STATEMENT BY ANTHONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETAY OF STATE

May 3, 2024

World Press Freedom Day Each year on World Press Freedom Day, the world celebrates the importance of journalism and recognizes the integral role a vibrant, independent media plays in democratic societies. The free flow of accurate information, ideas, and opinions, including dissenting ones, is essential for transparent, responsive, and inclusive governance. In their pursuit of truth, journalists face unprecedented danger just for doing their jobs. More journalists were killed in 2023 than in any year in recent memory. Authoritarian governments and non-state actors continue to use disinformation and propaganda to undermine social discourse and impede journalists’ efforts to inform the public, hold governments accountable, and bring the truth to light. Governments that fear truthful reporting have proved willing to target individual journalists, including through the misuse of commercial spyware and other surveillance technologies. On World Press Freedom Day, we call on every nation to do more to protect journalists, and we reiterate our unwavering support for free and independent media around the world. ###