WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY – “NEW VOICES: MEDIA FREEDOM HELPING TO TRANSFORM SOCIETIES”

DATE: 3RD MAY 2012

 The media has, to this day become the most influential and most informative driving force in the world. Daily we get to know the happenings all around us, the changes taking place and so on. The media has indeed helped to make the world “small”. It is because of the media that the youth get to be well informed and gain knowledge due to advancement in Information communication technology (ICT).

As the world celebrates the World Press Freedom Day, may we remember that freedom of speech is a right of every individual and the media as well, has the right to air their opinions and views. The big question however still remains, should there be boundaries to what the media airs and who is to set the boundaries? Throughout the past years, many journalists have constantly faced brutal attacks and many were even killed by the same society that they serve and even opposed by their own governments. How then is the media to help a society that bites the hand that feeds it? How is the Media to help to transform societies that are constantly against them?

This year marks a new beginning of how the media is to impact societies as the theme says “New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to transform Societies”. This is a step that could drive the youth to also seek to impact their societies; after all, many who are engaged in the media are the youth in the fields of journalism, reporting and editing. It is truly time for the media to be seen from a different perspective, to be seen as world changers and not peace disturbers, to be seen, as informants not gossip moguls. Despite the negativity that usually surrounds the media, their rights should not be violated. Journalists too have a right to life and measures to protect them should be intensified. The youth should also be proactive in supporting the media to ensure that there will be change in every society to make their world a better place.

The World Assembly of Youth (WAY) in its recognition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights distinctly concedes that the media have a right to freedom of speech, and the right to life. Therefore, WAY stands together with the world this day, to encourage the youth to support the media in their efforts to positively impact societies by proclaiming the theme “New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies”.