By Bhekinkosi Tshuma
Today, 3 May marks the 30th Anniversary of Windhoek Declaration and calls as reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom.
Zimbabwe is joining other nations with the commemorating the World Press Freedom Day which is running under the theme “Information as a public good”. The theme serves as a call to affirm the importance of cherishing information as a public good, and exploring what can be done in the production, distribution and reception of content to strengthen journalism, and to advance transparency and empowerment without leaving anyone behind.
The theme is of argent relevance to all countries across the world. It recognises the changing communications system that is impacting our health, our human rights, democracies and sustainable development.
World Press Freedom Day has its origins in the UNESCO conference in Windhoek in 1991 where the conference was held and ended on 3 May, since then the day was made World Press Freedom Day to be celebrated world wide.
After 30 years, the historic connection made between the freedom to seek, impart and receive information and the public good remains as relevant as it was at the time if its signing.
With the pandemic of Covid 19 journalists has been the core front line workers at risk as they sacrificed to stay in streets, making the world to know the happenings on the spread of the virus. This placed journalists and quality journalism and public interest media once again at the center of the global discourse.
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