This year marks the 26th celebration of World Press Freedom Day. First proclaimed on May 3, 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly, it affirms the rights of a free press and serves as a reminder of the important impact of journalism in the communities it serves.
PEN America, in partnership with CityBeat and the Society of Professional Journalists Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter, will gather local journalists and community members for a panel discussion about issues facing news outlets and the regions they cover. The event is free to the public and will be held at Dpict (2868 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington) from 6 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.
To kick-off the event, councilmember David Mann will read a proclamation declaring press freedom and local journalism as a priority in Cincinnati. A panel discussion will follow. Participants include Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, freelance writer and journalist; Lucy May, community reporter at WCPO; Alexis Rogers, reporter at WLWT; Tana Weingartner, reporter and digital journalist at WVXU; and Chris Wetterich, reporter and columnist for the Cincinnati Business Courier.
“News reporting elevates community stories,” says PEN America’s National Outreach Program Director Katie Zanecchia in an email. “When we have varied news outlets telling diverse stories about our communities, we are better informed.”
Zanecchia went on to say that over the last year Pen America has worked with communities across the country in cities where local news is desperately needed. The panel discussion is an outlet for some of these voices to speak about their work and connect with the people they serve.
“We believe in the power of the press to reveal important truths about our communities, uncover stories that expose injustice and corruption, cultivate space for dialogue and participation, and elevate our humanity through storytelling — and we hope the conversation will touch on all of these issues,” Zanecchia says. “We’re hoping that the discussion highlights the important work that local journalists do for Cincinnati, but also provides an opportunity for community members to share feedback with newsmakers, ideally creating an open, honest and inclusive dialogue about the state of local journalism in Cincinnati, empowering individuals, and strengthening their relationship with local media organizations.”
But she also points out that part of PEN’s effort is looking at the state of journalism in present-day America. As their website points out: “Journalists are under threat.” In the email, she pointed to U.S.’s falling ranking on the world press freedom index. In Reporters Without Borders annual 2019 report, the U.S. slipped to No. 48 out of 180 countries. That’s down three notches from 2018, which also downgrades the U.S. from a “satisfactory” place for journalists to work to a “problematic” one.
PEN’s message also sites shrinking newsrooms, President Trump’s “fake news” campaign and worsening conditions worldwide, as illustrated by cases of murdered Saudi journalist and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, the harsh sentences imposed on Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo of Myanmar, who won the 2018 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.
“Now, when threats against the press in the United States are at an unprecedented high,” Zanecchia says, “a dozen cities are working with PEN America to kick off their first annual celebration of World Press Freedom Day with events celebrating the importance of journalism, highlighting the threats we’re seeing, and calling attention to the amazing work of local news outlets are doing.”
Part of this campaign stems from PEN’s Press Freedom Incentive Fund (which is still taking submissions), which seeks to “mobilize members and their allies in cities across the country to build constituencies that recognize and are ready to defend the vital role of journalists in their communities.”
For more information on the event, click here.
This article appears in May 1-8, 2019.
