Jammu/Delhi/Srinagar, May 03 (Scoop News)- World Press Freedom Day, celebrated annually on May 3rd, is a UN-proclaimed day highlighting the importance of free, independent media and defending journalists from censorship and attacks. It honors those who lost their lives in the line of duty and assesses global press freedom, marking the anniversary of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration.
To celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluate its state worldwide, defend media independence, and pay tribute to journalists.
Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following a recommendation from the 1991 UNESCO General Conference, which was inspired by the Windhoek Declaration—a landmark document calling for free, independent, and pluralistic media.
Observed annually on May 3rd, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek.
UNESCO brings together media professionals, freedom organizations, and UN agencies to discuss challenges like safety, disinformation, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on journalism.
The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is awarded annually to individuals or organizations defending or promoting press freedom, often in dangerous circumstances.
As of early 2026, discussions continue to highlight the role of independent media in navigating societal challenges, with focus areas including AI and misinformation.
Meanwhile Strong and independent journalism helps to promote and uphold peace, human rights, and social and economic development through providing access to reliable information, scrutinising power, and fostering dialogue. However, according to analysis by UNESCO, press freedom around the world has experienced its steepest decline since 2012, with journalists facing increasing levels of attacks and restrictions in their work.
This week, the NUJ published findings from the first year of its Safety Tracker, revealing disturbing reports of journalists facing death and rape threats, racism, physical attacks and intimidation while carrying out their work. The data also highlighted a worrying pattern of violent, graphic abuse directed at women journalists as well as cases involving discrimination based on protected characteristics, including race and religion. Despite the very serious nature of the reports submitted to the tracker, few respondents had informed the police, their employer, or local MP, suggesting that abuse and harassment have to an extent become normalised or seen as part and parcel of working in journalism. The NUJ has, however, called for urgent action from the government, police, social media companies, and employers to stamp out abuse against journalists in all its forms.
Another issue has been the rise of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) - abusive legal threats and lawsuits filed to silence critical speech. Numerous journalists and media organisations have been hit with baseless legal claims, draining already stretched resources and time. The mere risk of being hit with a SLAPP can potentially cause outlets to self-censor, limiting the ability of journalists to speak truth to power. The NUJ, as part of the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition, has been calling on the UK government to use the upcoming King’s Speech to introduce effective and comprehensive provisions to stop SLAPPs. This week, more than 100 peers backed the calls for new legislation in a letter to UK prime minister Keir Starmer.
We may now be seeing a new form of SLAPP-style intimidation developing. Last week, the NUJ criticised the ‘highly unusual’ decision of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to pursue £15,000 in costs against journalist and NUJ member Barnie Choudhury, following claims he acted unreasonably in making FOI requests.
Internationally, it’s one of the most dangerous times to be a reporter working on the frontline. Annual figures published by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) show that 128 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025. A similar number - 122 - was recorded the previous year. Despite journalists’ status as civilians under the Geneva Convention, the data showed a high concentration of deaths in conflict zones, particularly in the Middle East. Almost half of the deaths in 2025 were in Gaza, with 56 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed. At least 235 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed since 7 October 2023. The deliberate targeting and killing of journalists by Israeli forces has continued. Last week, Lebanese journalist Amal Khalili was killed and her colleague Zeinab Faraj injured, whilst reporting on previous attacks on the village of al-Tayri. The IFJ data shows a large number of journalists were killed in other conflict zones last year, including Yemen, Ukraine, and Sudan. It also revealed a sobering picture globally in relation to journalists’ freedom to report with 533 journalists jailed at the end of 2025, many in the Asia-Pacific region.
The NUJ has backed the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in urging governments to finally end clear violations of international law and to support a specific and binding UN Convention on the safety and protection of journalists. This would place a requirement on states to protect journalists in all circumstances, investigate every crime, and prosecute the perpetrators.
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said:
“This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme on shaping a future of peace provides a hopeful message. Journalists play a vital role in providing reliable, trustworthy information people can trust, holding those in power to account, and enhancing democracy and social cohesion.
“But those benefits can only be unlocked if journalists are able to do their jobs without the threat of being abused, censored, or killed. The NUJ will continue to campaign and fight alongside sister unions in the IFJ to protect journalists and defend press freedom in the UK, Ireland, and around the world.
“The NUJ also pays tribute to all the journalists who lost their lives in pursuit of truth, and recommits to standing up for the right of journalists to report safely and freely wherever they are.”
The NUJ, led by Laura Davison and joint president Gerry Curran, will attend an event in Paris this evening to mark World Press Freedom Day ahead of the IFJ’s centenary Congress from 4-7 May.=====
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