World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

A new global report on “soft censorship” warns of increasing threats to independent media posed by official use of financial leverage and regulatory powers to influence reporting and the very viability of media outlets.

An overview of events in the past year that impacted on journalists’ safety highlights the need for reporters and editors, and their companies, to take steps to improve the protection of journalists covering potentially violent events.

Demand the release of jailed journalists worldwide in the lead up to World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. Join the Twitter campaign with the hashtag #FreethePress.

The 30 Days for Freedom campaign highlights the plight of jailed journalists worldwide by focusing on 30 individuals currently imprisoned because of their work.

Press freedom in Mexico faces widespread and growing threats from “soft censorship” that includes government use of financial incentives and penalties to pressure news media, punish critical reporting, and reward favourable coverage, according to a new report released by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.

At a meeting on 19 March, the Liberian Information Ministry agreed to coordinate the effort to finalise the draft bill that repeals criminal defamation, to be presented to Parliament no later than 15 May 2014.

“The lack of any real guarantees enshrining press freedom continues to expose journalism in the United Kingdom to great uncertainty, as there is nothing benign in a system that invites even the possibility of tighter restrictions on freedom of expression,” said World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers CEO, Vincent Peyrègne.

Seeing the threat to press freedom in their neighbouring country, the Colombian Association of Newspaper and Media Editors (ANDIARIOS) started the initiative “WE ARE VENEZUELA, Without Press Freedom, There is No Democracy,” allowing Colombian newspapers to devote one page of their daily editions to news about Venezuela.