Tag: UNESCO

U.S. to host UNESCO World Press Freedom Day

Via Lisa Simeone, the US State Department sent out this magically timed press release:

The United States places technology and innovation at the forefront of its diplomatic and development efforts. New media has empowered citizens around the world to report on their circumstances, express opinions on world events, and exchange information in environments sometimes hostile to such exercises of individuals’ right to freedom of expression. At the same time, we are concerned about the determination of some governments to censor and silence individuals, and to restrict the free flow of information. We mark events such as World Press Freedom Day in the context of our enduring commitment to support and expand press freedom and the free flow of information in this digital age.

UNESCO’s home page.

On its Facebook page, World Press Freedom Day states that,

World Press Freedom Day provides an opportunity to defend journalists and media organisations from attacks on their independence; to evaluate the state of press freedom around the world; and to pay tribute to those brave journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

Hillary Clinton’s spies at the UN have not yet reported how this message was received by other diplomats, but Joe Lieberman was observed  pumping his fist in the air yelling “Fuck yeah!  America roolz!” in the halls of Homeland Security,just after calling for prosecution of Julian Assange under the Espionage Act and a criminal investigation of the New York Times regarding its release of diplomatic cables redacted under governmental guidance.

What are those howls of derisive laughter?