2003 Press Releases

U.S. Committed to Promoting Press Freedom Around the World

May 12, 2003

The U.S. Department of State Deputy Spokesman Philip T. Reeker issued a statement May 2 in recognition of World Press Freedom Day May 3.

On the same day in Ashgabat, U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan Laura E. Kennedy held a roundtable with alumni of U.S. Government-sponsored exchange programs on media issues to commemorate World Press Freedom Day.

Following is the U.S. Department of State press release with the text of Mr. Reeker's statement:

Tomorrow, May 3, is World Press Freedom Day. It is a day set aside to renew our commitment to the freedom of the press worldwide and acknowledge those who have dedicated their lives to its pursuit. Recent events have demonstrated the dangers faced by those seeking to provide the world with reliable and accurate information, as well as the importance of these information flows to our understanding of the world around us. The benefits of a free press are many, but they are often realized with great effort.

Nowhere is this more evident than in those areas where journalists have risked their lives to report the news, in many cases paying the ultimate price. The Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders list twenty-two journalists who have been killed to date in 2003, either in the line of duty or as a result of their reporting. This includes thirteen killed in Iraq, nine in action. The bravery of the media and the unprecedented display of combat journalism during the war in Iraq were vivid testimony to the value of a free press to a free society.

We call particular attention to the sacrifices brave journalists make in closed societies and urge governments to lift restrictions and cease intimidation of the press. Reporters Without Borders lists over one hundred imprisoned journalists, with Cuba, Eritrea, and Burma tallying the highest numbers. Journalists face government harassment in other countries, including Ukraine, Belarus, and the five Central Asian states. Internet users in China and Saudi Arabia, and in other authoritarian countries, are subject to censorship and face reprisals for writing, posting, or distributing information on a variety of subjects, including those critical of the government.

The Department of State, along with our embassies abroad and the U.S. Agency for International Development, is committed to strengthening the role of free media in society. The Department provides diplomatic support in areas where this role is compromised, gives grants to independent media organizations, runs exchange programs for journalists, and funds programs that provide Internet access and training. By ensuring open access to information, we work to protect freedom and democracy.