Press freedom continues to be a topical issue

Sunday, 3 May, was celebrated as World Press Freedom Day.

According to the WPFD page on the UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) website, this international day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a recommendation adopted at the 26th Session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991.

This, in turn, was in response to a call by African journalists who, in 1991, produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence. The day celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; evaluates press freedom globally, defends the media from attacks on their independence and pays tribute to those who have died in the exercise of their profession.

This year’s theme was “Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, and Media Safety in the Digital Age”. Although some international statistics may sound very far removed, issues closer to home have to be acknowledged. Although media freedom in SA is far better than in the old dispensation, it is only ranked as “satisfactory”, 11 places lower on the annual Press Freedom Index of the organisation, Reporters Without Borders, than last year.

The index scored SA in the 42nd position of 180 countries. Finland is in the top spot for the fourth year running, closely followed by Netherlands and Norway. At the other end, the last three positions are again held by Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, where freedom of information is non-existent.

Although our situation is far from that in these countries, it must still be guarded by everyone who wants an open and free society.