Society and Mass Media: Internet as a global public resource

May 3 is globally celebrated as the World Press Freedom Day. The joint message from UN Secretary-General, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNESCO Director-General reads that new technologies and media open up unprecedented opportunities for expression. However new threats, associated with blocked Internet access and censorship are arising.

“The United Nations is dedicated to ensuring that the Internet becomes a truly global public resource, to which all have access and where all voices are heard”, the joint message reads. Its authors stress that “this calls for action to defend the integrity and safety of online reporters”. They highlight that all principles of freedom of expression must be brought to the on-line world.

In his message UN Secretary-General emphasized that the motto of the World Press Freedom Day this year is “New frontiers and new barriers”, what reveals an important change in the area of global mass media.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova expressed a serious concern about the problem of safety of journalists. In her address on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day she called all countries of the world not to prevent a complete implementation of the basic human right to freedom of expression.