World Press Freedom Day

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21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers is the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day. At Sampsonia Way, we join with others around the world to celebrate press freedom.

A free press is at the very core of the right to free expression, providing a frontline defense for safeguarding access to knowledge and information as defined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

A free press provides a window through which all other abuses of fundamental rights can be revealed. Put simply, freedom of expression is the right that underpins all rights.

The following quotes on press freedom are from our contributors and writers we’ve interviewed.

“Journalists have been taken in for questioning and some end up being killed in ‘fake encounters’ by the state.”
Meena Kandasamy, Indian writer.

“The citizen journalists are themselves victims of political persecution, poverty, and suffering.”
Than Win Htu, Burmese journalist in exile.

“I was anxious for folks like Horacio Castellanos Moya and Khet Mar [both writers and journalists]… You couldn’t put me on stage in another country and say, OK, read your poems …”
Terrance Hayes, American poet.

“I’m a journalist who believes that her mission is to give a voice back to those who are voiceless.”
Judith Torrea, Journalist in Ciudad Juarez.

“Continue – we must continue – with this wonderful task of renewing the hope of writers who are still being held captive by shouting out to the world their ideas, truths, and souls…”
Ricardo Gonzalez Alfonso, Cuban journalist in exile.

“People do not protest because of inflation or for better salaries. Instead they want change. They want freedom of expression and freedom from fear.”
Tienchi Martin-Liao, Independent Chinese PEN Center President.

“This is like hell, but the blogger’s spirit overcomes all difficulties with enthusiasm as long as they can make their blogs visible.”
Orlando Luis Pardo, Cuban blogger.