WAN-IFRA has made available essays, opinion pieces, interviews, infographics, editorial cartoons, photographs, advertisements and more for publication on or around 3 May, and has just added protest letters that readers can send to governments in countries were intimidation and attacks on journalists are widespread. The materials are available, free of charge, at www.worldpressfreedomday.org.

The package, which focuses on the theme, "Journalists in Exile," is available in English, French, Spanish, German and Russian.

The new protest letters can be signed and sent to the leaders of Iran, Mexico, the Philippines, China and Sri Lanka, calling for an end to attacks and other forms of intimidation against journalists. They can be found at www.wan-press.org/3may/2010/sendpro....

World Press Freedom Day marks the anniversary of the 1991 Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of principles calling for a free, independent and pluralistic media throughout the world. The Declaration affirms that a free press is essential to the existence of democracy and a fundamental human goal.

It has become a day to raise awareness of press freedom problems worldwide, and to recognise the sacrifices that independent media and journalists make to keep their societies informed.

WAN-IFRA is encouraging newspapers everywhere to publish as much of the materials as possible. Download the materials from www.worldpressfreedomday.org.

The materials provided by WAN-IFRA for 3 May give an in-depth look at the problem of journalists in exile and are designed to help publications:

  Inspire with editorials and interviews from exiled journalists, publishers and public figures.

  Evoke emotion with striking high-resolution photographs.

  Illustrate with clever infographics.

  Encourage young readers and teachers to take part with classroom activities, testimonials and a competition.

WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore, India, Spain, France and Sweden, is the global organisation of the world’s newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. The organisation was created by the merger of the World Association of Newspapers and IFRA, the research and service organisation for the news publishing industry.

Learn more about WAN-IFRA at www.wan-ifra.org or through the WAN-IFRA Magazine.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, WAN-IFRA, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: larry.kilman@wan-ifra.org.