May 3rd comes to us every year to remind us of the World Press Freedom Day, and to celebrate the truth guards and support their efforts to stand by the righteous.
The WPFD this year comes in difficult reality for all of humanity in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Many difficulties arose during the pandemic in the work journalists throughout the world, as well as in Palestine.
While some 25 journalists were killed around the world while fulfilling their professional duties, the deadly Covid-19 killed about 55 journalists in only 23 countries.
Despite the pandemic, the media has proved, especially the Palestinian media, a model for dealing with this catastrophe that has befallen Palestine and the world.
Freedom of the press and its importance emerged in a clear form in light of the crisis that humankind is going through, Palestine in particular, so that the righteous knights and their guardians may exercise their role parallel to the frontline of defense of the medical teams.
As the Palestinian Institute for Communication and Development (PICD) extends a salutation and greetings to all journalists in all their locations, we would like to affirm the following:
First: World Press Freedom Day reminds all the journalists and the broad masses that the press has no importance and role without freedom.
Second: Palestinian journalists have affirmed, over the days and years, that they belong to a just cause, who defend it and spare no effort to advance Palestine’s cause first.
Third: We call on the Palestinian authorities to stop all forms of detention, summons, and restrictions on the work of the press, because without a free press we will not have an audible word.
Fourth: We call on the journalists to spare no effort to reveal the truth and nothing else, and to stay away from partisanship and narrow interests.
Fifth: We call on all fellow journalists to continue their efforts, without fear or favour, to uncover and combat all forms of corruption, and to contribute to promoting the values of integrity and accountability.
Sixth: We urge all colleagues to adhere to all human rights, the values of justice, the rule of law and tolerance, reject hate speech and bullying, and support cases of victims, women, children and vulnerable groups.
Seventh: We demand the conduction of free, fair, and transparent elections for the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, and we support all efforts made to hold it on the basis of non-discrimination and the participation of all Palestinian journalists.
Eighth: We call on all the free people of the world and the institutions concerned to intervene in order to put an end to all the violations practiced by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian journalists in all of Palestine.
Ninth: We call on the United Nations and the countries of the world to pressure the occupation authorities to stop their violations against journalists and the Palestinian media, to lift restrictions imposed on freedom of movement and journalistic work, especially in the Gaza Strip, and to release jailed journalists.
And as PICD affirms, like every year, that the right of access to information is one of the pillars of healthy and natural journalistic work, it calls on all Palestinian institutions to support the journalists' resilience with nothing but truth.