20 FOOD JOURNALISTS WE LOVE!

Celebrating World Press Freedom Day: 20 Food Journalists We Love

Dear İsmail, Greetings from Baltimore! To celebrate World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2019, Food Tank honors journalists from all over the world whose articles make it easier to learn about agriculture and food. Declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, the day recognizes that free and responsible journalism is key to good governance, democracy, and justice. A free press is especially important for communicating news about the food system—journalists exposing worldwide famines, highlighting evolving eating trends, and showcasing agricultural practices help citizens form educated voices to fight for change. While we celebrate World Press Freedom Day, journalists still come under threat: censoring, backlash, and attacks from governments, corporations, and even the public hinder journalists’ quests for the truth. According to Freedom House, only 13 percent of the world’s population enjoyed a free press in 2017—while 45 percent of the population resides in countries in which the press is legally or pragmatically not free. Journalists have even lost their lives on the line of duty. Since 2016, the global low point of press freedom in 13 years, 156 journalists have died finding and telling the world’s news. Securing the freedom of journalists is one way we can ensure the public can access the information that inspires change in the food system and beyond. To honor the journalists highlighting changes in practice, policy, and trends in the food system, Food Tank is recognizing 20 journalists we appreciate for their contributions to a more well-informed world: Nastasha Alli, Uzmi Athar, Allison Aubrey, Helena Bottemiller Evich, Tim Carman, Serena Maria Daniels, Gloria Dickie, Vince Dixon, Samuel Fromartz, Heather Haddon, Jonathan Kauffman, Musdalafa Lyaga, Julia Moskin, Ruth Oniang’o, Tom Philpott, Tejal Rao, Gregg Segal, Mayukh Sen, and Mari Uyehara.