With due apologies to the Namibians, I hadn’t heard about Windhoek, their capital and largest city, until I read about ‘The Windhoek Declaration’. Sigh! There is so much about the world that we need to know. This is why the media is so important. It acts as a source of information, shapes public opinion, and promotes critical thinking. Most importantly, it helps people differentiate between factual content and biased information. 

“The people will believe what the media tells them they believe.” This is shared as a George Orwell quote. Fact-checkers say he did not say it. I shared it because it explains the present state of affairs in the media.

The Windhoek Declaration was a landmark statement on press freedom, adopted at a UNESCO seminar in Windhoek, Namibia, in 1991. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions. Everyone has the right to free and unbiased information and expression, regardless of frontiers. 3rd May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.

Journalists and whistleblowers have played an indispensable role in exposing corruption and injustice around the world.

Maulvi Muhammad Baqir (1810-1857) is said to be the first editor who sacrificed his life for the freedom of India. He launched the first ever Urdu newspaper of Delhi. He was executed by the British for spreading messages and news of the Mutiny against the British.

Journalists risk their lives while performing their duty. Especially those reporting in remote and rural areas. Women journalists are the most vulnerable to abuse, threats of violence, and slander campaigns. Today, on World Press Freedom Day, let us celebrate the courage of journalists who speak truth to power. Let’s defend and uphold the free press every day. Let us hope those who dance to the tune of vested interests are reminded of their duty soon.

Some of my favourite English, Hindi and Urdu quotes on journalism, which were shared by different social media handles over the years –

“Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.” – Walter Cronkite.

A free press can be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom a press will never be anything but bad- Albert Camus

An old Zulu proverb – ‘A dog with a bone in its mouth can’t bark.’

जी बहुत चाहता है सच बोलें क्या करें हौसला नहीं होता – बशीर बद्र

पत्रकार के लिए सबसे बड़ी चीज है कलम. जो न रुकनी चाहिए, न झुकनी चाहिए, न अटकनी चाहिए और न ही भटकनी चाहिए” – माखनलाल चतुर्वेदी

सलाम उस पर अगर ऐसा कोई फ़नकार हो जाए सियाही ख़ून बन जाए क़लम तलवार हो जाए ज़माने से कहो कुछ साइक़ा-रफ़्तार हो जाए हमारे साथ चलने के लिए तय्यार हो जाए – कैफ़ भोपाली

बात करनी मुझे मुश्किल कभी ऐसी तो न थी जैसी अब है तिरी महफ़िल कभी ऐसी तो न थी

– बहादुर शाह ज़फ़र

Photos and content by Prerna Jain.