World Press Freedom Day Supports Journalists Facing Threats

Global events marking World Press Freedom Day May 3 will spotlight repression against independent journalists and murders of members of the media, many of which go unpunished, press freedom advocates tell America.gov.

Press Freedom Day will remind the world that 171 journalists were killed in 2007 while pursuing their work, a number just short of the yearly record, and hundreds more were threatened, imprisoned or tortured, says the United Nations. The U.N. General Assembly in 1993 established each May 3 as the commemorative day for press freedom. more

The United Nations honored slain Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya in 2007
for her work in promoting press freedom. (© AP Images)

- Statement by President Bush on World Press Freedom Day