One Region, One Goal: Latin America and the Caribbean raising their voices for journalists

Every year, on the 3 May is a date, which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession

To mark the the 27th annual World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) celebration - UNESCO’s field offices throughout Latin and the Caribbean have come together to coordinate a series of digital events to commemorate this year’s global WPFD celebration due to take place on 3 May..

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2020 UNESCO organizes a Online event week with virtual dialgoues, webinars, discussions focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean under the theme 'One Region, One Goal: Journalism without fear or favor in Latin America and the Caribbean"  in which eleven UNESCO field offices of the region are participating. Each day of the week is celebrated under a different theme reflecting pressing issues of press freedom on the subcontinent.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, journalists and media professionals face a wide range of challenges in carrying out their work. Particularly in view of the health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus disease, journalists are at the forefront of reporting the plight of the people locked up in their homes. Not only is the profession greatly undervalued in terms of pay and prestige, but journalists often work under life-threatening circumstances.

The region is dangerous for journalists in terms of their safety, and reflects the second highest number of journalist killings for any region globally. Rates of impunity within the region remain high, and non-fatal physical attacks have also increased. While women journalists remain vulnerable to physical threats, both with regard to sexual harassment from co-workers and as recipients of threats or harassment due to the content of their reporting, the online harassment of women journalists has increased.