For the first time, a united coalition of news organizations around the world this week put aside their competitive instincts to encourage their readers to consume news from a variety of publications.
To commemorate World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd, independent and pluralistic media activist org UNESCO brought together major news organizations from all over the world to rise above the competitive nature of journalism and band together in support of a common cause—a free and independent press.
The global campaign encouraged each participating news organization to rally behind a radical idea—that news organizations should actively encourage their audience to not just engage with their platform but to read, listen and watch others as well.
Based on the idea that consuming a range of news, sources, points of view and political ideologies encourages a more informed citizenry, the campaign underscores its message of support for access to information and the importance of journalistic independence with this simple phrase:
Read more. Listen more. Understand more. It all starts with a free press.
This effort is a collaboration between multiple organizations, major news outlets and creative agency Droga5 as a show of solidarity in support of World Press Freedom Day, an annual day on which nations, media organizations and individuals come together to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom. The day serves as an opportunity to raise awareness and to assess the state of press freedom throughout the world.
Publications and organizations that stand in support of this initiative include: Baltimore Sun, BBC News, Chicago Tribune, CNN, Daily Press, Financial Times, Hartford Courant, Helsingin Sanomat, IPS World News, la Repubblica, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, National Review, NBC News, New York Daily News, New Yorkmagazine, NPR, Orlando Sentinel, Philadelphia Inquirer, Rappler, Sun Sentinel, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Guardian, The Morning Call, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and others.
“We are delighted to see a broad coalition of media organizations coming together in support of World Press Freedom Day, as we strongly believe the press should be at the heart of this celebration,” said Guy Berger, director for freedom of expression and media development at UNESCO, in a news release. “It’s inspiring to see this common effort to promote the fundamentals of press freedom at a time when we need it most. We much appreciate Droga5’s initiative to make this happen.”
“This campaign shows the power and promise of creativity and the role it can play in helping people understand the importance of press freedom,” added David Droga, creative chairman and founder at Droga5, in the release. “We are honored to have had the opportunity to partner with incredible organizations in support of this initiative.”
