Image Credit: “Countdown Entertainment, LLC”
In a befitting move, organizers of the New Year festivities at New York City’s Times Square decided to dedicate the ball drop to Press freedom and contributions of journalists.
The celebration of Press freedom comes in the midst of incessant verbal and violent attacks on freedom of the media in several parts of the world.
The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment have decided to honor Committee to Protect Journalists, which recently released its annual prison census findings, the ABC reported on its website .
“On New Year’s Eve we look back and reflect on the major events of the past year, we look forward with a sense of hope, and we celebrate the people and things we value most,” Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, said.
“This year, we’re celebrating the free press and journalism and those who work to protect, preserve and practice it,” he added, according to the channel.
Several journalists lost their lives in the line of duty in 2018 while others have been facing death threats as they critique the powers that be, especially in countries under autocratic rules. The dictatorial regimes have also gagged the Press under the pretext of national security.
Human rights organizations and media watchdogs have also criticized President Donald Trump and the narrative that often frames parts of the media as fake, and even enemy of the people.
Internationally, death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the country’s consulate in Istanbul kicked off widespread condemnations. The Time magazine made Khashoggi’s picture on its front page as it declared journalists Person of the Year.
“There were a lot of conversations during the last year about the role of the press, not just domestically but internationally,” Tompkins told ABC.
“New Year’s is not just a celebration, but a moment of reflection. What are the big themes personally, or in the world for this past year?”
