Over the past year, we have seen why accurate and unbiased news is more important than ever. Against the backdrop of misinformation related to a global pandemic, journalists have faced intimidation, harassment and harm in order to report the news in the public interest.
Today, on World Press Freedom Day, we celebrate independent journalism and recognize the journalists around the world who risk their own wellbeing to report the news.
That is especially true of the reporters, photographers, videographers, editors, fixers and support staff on the front lines where news is breaking. Local teams from all media organizations often operate on the ground under significant threat – some reporting anonymously to avoid reprisals. But they do not falter.
At Reuters, our reporting is particularly powerful because it combines that deep local expertise with global understanding. This “glocality” is our secret sauce. Our news reaches billions of people every day – through our own channels and the world’s media – and underpins public discourse around the world. What you all do every day makes us very proud.
Today, we reaffirm Reuters commitment to independent journalism, as laid out in our Trust Principles, and to protecting the rights of journalists to do their jobs without fear of harassment or harm. We thank journalists everywhere who deliver the news. And we reflect on colleagues at Reuters and beyond who have devoted – and even lost – their lives to bring us the truth.
