World Press Freedom Day 2024, 2025 and 2026
Every 3 May is World Press Freedom Day, a UN observance meant to promote the freedom of the press as a basic human right throughout the world. It is also known as “World Press Day”.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 May | Fri | World Press Freedom Day |
| 2025 | 3 May | Sat | World Press Freedom Day |
| 2026 | 3 May | Sun | World Press Freedom Day |
| Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates. | |||
The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19, passed in 1948, defines the UN’s stand on freedom of the press. But the date of 3 May looks back to the Windhoek Declaration of free press principles that was stated by a private newspaper journalist in 1991.
Each year there are media campaigns and events throughout the world to promote press freedom on World Press Day. But the two main events are organised by UNESCO. First, the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is given out to someone who promoted freedom of the press in a significant way. Second, there is a UNESCO world conference that assesses the present state of the freedom of the press worldwide.
Previous Years
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 May | Wed | World Press Freedom Day |
| 2022 | 3 May | Tue | World Press Freedom Day |
| 2021 | 3 May | Mon | World Press Freedom Day |
| 2020 | 3 May | Sun | World Press Freedom Day |
| 2019 | 3 May | Fri | World Press Freedom Day |
| 2018 | 3 May | Thu | World Press Freedom Day |
| 2017 | 3 May | Wed | World Press Freedom Day |