Press Under Surveillance

The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has launched a website in support of World Press Freedom Day (May 3). The focus of this year's campaign is 'press under surveillance'. It seeks to highlight the fact that many of the (often) well-intentioned security and surveillance measures introduced around the world in the wake of terrorist atrocities, can and have been 'used to stifle debate and the free flow of information about political decisions, or that they are being implemented with too little concern for the overriding necessity to protect individual liberties and, notably, freedom of the press'.

The website offers a package of interviews, articles, essays, infographics and advertisements. These wide-ranging materials represent and discuss issues such as the impact of official secrets and anti-terrorism laws, criminalisation of speech, interception of communications, enforced disclosure of sources, and government secrecy. They are available in English, French, Spanish, German and Russian. Note: republication of these materials is embargoed until 3 May.

On the site one can also find links to materials produced in support of Press Freedom Day in previous years.