustice is the very byproduct of a lack of journalistic freedom.
In addition to journalists who are targeted, many journalists give up their lives to cover stories during conflicts.
War correspondents and investigative reporters put themselves in harms way to get the truth despite the challenges.
We are worried that, without journalists and journalistic freedom, it would be a far darker world than it already is.
Despite these dangers, reporters continue their work because firsthand journalism allows the world to witness events that powerful groups may attempt to hide.
Even in times of conflict, journalism remains one of the most important tools for accountability and public awareness.
These same brave journalists are still threatened by governments and groups attempting to hide the skeletons in their closets.
We stand with the assertion made by the Manorama School of Communication: “In a world without journalism, corruption would thrive, misinformation would spread unchecked, public awareness and engagement would diminish, minority voices would be silenced, and economic and social consequences would ensue.”
Journalists, as outlined by UNESCO, embody freedom, democracy and the search for truth in a society muddled in rumor.
Without them, the public’s general knowledge of what is happening within the world would be flooded with misinformation, propaganda and bias leaving room for easy manipulation.
Moreso, this would contribute to the decay of democracy.
Journalists’ insight into political candidates influences voter turnout greatly.
Without reliable information to make critical decisions citizens’ ability to participate in elections and civic life is hindered, overall.