Contact: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Press Office, 202-712-4320; Public Information, 202-712-4810

MEDIA ADVISORY, May 5 /Standard Newswire/ -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) salutes the bravery and professionalism of journalists throughout the world and condemns all actions to suppress press freedoms.

May 3 marks World Press Freedom Day, a date set aside to reflect upon the key importance of freedoms of media and information. Free media perform critical checking functions on governments, raising the quality of governance. A free press also provides voice to citizens, creates public forums to discuss key issues, and contributes to social-economic development. But journalism can be a challenging, even dangerous profession, as witnessed by the killings of over one hundred journalists during 2007.

The U.S. government, through USAID, has supported enabling conditions for media to freely provide objective news and information to citizens in more than 50 countries. USAID will continue to support those individuals and organizations that are committed to freedom of the press and looks forward to the day when independence throughout the media can be found worldwide.

Examples of USAID efforts include:

Professional Training of Journalists and Media Personnel: In addition to short-term workshops offered in over 30 countries in 2007, USAID has helped develop local training institutions offering certificate programs in journalism and other media disciplines in places such as Central America, Russia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Southern Africa. In Ukraine, USAID supports a media watchdog organization that is leading a journalist-initiated campaign "We Are Not For Sale," which proactively works against the growing phenomenon of "Jeansa," hidden advertising.

Providing Tools for Financial Independence: USAID programs provide consulting and management training including revenue raising, the upgrade of financial management systems, or generation of capital infusions for growth. Media that is self-sustaining and free from outside subsidies has more editorial and professional independence.

Community Radio: Community radio plays a vital role in keeping citizens informed, mobilizing community action, and informing local governments of community needs. USAID is in the forefront of significant expansions of community radio in such countries as Haiti, Mali, Tajikistan, Sudan, Guinea, and Afghanistan.

By-Passing Censorship: USAID helps professional and amateur "citizen" journalists to master cutting-edge Internet, cell phone, or other technologies to enable frank news reporting and commentary in repressive countries where official censorship has eliminated possibilities for objective, unbiased reporting. Website hits of USAID-supported Internet-based media have grown exponentially in these countries.

Legal Support: Legal support programs in Central Asia and Ukraine have been successful in reducing the damages awarded in defamation cases against local media, preventing closures due to crippling financial penalties.

Conflict Mitigation: In such countries as Sudan, Haiti, Mali, and Timor-Leste, USAID supported local radios that provided information and discussion forums to defuse many controversial issues or conflicts among groups. In the South Caucasus, USAID supported the production of "Kids Crossroads," a television program produced by and for young people to bridge communication between youth in Armenian, Georgian and Azerbaijani communities.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.