Raising awareness over press freedom
To celebrate World Press Freedom Day, the Thai Journalists Association, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (Seapa) will hold a variety of activities to raise public awareness about the fundamental principles of press freedom.
Today, college students will assemble in front of Siam Paragon shopping complex and distribute pamphlets to the public from 3.30pm. They will answer any questions regarding World Press Freedom Day. Later, the students will give away badges and press freedom memorabilia. Tomorrow, a seminar will be held at the Thai Journalists Association's headquarters on Samsen Road, starting at 9.30am. The session includes academics and media representatives from Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. The seminar is open to the public, and an English-Thai translation will be provided. It is also a day to celebrate and recognise the fundamental principles of press freedom, and an occasion to inform the public that freedom of the press often comes at a price. In many parts of the world, including Asia, publications are censored or suspended, journalists fined and attacked, and offices closed down. But are there limits to press freedom that a civilised society should accept? Is it acceptable, for example, to publish material offensive to others in the name of press freedom? World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to deliberate the broader issues of "publish or perish", and to pay tribute to journalists who file their stories under the most difficult conditions and sometimes lose their lives in the course of their work. For additional information, contact the Thai Journalists Association: 538/1 Samsen Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300. Tel (02) 668 9422 or fax (02) 668 7505.
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