Too Much Irony In The Fire
A State Department press statement by Philip j. Crowley on December 7, 2010: U.S. to Host World Press Freedom Day in 2011
The United States is pleased to announce that it will host UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day event in 2011, from May 1 – May 3 in Washington, D.C. UNESCO is the only UN agency with the mandate to promote freedom of expression and its corollary, freedom of the press.
The theme for next year’s commemoration will be 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. The United States places technology and innovation at the forefront of its diplomatic and development efforts. New media has empowered citizens around the world to report on their circumstances, express opinions on world events, and exchange information in environments sometimes hostile to such exercises of individuals’ right to freedom of expression. At the same time, we are concerned about the determination of some governments to censor and silence individuals, and to restrict the free flow of information. We mark events such as World Press Freedom Day in the context of our enduring commitment to support and expand press freedom and the free flow of information in this digital age.
Highlighting the many events surrounding the celebration will be the awarding of the UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize at the National Press Club on May 3rd. This prize, determined by an independent jury of international journalists, honors a person, organization or institution that has notably contributed to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom, especially where risks have been undertaken.
I think the State Department is definitely hoping they don’t decide to give the prize to WikiLeaks. If they do, I have a feeling that Julian Assange won’t come to accept it.
6 comments
Dang, Bryan, how do you find out this stuff?!?
So, we’re hunting down WikiLeaks like a dog, but we’re going to host (no less) the World Press Freedom Day?
Okay.
(Play Twilight theme here). Are there days you think we live in not just one but an assorted group of alternate universes?
By accident looking for other things and scanning the sites that are returned, or just reading the foreign news sites which access non-US wire services like AFP [the French Press Agency] . It shows up a lot on the ABC [Australian Broadcasting] and this is probably where I first saw it. AFP likes to include digs about the US in its reporting.
Then I like to verify the truth of things by looking at the original sources where possible.
It isn’t just World Press Freedom Day, the theme is the use of the Internet in reporting. It was too perfect to ignore.
I came across this one on BoingBoing on December 7 (look at their beautiful graphic too. But every time I sat down to blog about it, I started laughing until I couldn’t breath anymore, then I was too busy coughing to type. I only barely am making this comment here… must… breathe… ohmy…
— Badtux the Breathless Penguin
Given that the event isn’t until the Spring, you have to wonder why they announced it during the middle of the current “unpleasantness”. They really could use someone with public relations experience.
LOL Too funny! 😀
As to “what were they thinking?” Ummm.. I should remind that they *don’t* think! That’s been obvious for a long time now! 😉
It’s possible that they don’t believe that anyone reads their press releases, and I can accept that because I get all kinds of them that I never bring up.