Global News, Common Stories
Since 1993, World Press Freedom Day has served as a moment to honor the work of journalists and news organizations who use their platforms to hold the powerful accountable, provide fact-based news stories, and assert freedom of expression as a communal good.
This year, PEN America is celebrating World Press Freedom through a global lens. Our organization is spotlighting a cadre of international journalists, editors, and publishers who speak truth to power and expertly navigate a continuously shifting media landscape.
Dynamic newsworthy stories are being produced in disparate locales but they share a common, vital mission: they inform the public on important political, social, and cultural issues, empowering individuals to make knowledgeable decisions concerning their communities.
World Press Freedom Day Manifesto
This World Press Freedom Day, we celebrate the crucial role community media plays in defending a free and healthy press. We recognize local journalism as a vital foundation for democracy that “keeps citizens educated, motivates them to vote, and serves as an indispensable check on government power.” We affirm that a strong media ecosystem embraces and supports community and diasporic media outlets prioritize audiences that may be underserved by other news sources.
Community Media Informs
We believe that localized, culturally attuned, fact-based reporting enables the civic engagement of communities that have historically faced barriers to participation. Community media enables better informed and wider involvement in public discourse.
Community Media Empowers
We believe that in-language reporting empowers via the resources and tools it makes accessible to the communities it serves, so that those communities may be better equipped to hold the powerful accountable.
Community Media Protects
We believe that essential information–especially when delivered by trusted community journalists–builds resilience against disinformation and surveillance, and promotes healthier, safer, and fuller lives.
Community Media Connects
We believe that trusted community journalists are uniquely situated to represent and reflect the communities they serve. They can reflect on the intersectionality of their communities’ values and experiences, connecting voices and stories across the spectrum of nationality, socioeconomic status, and spoken language.
A Brief History of PEN America’s World Press Freedom Day Celebrations
2019
In 2019, PEN America launched our first World Press Freedom Day campaign in the United States in celebration with partner events across the country.
2020
In 2020, we paid tribute to local journalist heroes covering COVID-19 and sustaining democracy amid a raging pandemic, rife with disinformation when lives depended on truthful information, public conversation, and probing accountability.
2021
In 2021, we highlighted local reporters elevating civil discourse in our Keeping It Local series, and we mobilized around the Future of Local News Act, in a search for solutions to reverse the alarming decline in funding for local news.
2022
In 2022, we celebrate the power of international community media–especially outlets serving immigrants and communities of color–to inspire civic engagement and protect against disinformation.
Social Media Toolkit
Thank you for your interest in helping us spread the word about World Press Freedom Day 2022. Please reference our social media toolkit to access links, visual assets, and sample copy for you to use in original posts across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.