National Press Club Marks World Press Freedom Day 2016

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Thomas Burr issued the following statement on World Press Freedom Day 2016:

The National Press Club is deeply concerned about the dangers reporters around the world face each day. We call for an end to the imprisonment, threats, harassment, intimidation, injuring and assassinations of journalists, who are merely doing their jobs. We further urge all militaries and militia groups to take greater care to avoid the accidental killings of journalists working in conflict zones. We remind all governments that allowing a free flow of information ultimately serves to strengthen societies.

On this World Press Freedom Day, the National Press Club is joining with other media and press-freedom organizations in urging the United Nations to create a special representative for the secretary general whose mission would be protection of journalists worldwide. The aim is to give news professionals who are in peril an advocate with institutional clout. #protectjournalists (https://rsf.org/en/news/international-coalition-urges-un-appoint-journalists-protector)

The NPC is also marking World Press Freedom Day (#wpfd2016) in several other ways (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-press-freedom-day/about-world-press-freedom-day/). We are:

• Streaming at the NPC in Washington, D.C., proceedings of World Press Freedom Day meetings in Helsinki, Finland: (http://en.unesco.org/world-press-freedom-day-2016/programme);
• Running on a video loop in our lobby the names of the nearly 200 reporters in jail for the "crime" of journalism (https://cpj.org/imprisoned/2015.php);
• "Remembering fallen journalists" as part of a global campaign of that name by tweeting #remembering and wearing commemorative black ribbons (http://rememberingfallenjournalists.com/).

The National Press Club (press.org) is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. Through our Press Freedom Committee, we promote free expression and transparency.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute (http://www.press.org/institute), the club's non-profit affiliate, equips news professionals with the skills to innovate, leverages emerging trends, recognizes innovators and mentors the next generation.

Contact: John M. Donnelly, NPC Press Freedom Committee Chairman: [email protected]; 202 746 6020.

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SOURCE National Press Club