When is World Press Freedom Day?
World Press Freedom Day 2027 is on Monday
Monday, May 3, 2027
May 3 every year. That's in 211 days.
until World Press Freedom Day begins, in your time zone
World Press Freedom Day is a UN observance that stands up for free and independent journalism. It takes stock of press freedom around the world, reminds governments of their commitments and honors journalists killed because of their work.
About World Press Freedom Day
World Press Freedom Day rests on the idea that people need free, independent and pluralistic media to stay informed and to hold those in power to account. The day is used to restate the core principles of a free press, check how those principles are holding up country by country, push back against efforts to undermine media independence and remember journalists killed while doing their jobs. Newsrooms also use it to look at their own standards and ethics.
The date traces back to the Windhoek Declaration, a statement on free and pluralistic media produced by African journalists at a 1991 seminar in Windhoek, Namibia. Later that year UNESCO's General Conference recommended an international day to mark it, and in December 1993 the UN General Assembly proclaimed May 3, the declaration's anniversary, as World Press Freedom Day (decision 48/432).
UNESCO leads the observance and marks it with events each year. It also presents the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, created in 1997, which honors a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to press freedom, especially in the face of danger. The prize is named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was killed in 1986 outside the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogota. The 2026 prize went to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate for its work during the conflict in Sudan.
Sources: United Nations: World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO: World Press Freedom Day. How we check dates.
How to mark World Press Freedom Day
- Subscribe to, or donate to, a local or independent news outlet whose reporting you value.
- Read an in-depth investigation or a report from a journalist working in a dangerous place.
- Practice checking a story before you share it: look at the source, the date and the evidence behind the claims.
- Learn about the state of press freedom in your own country through reports from UNESCO or press freedom organizations.
- Hold a classroom or book club discussion about why a free press matters and what threatens it.
World Press Freedom Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Saturday, May 3, 2025 |
| 2026 | Sunday, May 3, 2026 |
| 2027 | Monday, May 3, 2027 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, May 3, 2028 |
| 2029 | Thursday, May 3, 2029 |
| 2030 | Friday, May 3, 2030 |
| 2031 | Saturday, May 3, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is World Press Freedom Day 2027?
World Press Freedom Day 2027 is on Monday, May 3, 2027. It falls on May 3 every year. In 2028, it is on Wednesday, May 3, 2028.
Why is World Press Freedom Day on May 3?
May 3 is the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a 1991 statement by African journalists calling for free, independent and pluralistic media. The UN General Assembly chose the date in 1993.
What is the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize?
It is a UNESCO prize, created in 1997, that honors outstanding work to defend or promote press freedom, especially in dangerous conditions. It is named after a Colombian newspaper journalist killed in 1986.
Is World Press Freedom Day a public holiday?
No. World Press Freedom Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.