About the U.S.A.

May 3 rd, The Annual World Press Freedom Day

To commemorate the annual World Press Freedom Day, America.gov has launched a feature entitled "Journalism Under Siege." It examines the risks journalists take to keep citizens informed and hold governments accountable. This feature is accompanied by visual materials including a photo gallery explaining the importance of a free press.

You are welcome to participate in the following webchats. (Please note that these are live broadcasts that will air at the U.S. times indicated; you can access them by clicking on the links provided. Transcripts will also be available several days after the airings.)

• World Press Freedom: U.S. Support for Independent Media
  Date and Time: May 4th at 11:30 am EDT
  Speaker: Ambassador Karen B. Stewart, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL)

• World Press Freedom: Is Independent Journalism Possible?
  Date and Time: May 5th at 9:00 a.m. EDT
  Speaker: Deborah Potter, Director, NewsLab, Washington DC

• World Press Freedom: Giving Local Media a Voice
  Date and Time: May 6th at 12:00 Noon EDT
  Speaker: David Hoffman, President, Internews Network

• World Press Freedom: Is The Economic Downturn a Threat to Journalism?
  Date and Time: May 7th at 9:00 a.m. EDT
  Speaker: Dr. Sherry Ricchiardi, Professor of Journalism, Indiana University, and Mr. Frank Folwell

Publications on Press Freedom:

• eJournal USA: Media Making Change (December 2007)

• eJournal USA: Media Emerging (March 2006)

• eJournal: Seeking Free and Responsible Media (February 2003)

• Handbook of Independent Journalism (July 2006)

• Edward R. Murrow, Journalism at Its Best (April 2006)

• A Responsible Press Office: An Insider's Guide (September 2001)

Podcasts on Press Freedom:

On May 3rd, IIP will host a series of podcasts featuring interviews with foreign journalists based in the U.S. They will tell their stories as observers of the American press system and what it means to them to be part of the international press corps. IIP will also interview James Dickmeyer, Director of the Foreign Press Centers (FPC), who will discuss the role of the FPCs and describe life in the world of international journalism. All podcasts will be accessible through America.gov's podcasting page at http://www.america.gov/multimedia/podcast.html.