World Press Freedom Day

The National Press Club will host a World Press Freedom Day virtual event on Tuesday, May 3 at 10 a.m. The panel will discuss significant developments in press freedom during the past year focusing on cases where the National Press Club is particularly involved including: Austin Tice and Emilio Gutierrez-Soto. There will be special emphasis on some of the most dangerous places in the world for working journalists including: Ukraine, Mexico, Afghanistan and China. Daryabi will join the panel to discuss Afghanistan and there may be other special guests. In 2011, the only year when World Press Freedom Day was based in the United States, the activities and events were hosted at the National Press Club.

Editors Note:  Daryabi fled Afghanistan last fall and was briefly in Dubai before settling in Maryland. He and his team continue to produce daily editions of Etilaatroz from remote locations. On World Press Freedom Day, the Press Club has invited him to do his work from the Club itself and he will be onsite working when not on the panel.

Panelists include:

Jen Judson, 115th President of the National Press Club and Land Warfare Reporter for Defense News;

Jason Rezaian, Washington Post Global Opinions writer. Author of the book: “Prisoner” and producer of the popular podcast “544 Days” on Spotify;

Kathy Kiely, Lee Hills Professor of Press Freedom Studies at the University of Missouri and former reporter for USA Today;

Bill McCarren, Executive Director of the National Press Club and board member of Reporters Without Borders US.

Zaki Daryabi, Publisher of Etilaatroz, an independent Afghan news organization