Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) and the Maldives Media Council (MMC) have decided to hold activities to celebrate World Press Freedom Day.
MBC and MMC have planned a national campaign to celebrate World Press Freedom Day, during which employees will wear badges and blue-colored clothes and spread relevant messages on social media with the hashtag PressFreedomMV. Media institutions will hold the campaign activities on May 3 while government offices will hold the activities on May 8.
Furthermore, debates will be held for students in grades 11 and 12 to increase enthusiasm for the field of journalism and to increase awareness of the importance of freedom of expression. The campaign also includes a blood donation drive on May 27 to help individuals in need of transfusions and to increase awareness of the issue.
In a press release, MBC stated that the world must do more for the security of media personnel who work for factual accuracy with professional ethics while remembering journalists who have lost their lives in the field. The commission also stated that stakeholders should unite to understand issues at stake and generate solutions to reduce the threats posed by increased surveillance to press freedom and privacy.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is celebrating this year’s World Press Freedom Day on May 3 under the theme Journalism under Digital Siege. The theme highlights how recent developments in technological means of monitoring and surveillance impact journalism and freedom of expression, as freedom of expression and the right to privacy are among the human rights most impacted by the digital transformation.