The May 2 event was held in cooperation with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association, the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association, and Congressional Black Associates.
Our moderator was Jesse Holland (School of Media and Public Affairs, GWU), and our panelists were Fin Gómez (CBS News), Vivian Salama (Wall Street Journal), and Anders Tvegård (NRK). They underlined the necessity of maintaining a free press in today's world, exemplified by journalists such as Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia since March 2023. They also emphasized the dangers of denying journalists access to a particular area, as is currently the case in Gaza. The panel was followed by a garden reception.
The following day, May 3, we learned that – for the eighth year in a row – Norway has ranked #1 in Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index. We congratulate our Nordic neighbors, who all ranked within the top 20.