2013 WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY O n 3 May each year, MISA joins the international community in celebrating the work of journalists and the important role the media plays in giving citizens access to news and information, which helps them make informed choices and live meaningful lives. We celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluate the state of media freedom in the southern African region, defend the media from attacks on their independence and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives for simply doing their jobs. In 2013, MISA Chapters reached a variety of audiences including journalists, lawyers, youth, policy makers and academics with activities that advanced their national programme objectives and policy reform issues and complemented the 2013 UNESCO global theme: Safe to speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in all media. public pressure on the Zimbabwean Government to urgently pursue democratic media reforms that would bring current media legislation and regulations in line with the country’s new constitution. Each year on World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) MISA also officially launches our annual publication, So This Is Democracy? State of media freedom in southern Africa and hosts the Judge John Manyarara Memorial Lecture. So This Is Democracy?: State of Media Freedom in southern Africa In 2013, the 2012 edition of So This Is Democracy? was produced and distributed across the southern African region and further abroad to media training institutions, governments and freedom of expression organisations and activists. Most, if not all, of the issues covered in the 2012 report carried forward to 2013, with a key issue continuing to be the safety and security (both offline and online) of journalists. MISA Zimbabwe, for example, held a two-day national conference themed: Media Reforms Now! The conference focused on campaigning for increased World Press Freedom Day march, held by MISA Zimbabwe on 3 May 2013. Photo: MISA Zimbabwe images, 2013. 12