US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to join RSF’s launch of the 2023 World Press Freedom Index on May 3rd
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is pleased to announce US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will join this year’s event, co-hosted with Washington Post Live, to launch the 2023 edition of the World Press Freedom Index.
May 3rd marks World Press Freedom Day, a commemoration initially inspired by RSF and adopted by the United Nations in 1993.
Now, 30 years later, RSF is celebrating May 3rd with the release of its 2023 edition of the World Press Freedom Index. To help launch the new index in the United States, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will join Washington Post foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius and RSF onstage for a Washington Post Live event. This year’s findings and the unique challenges in today’s digital ecosystem and the role of press freedom in a democracy will be among the topics discussed.
“The United States has a responsibility to promote and embody the values of press freedom around the world. Secretary Blinken’s participation in this live event is a welcome commitment to those values. We look forward to continuing to work together to create even more concrete action that makes journalists around the world safer and protects everyone’s right to information.
RSF is a member of the Washington Post’s Press Freedom Partnership, which brings together nonprofit organizations working to protect journalists and raise awareness for the issues journalists around the world face.
RSF’s World Press Freedom Index has become an important global tool to measure press freedom, scoring and ranking 180 countries and territories. Each year’s Index prompts reactions from officials around the world, including the White House’s reaction in 2018 to the US’ drop in ranking.
The US is ranked 42nd in the 2022 World Press Freedom Index, published by RSF. This position is due to a small number of outlets controlling the media narrative, the disappearance of local news, as well as polarization and distrust in the media.
Secretary Blinken’s participation demonstrates that the current US administration takes global press freedom seriously. RSF hopes to collaborate on future initiatives and see noticeable change to press freedom in the US.
As one of the world’s oldest democracies and the country of the First Amendment, the United States has the potential to develop as a stronger leader in the promotion and protection of press freedom around the world, while also setting a better example at home. RSF hopes the 2023 Index launch will mark the start of further collaboration with the Biden administration to find ways for the United States to improve its own record domestically while also using its considerable influence abroad to promote press freedom.
Tune into the event on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. ET. Register to watch the virtual livestream at wapo.st/wpfdmay2023.
