Today is World Press Freedom Day. For Associated Press journalists, press freedom isn’t an abstract idea — it’s something they stand for every day, often under pressure, and sometimes at great personal risk. Support their work directly.

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We asked a small group of AP reporters and photographers working around the world a simple question: What does press freedom mean to you?

Here’s what they said.

Press freedom is a muscle we have to exercise every day. Some days, that’s a push for space on a public sidewalk to film actions of law enforcement. Other times, it's a battle for access to immigration court proceedings. When we let that muscle atrophy, it's even harder to do the work of informing the public.

Mark Vancleave

Minneapolis-based video journalist covering immigration and policing

For me, press freedom is to be resilient and report the truth even when it is very dangerous. It is about reporting from the front lines, showing the world firsthand what is happening on the ground.

Vasilisa Stepanenko

Video journalist who documented the siege of Mariupol and reports from the front lines of the war in Ukraine

Press freedom for me is not an abstract theory or idea. It is a privilege to be able to walk up to world leaders or elected officials and ask difficult and uncomfortable questions and not be punished for it. I do not take it for granted as I know it is a luxury that too many of my colleagues around the world do not have.

Farnoush Amiri

U.N. correspondent covering foreign policy and its global impact

Press freedom is so important to me. I’ve covered fellow reporters facing arrests, harassment, long prison sentences, their news outlets being raided, outlawed and blocked, and I’ve seen them standing tall in the face of it all.

Dasha Litvinova

Reporter covering Russia and the war in Ukraine

AP journalists are on the ground in more than 100 countries, documenting the world as it happens and holding the powerful to account. Support our independent, fact-based journalism.

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To me, freedom of the press is about access and safety. It means fighting for maximum access to information and the leaders we cover, and doing everything possible to ensure that journalists can work without being threatened, intimidated or targeted.

Joe Federman

Jerusalem bureau chief covering decades of conflict and press access in the Middle East

Press freedom means the ability to be able to collect, process and deliver information to large audiences. Without press freedom, misinformation grows and the audiences are left without the tools to truly understand the world in which they live.

Julio Cortez

Regional chief photographer covering politics, civil unrest and major U.S. stories

Our responsibility is to bear witness to what matters and show the world with honesty and accuracy. Freedom of expression is essential in any democratic society, and it belongs not only to journalists but to every citizen, because fair and nonpartisan information is a right.

Natacha Pisarenko

Buenos Aires-based photojournalist documenting Latin America for more than 20 years

A special thank you to more than 100,000 people whose donations already help support these journalists and their important work. Be part of our donor community.