World Press Freedom Day, 2019
Press Statement
Michael R. Pompeo
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 3, 2019
On World Press Freedom Day, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting safety and freedom for members of the press. A free and independent media is indispensable to a vibrant, functioning democracy. Despite some progress, journalists around the world continue to be persecuted, targeted with violence, or even killed – all too often with impunity.
At all levels, the Department of State works tirelessly to advance press freedom, and we honor those who have dedicated and even sacrificed their lives to sustaining democracy through journalism.