Press freedom emphasised

US Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke for press freedom on Saturday, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. Kerry said the day was being observed at a time “when for too many, a free press is under assault, and the journalists, bloggers, photographers, essayists and satirists who give life to the words “free press” are in danger”. He said people everywhere count on a free press “to keep us informed, hold leaders’ accountable, filter fact from fiction, and unmask false narratives masquerading as truth”. He reaffirmed US commitment “not only to stand by them, but to stand up for them this day and every day the world over”. William Hague has condemned the restrictions imposed on journalists around the world. “A free press is essential to a flourishing democracy, to innovation and creativity, and to a stable and inclusive society, according to a news agency.