Journalists who have died while pursuing their trade have been remembered on the 20th annual World Press Freedom day.
In Mexico supporters rallied for crime reporter Regina Martinez. The
correspondent for news magazine Proceso was found beaten and strangled
to death in her home in Xalapa, in eastern Veracruz state in 2012.
Last month, Jorge Antonio Hernandez Silva was sentenced to 38-years in prison for her murder during an apparent botched robery.
But colleagues of Ms Martinez maintain that she was killed because of her journalistic work.
Meanwhile American Marie Colvin and Mika Yamamoto of Japan have been
named “World Press Freedom Heroes” by the International Press
Institute.
They are among 39 journalists killed in the Syrian conflict last year.
Those who have been incarcerated because of their work by
authoritarian regimes are also being remembered, such as the 16
journalists kidnapped in Iran recently.
UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon, praised members of the media and
spoke of a new inter-governmental plan to protect them: “There is more
that we can do, including greater protections through the rule of law. I
urge all involved to do their utmost to translate the words of the plan
into actions on the ground that will create a safer environment for the
press.”
There have been some good news stories for press freedom however.
For example, since last month people in Myanmar have access to private daily newspapers for the first time in half a century.