World press freedom day.

The United Nations observed World Press Freedom Day on 3 May with a focus on the relationship between racism and press freedom. General Assembly President Harri Holkeri said hate speech, such as hate sites on the Internet, were best countered not by censorship but by fostering free access to information, which exposed those ideas for what they were.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that freedom of the press ensured that the abuse of every other freedom could be known, challenged and even defeated. The Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Marcio Barbosa, said the fact that more than 75O journalists had died in the line of duty since 1985 was unacceptable and could not be tolerated by the international community. Shashi Tharoor, Interim Head of the Department of Public Information, said the press must use its freedom to awaken dormant consciences and sometimes to challenge the established order.

The Chairman of the Committee on Information, Milos Alcalay, observed that the best weapons against racism and hegemony were freedom of expression and freedom of the press. James Ottaway, Chairman of the World Press Freedom Committee, said that Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. "We must be careful in our zeal to oppose racism and intolerance not to violate this article." Frances Hardin, Member of the Board of Directors, International Center for Journalists, said an independent press was a powerful instrument in the fight for freedom and justice. Ghida Fakhry Bureau Chief of Al-Jazeera TV Qatar, said it was dangerous when journalists used broad terms to describe peoples and situations. Looking at the situation in the Middle East, the choice of words affected the way one looked at the region. Ana Baron, Bureau Chief of Clarin, Argentina, said that in her country, 85 journalists had disappeared during the period of dic tatorship. She had had to leave. Freedom of the press was something that must be confronted each day by journalists. Justin Arenstein, Editor of the African Eye News Service, South Africa, said in the South African media, newspapers still gave more editorial space to white victims and still devoted massive resources to events affecting whites. Ironically, much of the slanted reportage was the work of young black reporters who were not given proper training.

A member of the audience said that there was a lack of coverage in the media on the United Nations and its impact on youth. What was needed, Ms. Hardin said, was "UN-span" in which viewers could watch constant UN coverage without commentary. Mr. Tharoor stated that while that was a good idea, the problem was a lack of resources. The United Nations did offer some live feeds and packages in the evenings. Mr. Ottaway said the dilemma of the editor was whether readers were interested in the story. Around the world, most people were not worried about what was being debated at the United Nations, but were merely struggling to survive.