May 3rd is World Press Freedom Day (WPFD). Certainly, the annual holiday celebrates a free press as a cornerstone of democratic systems and ideals. But it’s also a solemn occasion — a pinpointed moment on the calendar to ponder how precious yet fragile press freedom is, and how it’s under attack around the world.
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 3rd WPFD.
“May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to: celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom around the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty,” the UN’s website reads.
In a May 1 column, Caitlin Vogus, senior adviser, advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, called for people around the world to “demand justice for journalists murdered in Gaza and Lebanon, or to celebrate the release of wrongfully detailed reporters like Ahmed Shihab-Elden.”
Vogus homed in on the United States, where press freedom is under assault from the highest offices in the land, citing cases of journalists being disparaged, harassed, investigated, sued, doxxed, detained, assaulted and arrested.
“The United States can’t lead the world in defending press freedom on World Press Freedom Day when it’s actively dismantling it at home,” Vogus stressed. “It’s time to stop asking the Trump Administration to respect the First Amendment. We need to use the courts, Congress, and the power of the people to force it.”
Efforts to erode Americans’ reverence for the First Amendment, to bankrupt the press or to reinvent it are real, well-financed and effective. The impact is quantifiable, according to Reporters Without Borders’ annual RSF World Press Freedom Index.
The Index tracks press freedom around the world. This year’s report begins with a troubling lede: “For the first time in the history of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, over half of the world’s countries now fall into the ‘difficult’ or ‘very serious’ categories for press freedom. In 25 years, the average score of all 180 countries and territories surveyed in the Index has never been so low.”
In the span of just a single year, the United States ceded seven positions in the Index’s international ranking.
“In the United States (which ranks 64th out of 180 countries and territories) journalists who were already fighting against economic headwinds and dealing with a crisis of public trust — among other challenges — now also contend with President Donald Trump’s systematic weaponization of state institutions, including funding cuts to public broadcasters such as NPR and PBS, political interference in media ownership, and politically motivated investigations targeting disfavoured journalists and media outlets. Since his return to office, journalists have also been targeted on the ground during protests, reflecting a broader deterioration that amounts to one of the most severe crises for press freedom in modern U.S. history,” the RSF Index authors concluded.
It may seem an insurmountable goal to reverse these trends at global scale; however, individuals have power in their local communities, Martha Diaz Aszkenazy — chair of the National Newspaper Association and publisher of El Sol and the San Fernando Valley Sun — suggested in an April 30, 2026 press release: “This is also a time for us to celebrate those who put their safety and well-being on the line to gather facts and tell us what is real and actionable in our own communities. If you are fortunate enough to have access to a community newspaper, this is a great time to advertise, become a subscriber and even a contributor Our press freedoms are safest when we engage with them.”
May this World Press Freedom Day be one of deep reflection and resolved action.
Gretchen A. Peck is Editor & Publisher’s editor-in-chief. She welcomes your emails at editor@editorandpublisher.com.
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