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PRES: Protection of journalists and media outlets on the frontline was one of the central themes addressed by the UN Secretary General on World Press Freedom Day observed Thursday, May 7th.

Journalists in the line of duty face many challenges ranging from detention to murder. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 125 journalists around the world are currently serving jail time. UN Radio's Jocelyne Sambira has the story.

SAMBIRA: Media organizations in the United States marked this day by organizing a campaign for the release of three women journalists detained in Iran and North Korea. Huddled in the drizzling rain, journalists and human rights defenders met in front of the United Nations Headquarters to show their support. Reporters without Borders took the lead with Director Lucie Morillon giving a statement urging for their release.

Lucie Morillon

MORILLON: (fade in sound of cars whizzing by and rain): "Thank you so much for being here today. It's World Press Freedom Day, we are gathered here to call for the release of Roxana Saberi, Laura Ling and Euna Lee.  Today we just want to announce...(fade out)

SAMBIRA: Roxana Saberi, a former Miss America finalist, embraced a career in television before moving to Iran as a freelance journalist. Her personal friend and special writer for the Wall Street Journal, David Oyama, reflects on the extent of her commitment.

David Oyama

OYAMA:  She gave up the television job to take a job that paid almost nothing to report on the Middle East on a situation that can be - as she found out- extremely dangerous- and which she knew was somewhat dangerous... I cannot say enough for her courage and her willingness to report on a place that is not covered enough and she has sacrificed a great deal personally to do this.

SAMBIRA: Laura Ling and Euna Lee are the other two female journalists currently detained in North Korea. According to a local newspaper, they are undergoing intense interrogations and are accused of illegal entry and espionage. Lucie Morillon of Reporters without Borders gives us more insight on what took them there.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee

MORILLON: They were investigating a very important story which is the trafficking of women between the two countries and the plight of North Korean refugees. They are being used as bargaining chips by the North Korean authorities and we're also here today, World Press Freedom Day,  to ask the North Korean authorities to release them because they are not going to gain anything from it.

SAMBIRA: Although men and women journalist face similar dangers in the line of duty, women face additional threats because of their gender, Liza Gross, Executive Director for International Women's Media Foundation explains.

Liza Gross

GROSS: As they pursue their journalistic careers, women have specific dangers that are specific to women. We have since 1990 recognized 76 women for exceptional courage in the pursuit of journalism. These women have been raped, some have been kidnapped, [and] their families have been threatened, their children have been threatened so their role as mothers is attacked by repressive governments. They have been thrown in prison, they have had acid thrown in their face and in once case- in the case of Anna Politkovskaya from Russia who was our awardee in 2002 - they have paid with their lives. So, they do suffer a lot of threat that men suffer but they also suffer some specific threats that are related to the fact that they are women.

SAMBIRA: Liza Gross adds that this should not discourage women from entering the profession because it is important that stories be told from a gender perspective. There is no healthy society without the ability to report and to tell the stories that are of importance to that society.

Reporting for UN Radio, I am Jocelyne Sambira.

duration: 3'45"