Every year the third of May is allotted to be commemorated the day of freedom of press or the world free press day; This year's World Press Freedom Day, Sunday 3rd May 2009, marks the 18th anniversary of the 1991 Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of principles calling for a free, independent and pluralistic media throughout the world, adopted at UNESCO seminar. The Declaration affirms that a free press is essential to the existence of democracy and a fundamental human goal. This is day which means a lot to many growing journalists those who have potential in their careers.
In most modern democratic societies, the importance of the press (which includes electronic and print media) to the sustenance and nourishment of the democratic system is no longer a subject of debate.
The press is therefore regarded in those jurisdictions as "the Fourth Estate", the first, second and third estates being government, parliament and the judiciary, respectively.
There are many speeches that the participators of this great day of journalism say while commemorating this day and most of them are the outrages and atrocities against the journalists and their rights, like wise the violation committed by individuals who are always against not seeing this celebration to happen.
This day also the participators discuss way of enhancing the freedom of speech freedom of expression and the independence of the media. Working together and we must promote access to information. We will continue to protect, defend and promote media freedom as we have always done. However, we reiterate that the media, like all other institutions, must be transformed. Like all institutions into the world, it must strive to reflect, gender and content. Together as a nation, we must work to build a media that is free, diverse, critical and independent a media that can inform, entertain and empower all our people.
In Somalia many journalists have been brutally murdered and while other were forced to leave the country if not they will be executed, some of them have received threats through phone calls, some were beaten a day light when they failed not to follow what they were dictated to say. Most of the Somali prominent journalists are now exiled living abroad with harrowing situation some of them couldn’t even get their livelihood because most of them are desperate and fled from Somali by not knowing where to flee but have their minds to seek where they can get a peace and feel at last safe and sound.
In Somalia this day is not always given the priority because if some one violates and murders a journalist he is not going to be brought in court and let the justice serve, it is mostly agreed this because of there has not been effective government in Somalia for the last eighteen years,
This also led that many journalist were killed and the threats that journalists receive increase rapidly for the last 8 years, there were also pressures that media houses have been getting from the current governments where some of the media houses were forced to shut down while others maintained to work with difficulties they daily face and vowed no matter what happens that they will promote the freedom of the press.
There are also other reasons why this day is not commemorated well in Somalia as follows:
1. Less knowledge of the media studies and ethnics for Somali journalists and the society as well.
2. Former government which has not given any priority enhancing the learning of journalism and its ethnics, which has been controlling the country with iron fist for 21 years.
3. There has not been effective government for the last 18 years in Somalia after the former government was toppled.
4. Organization of media activities don’t give any attention towards Somalia media organizations who are in need of getting seminars and trainings.
So if you deeply comprehend the articles that I have mentioned above, you will easily get the right answer why this day is not commemorated well in Somalia.
Source: Digital Media Center
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