Thirty years ago, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 3 as World Press Freedom Day. In its concept note for this year’s event, the U.N. notes that despite advancements in human rights, “media freedom, safety of journalists, and freedom of expression are increasingly under attack”.
“Polarised political and societal discourse; erosion of trust; impositions of states of emergency and internet shutdowns; crackdown on critical voices and independent media; news desertification due to the collapse of traditional media business models; and tackling hate speech and online harms that disregard international standards, pose new threats to freedom of expression, and the fundamental role of human rights.”
Of 180 countries part of the Press Freedom Index, India received its lowest ranking in 2022 at 150.
Also read: Data | State of press freedom in India
The U.N. has called upon the global community “to recentre press freedom, as well as independent, pluralistic and diverse media, as necessary key to the enjoyment of all other human rights”.
On the 30th World Press Freedom Day, here is a collection of The Hindu’s Op-eds and Editorials on the subject, over the years:
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