[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 18 (Monday, May 7, 2007)]
[Page 578]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on World Press Freedom Day

May 3, 2007

    On this day, we commemorate World Press Freedom Day. The United 
States values freedom of the press as one of the most fundamental 
political rights and as a necessary component of free societies. In 
undemocratic societies where governments suppress, manipulate, and 
control access to information, journalists are on the frontlines of the 
people's battle for freedom. The danger journalists face in such 
repressive states can be great--and even deadly.
    On behalf of the American people, I salute those in the press who 
courageously do their work at great risk. No independent media are 
allowed in countries such as Cuba and North Korea, and those who attempt 
to report are often imprisoned. Repressive laws severely restrict 
journalists and freedom of speech in countries such as Belarus, Burma, 
Iran, Libya, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. We condemn the harassment, 
physical intimidation, and persecution that journalists, including 
bloggers and Internet reporters, have faced in China, Egypt, Tunisia, 
and Vietnam and the unsolved murders of journalists in Lebanon, Russia, 
and Belarus.
    Bringing unfiltered information, news, and facts to the people and 
accountability to their governments is the hallmark of the fourth 
estate. Today we salute the free press for its dedication to the 
people's right to know.