World Press Freedom Day in the United Kingdom
23-04-2007 (London)
Writing competition poster
© UK National Commission for UNESCO
To celebrate this year’s World Press Freedom Day on 3 May in the United Kingdom, a great variety of activities are presently under preparation.
These activities, organized by the UK National Commission for UNESCO, include an article-writing competition for UK university students organized in partnership with "The Independent" and a debate at Portcullis House organized together with the Press Freedom Network and with support from the Open Society Foundation.
The aim of the writing competition is to encourage students in the UK to consider and define the main global challenges currently facing freedom of expression. Students are asked to write a 1,000-word article on the subject "The Greatest Threat to World Media Freedom is…" The winner will receive a cash prize of £1,000 and the article will be published in The Independent.
The Debate will focus attention and publicise in the UK and in the UK media the global threats to media freedom. The thread of the debate is: "World Media Freedom is in Retreat". The support of the Open Society Foundation enabled two Russian journalists to be present. The debate will be chaired by William Horsley, Chair of the Association of European Journalists (UK).
The Guardian (in its online version, Comment is Free section) will be running a week-long discussion on the topic of Freedom of Expression. The UK National Commission has been organising contributions from members and/or other partners of articles to the discussion.
The UK National Commission is also discussing with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is hoped that a statement for World Press Freedom Day could be issued by the UK Government on an international press freedom related topic.
The aim of the writing competition is to encourage students in the UK to consider and define the main global challenges currently facing freedom of expression. Students are asked to write a 1,000-word article on the subject "The Greatest Threat to World Media Freedom is…" The winner will receive a cash prize of £1,000 and the article will be published in The Independent.
The Debate will focus attention and publicise in the UK and in the UK media the global threats to media freedom. The thread of the debate is: "World Media Freedom is in Retreat". The support of the Open Society Foundation enabled two Russian journalists to be present. The debate will be chaired by William Horsley, Chair of the Association of European Journalists (UK).
The Guardian (in its online version, Comment is Free section) will be running a week-long discussion on the topic of Freedom of Expression. The UK National Commission has been organising contributions from members and/or other partners of articles to the discussion.
The UK National Commission is also discussing with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is hoped that a statement for World Press Freedom Day could be issued by the UK Government on an international press freedom related topic.
Related themes/countries
· United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
· World Press Freedom Day 2007
· Freedom of the Press
· Freedom of Expression: News Archives 2007
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Contact information
- UK National Commission for UNESCO
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