In his special message for World Press Freedom Day, Pope Francis called journalists "those who should be appreciated for covering humanitarian wounds for the entire society."
On May 1, Pope Francis had his regular meeting with thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. He paid special attention to and thanked journalists.
He recalled to the audience's attention that numerous journalists have been killed while practicing their craft and defending press freedom.
In 2021, he said that 47 journalists were killed and more than 350 were jailed. He said this based on statistics from UNESCO.
The Pontiff had praised those who work in the media for their courage in reporting on humanity's "wounds."
"I am grateful to the journalists who paid for this day directly," Pope Francis said.
Therefore, he extends special gratitude and respect to journalists.
"Special thanks to those who courageously informed us about humanity's wounds," the pope said.
In the past, Pope Francis paid tribute to the slain journalists who covered the war between Russia and Ukraine. He hoped that God would reward them for their good deeds for the good of the whole world.
World Press Freedom Day was set up by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 after UNESCO's General Conference made a suggestion at its twenty-sixth meeting in 1991.
Each year, May 3 honors the fundamental principles of press freedom, enables us to assess press freedom worldwide, pays tribute to journalists who have died in duty, and pays homage to journalists who have been killed in the line of duty.
World Press Freedom Day 2022 has focused on "Journalism under Digital Siege,” Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, stated in her statement. "We must all do more to mitigate the risks and seize the opportunities inherent in the digital era."
"On this World Press Freedom Day, I urge the Member States, technology companies, the media community, and the rest of civil society to collaborate to create a new digital configuration that protects journalism and journalists alike,” she said. - Kasmir Nema
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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