May 3 is International Press Freedom Day. Freedom of the press is based on the fundamental right of ‘freedom of expression’. As such, that freedom is prominently stated in, among others, the Dutch Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. May 3 was declared International Press Freedom Day in 1993. Every year the Day has a specific theme. ,Freedom House, is a non-governmental organization that conducts research in the field of press freedom, among other things.
Fundamental right. Dutch Constitution
Fundamental rights are also called fundamental rights or human rights. These are the rights of the individual citizen against the government (the state); but they also apply between citizens. Freedom of expression is one of the freedoms that form part of the classical, liberal fundamental rights. In the Dutch Constitution, freedom of expression is expressed in the article on the freedom of the press, which is the fundamental right to make feelings and thoughts public and known. To be precise: Article 7, paragraph 1:
No one needs prior permission to reveal thoughts or feelings through the printing press, except for each person’s
responsibility under the law.
In paragraph 2, this freedom is explicitly linked to radio and TV .
International Declarations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Article 19
In 1948, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 states:
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas by any means and regardless of frontiers.
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms – Article 10
Following the Universal Declaration, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) was drawn up in 1950. Article 10 is about freedom of expression:
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right includes the freedom to hold opinions and to receive or impart information or ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article does not prevent States from subjecting radio broadcasting, cinema or television companies to a system of licensing.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Article 19
Rights is based on the Universal Declaration (1948) . 35 UN member states ratified it in 1976. Article 19 is also about freedom of expression. The description essentially corresponds to the article in the Universal Declaration, but is described in more detail:
- Everyone has the right to hold an opinion without interference.
- Everyone has the right to freedom of expression; this right includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, whether orally, in writing or printed form, in the form of art or by any other media appropriate to choice.
- Special duties and responsibilities are associated with the exercise of the rights referred to in the second paragraph of this article. It can therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but only restrictions that are provided for and necessary by law:
- in the interests of the rights or reputation of others;
- in the interest of national security or to protect public order, public health or morals.
International Day of Press Freedom
In 1993, the United Nations declared May 3 as International Press Freedom Day. Every year since then, attention has been paid to press freedom worldwide on that day. The aim is to raise awareness of the principles of press freedom and promote them worldwide. The importance of press freedom and the fact that not all countries have this freedom are then discussed. The idea for the day comes from the 1991 UNESCO General Conference, which recognized that a free, pluralistic and independent press is an essential part of any democratic society.
Themes
International Press Freedom Day has a different theme every year. In 2012 it was Untold Stories : Journalists try to find out and interpret events (stories) truthfully, but there are also people or organizations that try to hide events. And those stories that are not told are important to get a good picture of reality. In 2013 the theme was Pointers from Putin – which concerned restrictions on press freedom in Putin’s Russia – and in 2016: The red line (Is there a limit to what we can write, film, etc.). In 2017 there was a special attention to the situation in Turkey.
Freedom House
The Freedom House organization is a NOG, a Non-Governmental Organization, i.e. an organization that is independent of the government and focuses on a social interest. Freedom House conducts research and provides support in the areas of democracy, political freedom and human rights. The movement was founded in 1941. Every year it publishes a report on freedom in the world, including in particular the freedom of the press and other media. Negative but also positive issues are discussed. For example, the 2012 report indicates that press freedom had increased in countries such as Egypt, Libya and Tunisia thanks to the Arab Spring (2010-2011). The Western democracies were high on the list. There was complete press freedom in 66 countries, including the Netherlands. The 2017 report concluded that 2016 was the lowest point yet for press freedom.