World Press Freedom Day
Today is World Press Freedom Day, a time to reflect not just on what are traditionally thought of as press freedoms, but also on ordinary citizen’s ability to share and access information via our digital networks.
Via UNESCO
[S]ecuring the safety of journalists continues to be a challenge due to an upward trend in the killings of journalists, media workers, and social media producers. In 2012 alone, UNESCO’s Director-General condemned the killings of 121 journalists, almost double the annual figures of 2011 and 2010. In addition, there continues to be widespread harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrest and online attacks on journalists in many parts of the world. To compound the problem, the rate of impunity for crimes against journalists, media workers and social media producers remains extremely high.
Responding to this overall context of press freedom, WPFD 2013 focuses on the theme of “Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media” and puts the spotlight in particular on the issues of safety of journalists, combating impunity for crimes against freedom of expression, and securing a free and open Internet as the precondition for safety online.
Reporters Without Borders’ annual World Press Freedom Index is a good place to explore how press freedoms work — or don’t work — globally. At the top of the list are Finland, Norway and the Netherlands. Down at the bottom are the same three that that were there a year ago: Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea.
Freedom House reports that the percentage of the world’s population “living in societies with a fully free press has fallen to its lowest level in over a decade”:
At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive that media freedom is on the decline. After all, in a world in which news is being produced by a broader range of professionals – as well as citizen journalists and bloggers – information is flowing at faster rates than ever before. And with news being transmitted through a greater variety of mediums – including newspapers, radio, television, the internet, mobile phones, flash drives, and social media – one might expect the level of media freedom worldwide to be improving, not worsening.
As noted, press freedom doesn’t just affect professional journalists, but ordinary citizens committing acts of journalism, activists documenting abuses and members of civil society. Take, for instance, four men in Saudi Arabia interrogated over their attempts to launch a human rights organization. The charge against them, according to Amnesty International: ”founding and publicizing an unlicensed organization as well as launching websites without authorization.”
Related, Part 01: Al Arabiya, Iran, Syria ranked among world’s worst countries for press freedom.
Related, Part 02: UNESCO, Pressing for Freedom: 20 years of World Press Freedom Day (PDF).
Images: World Press Freedom Map (top), via Reporters Without Borders. Crime and Unpunishment: Why Journalists Fear for Their Safety (bottom), via UNESCO. Select to embiggen.
nypl:
NYPL is featured in a new book by Molly Oldfield called The Secret Museum, which highlights fascinating some fascinating objects located in “museums” around the world… including Charles Dickens very intriguing letter opener, which is in NYPL’s Berg Collection. Read all about it!
Writer Molly Oldfield has delved into the vast collections of objects stored away and rarely exhibited
nybg:
Columbia J-school student Brett Essler contacted the Garden just days after Superstorm Sandy devastated the east coast to ask if there was any way we could work with him on a photojournalism project recording the devastation wrought to trees throughout New York City. We helped him to get access to our amazing arborists who were cleaning up some of the biggest trees on our grounds, many of which were well over 100 (or even 200) years old.
“While the loss of a tree is not comparable to the loss of a life, home, or livelihood, the plants and trees that line our parks, yards, and streets are an important part of our city’s history and ecosystem. The city’s trees are home to endangered migratory birds, shelter from the summer sun, and the backdrop for a cherished family photos.”
And it’s true. Trees are vital. They cool our artificially heated city, provide shelter, shade, food, and beauty. Trees are emotional plants. It hurts to see them destroyed. Thanks for capturing the poignancy, Brett. ~AR
(via Photographer documents tree damage following Superstorm Sandy : TreeHugger)
Bibliothèque Saint Geneviève, Paris. A public and university library in Paris, Sainte-Geneviève Library is designed by Henri Labrouste. It is in Neo-Renaissance style and was built between 1843 and 1851. (Photo by Edward Klister)
I Will Wear That Badge With Honor
- Me: *yelling at hoodlums in the hallway*
- Student: Aww man, Ms. M is The Authority around these parts. I'm gonna bring you in a badge that says "The Authority"
Copenhagen. This is some great city planning right here
Manatees Are Dying Off, and Florida Is Determined to Speed it Up
Who hates manatees? Sea cows, mermaids, whatever you want to call them—these massive, slow, people-loving warm-water swimmers are naturally adorable and devoid of natural enemies. But hundreds have died already this year, and deregulating Florida lawmakers could doom the rest today…
(read more: Gawker) (photo: AP)
1969 Ah, motorcycle
source: http://www.dickiesstore.co.uk/
So today I attended a talk about syphilis at work, and the presenter had a slide that had old WWII era posters warning about the evils of VD, and guys they are freaking brilliant. I love these to pieces, lol.
(via vintascope)
This week on Mommyish, I paid tribute to Birthday Week with a column about birthdayjacking. Last year, I had so many birthdayjacking submissions that I had to split them into two posts, and this year proved no different. Parents can’t help themselves on Facebook when their child’s…
Dear Eve Ensler,
I want to start off by saying thank you. I appreciate the time you took to reach out to me, because I know you’re incredibly busy. I know there are much more important people in this world than myself, so I appreciate you engaging in dialogue with me and my colleague Kelleigh…
London by Vic Lee, from Gestalten’s A Map of the World: The World According to Illustrators and Storytellers
nypl:
After dad died
his belongings boxed up
I found his wallet
and took the coupons inside
used them in his honor
coffee filters, bread.
Today’s winning poem comes to us from @shipleywriter in Seattle, Washington. Congratulations Jonathan!www.nypl.org/poetrycontest