III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 501 

Recognizing threats to freedom of the press and expression around the world 

and reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority in efforts of the 

Government of the United States to promote democracy and good governance. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 7, 2018 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. WYDEN, and Ms. HASSAN) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Relations 

JULY 30, 2018 

Reported by Mr. CORKER, without amendment and with an amendment to the 

preamble 

NOVEMBER 28, 2018 

Considered and agreed to with an amended preamble 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing threats to freedom of the press and expression 

around the world and reaffirming freedom of the press 

as a priority in efforts of the Government of the United 

States to promote democracy and good governance. 

Whereas freedom of the press is a cornerstone of American 

democracy and is enshrined in the first amendment to 

the Constitution; 

Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in Paris, France, on DeVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:20 Nov 29, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR501.ATS SR501

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cember 10, 1948, states that ‘‘[e]veryone has the right to 

freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes 

freedom to hold opinions without interference and to 

seek, receive and impart information and ideas through 

any media and regardless of frontiers’’; 

Whereas, in 1993, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 3 of each year as ‘‘World Press Freedom 

Day’’ to— 

(1) celebrate the fundamental principles of freedom 

of the press; 

(2) evaluate freedom of the press around the world; 

(3) defend against attacks on the independence of 

the media; and 

(4) pay tribute to journalists who have lost their 

lives in the exercise of their profession; 

Whereas, on December 18, 2013, the United Nations General 

Assembly adopted United Nations General Assembly Resolution 163 (2013) on the safety of journalists and the 

issue of impunity, which unequivocally condemns, in both 

conflict and non-conflict situations, all attacks on and violence against journalists and media workers, including 

torture, extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and intimidation and harassment; 

Whereas the theme for World Press Freedom Day 2018 is 

‘‘Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule 

of Law’’; 

Whereas the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 

(22 U.S.C. 2151 note; Public Law 111–166), which was 

passed by unanimous consent in the Senate and signed 

into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, expanded 

the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 


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of the Department of State to include an examination of 

freedom of the press; 

Whereas the 2017 World Press Freedom Index, published by 

Reporters Without Borders, warned that ‘‘media freedom 

has retreated wherever the authoritarian strongman 

model has triumphed’’; 

Whereas Freedom House noted in the report ‘‘Freedom of 

the Press 2017’’ that— 

(1) global press freedom has declined to its lowest 

point in 13 years; and 

(2) only 13 percent of the global population enjoys 

a free press, meaning a media environment in which 

‘‘coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is 

minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or 

economic pressures’’; 

Whereas journalists working inside the United States are not 

immune from violence against the media, as was demonstrated on the afternoon of June 28, 2018, when a 38- 

year-old gunman with a long-standing grudge against the 

reporting of the Capital Gazette entered the newspaper’s 

newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, and killed 5 employees 

with a shotgun; 

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists— 

(1) in 2017— 

(A) the 2 deadliest countries for journalists on 

assignment were Iraq and Syria; 

(B) 46 journalists were killed in cases in which 

the motive for the killing was confirmed to be related to reporting by those journalists; 


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(C) 20 journalists were killed in cases in which 

the motive for the killing was unconfirmed; 

(D) there were 21 cases in which journalists 

were jailed for ‘‘false news’’, which represented more 

than double the number of cases in which journalists 

were jailed for ‘‘false news’’ in 2016; and 

(E) the percentage of female journalists who 

were killed in a year was the highest on record; 

(2) the most dangerous subject for a journalist to 

report is politics, followed only then by war; and 

(3) as of December 1, 2017, 262 journalists worldwide were imprisoned for their work, marking the second 

consecutive year that the number of journalists imprisoned for their work hit a historic high; 

Whereas freedom of the press is a key component of democratic governance, activism in civil society, and socioeconomic development; and 

Whereas freedom of the press enhances public accountability, 

transparency, and participation in civil society and democratic governance: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses concern about the threats to free3 dom of the press and expression around the world; 

4 (2) welcomes the celebration of World Press 

5 Freedom Day 2018 on May 3, 2018; 

6 (3) commends journalists and media workers 

7 around the world for their essential role in pro8 moting government accountability, defending demo9 cratic activity, and strengthening civil society, deVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:20 Nov 29, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR501.ATS SR501

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1 spite threats to the safety of those journalists and 

2 media workers; 

3 (4) pays tribute to journalists who have lost 

4 their lives carrying out their work; 

5 (5) calls on governments abroad to implement 

6 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 163 

7 (2013) on the safety of journalists and the issue of 

8 impunity by thoroughly investigating and seeking to 

9 resolve outstanding cases of violence against journal10 ists, including murders and kidnappings, while en11 suring the protection of witnesses; 

12 (6) condemns all actions around the world that 

13 suppress freedom of the press; 

14 (7) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the 

15 press to efforts of the Government of the United 

16 States to support democracy, mitigate conflict, and 

17 promote good governance domestically and around 

18 the world; and 

19 (8) calls on the President and the Secretary of 

20 State to— 

21 (A) on the basis of the protections afforded 

22 under the First Amendment to the Constitution 

23 of the United States, preserve and build upon 

24 the leadership of the United States on issues 

25 relating to freedom of the press; 


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1 (B) improve the means by which the Gov2 ernment of the United States rapidly identifies, 

3 publicizes, and responds to threats against free4 dom of the press around the world; 

5 (C) urge foreign governments to conduct 

6 transparent investigations and adjudications of 

7 the perpetrators of attacks against journalists; 

8 and 

9 (D) highlight the issue of threats against 

10 freedom of the press— 

11 (i) in the annual Human Rights Re12 ports of the Department of State; and 

13 (ii) throughout the year. 

Æ 


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