President Barack Obama, marking the the First-Annual International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, noted the importance of a free press for a prosperous society.
"A free press remains a critical foundation for prosperous, open, and secure societies, allowing citizens to access information and hold their governments accountable," said the President in a statement.
"Each and every day, brave journalists make extraordinary risks to bring us stories we otherwise would not hear - exposing corruption, asking tough questions, or bearing witness to the dignity of innocent men, women and children suffering the horrors of war," he added.
Obama then highlighted that "hundreds of journalists have been killed in the past decade alone" and that the "majority of these cases go unpunished." He stressed, "All governments must protect the ability of journalists to write and speak freely." The President concluded, "On this first-ever International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the United States commends the priceless contributions by journalists to the freedom and security of us all, shining light into the darkness and giving voice to the voiceless.