FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2018
Bahamas Press Club Abhors Media Attacks
World Press Freedom Day
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| Anthony Capron, BPC President |
NASSAU, The Bahamas - On this World Press Freedom Day 2018,
The Bahamas Press Club 2014, salutes the democracy enjoyed by the Bahamian
media.
“We recognize that press freedom is not a fundamental right
in all nations of the world, and we vehemently abhor attacks on media
independence,” said Press Club President Anthony Capron.
In this regard, we salute the 2018 theme “Keeping Power in
Check: Media, Justice and the Rule of Law,” Capron said.
“We, therefore, join United Nations Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres in calling on governments to “strengthen press freedom and to
protect journalists. Promoting a free press is standing up for our right to
truth.”
According to a report, Freedom of the Press 2017, it is
recognized that 45 percent of the world’s population live in countries where
press freedom is non-existent. Forty-two percent can claim a partly free press,
and only 13 percent enjoys a free press.
“I am happy to say that The Bahamas is in the sphere of that
13 percent. However, we must push to ensure the movement towards press freedom
in all those other countries, especially where there is no independent
judiciary to ensure legal guarantees for press freedom and prosecution of
crimes against journalists,” Capron said.
The
United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day or
just World Press Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the
press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to
freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Windhoek
Declaration, a statement of free press principles put together by African
newspaper journalists in Windhoek in 1991.
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For further information contact: Secretary Lindsay
Thompson at (242) 434-5643. Email:thebahamaspressclub@gmail.com.
Website: www.bahamaspressclub.org
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