ISLAMABAD: World Press Freedom Day was observed across the globe including Pakistan on Wednesday (May 3) aiming to appreciate journalists’ hard work, risking lives for revealing the truth behind an incident, event, or scandal.
The special day celebrates the spirit of journalism and recognizes the dedication of journalists. It was extremely significant, as the United Nations(UN) considers it an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, assess the state of press freedom across the globe, defend the attacks on media independence, and pay tribute to the journalists who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Media professionals in Pakistan have also paid tribute to journalists who lost their lives while doing their job and urged the Government to ensure their safety as they observed World Press Freedom Day.
The origin of World Press Day dates back to 1991, when an African Journalist present at a UNESCO conference in Windhoek, which was based on ‘Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Media’, opened up about an idea to encourage press free domain different parts of the world. UNESCO adopted the Windhoek declaration on May 3 in the year 1993, which aimed toward the ‘development of a free, independent, and pluralistic press.