Eighth Annual World Press Freedom Day Set for May 3

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Although fewer journalists are being killed and imprisoned around the world, organizers of the eighth annual World Press Freedom Day, set for May 3, say the need to promote the rights and safety of reporters and editors remains vital.

At a time when journalists continue to be persecuted in Latin America, Algeria and, most recently in war-torn Yugoslavia, press rights advocates contend that the annual day of press freedom continues to be a key element in helping to preserve press freedom worldwide.

"There are significant steps made each year, but that doesn't diminish the need for World Press Freedom Day this year," says Peter Whitehead, a former journalist in London and Hong Kong who heads the World Editors Forum of the World Association of Newspapers in France. "One of the main things we highlight is the international effort to seek the release of …