; Whereas Freedom House noted in the report Freedom of the Press 2017 that— (1) global press freedom has declined to its lowest point in 13 years; and (2) only 13 percent of the global population enjoys a free press, meaning a media environment in which coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures ; Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists— (1) in 2017— (A) the 2 deadliest countries for journalists on assignment were Iraq and Syria; (B) 46 journalists were killed in cases in which the motive for the killing was confirmed to be related to reporting by those journalists; (C) 20 journalists were killed in cases in which the motive for the killing was unconfirmed; (D) there were 21 cases in which journalists were jailed for false news , which represented more than double the number of cases in which journalists were jailed for false news in 2016; and (E) the percentage of female journalists who were killed in a year was the highest on record; (2) the most dangerous subject for a journalist to report is politics, followed only then by war; and (3) as of December 1, 2017, 262 journalists worldwide were imprisoned for their work, marking the second consecutive year that the number of journalists imprisoned for their work hit a historic high; Whereas freedom of the press is a key component of democratic governance, activism in civil society, and socioeconomic development; and Whereas freedom of the press enhances public accountability, transparency, and participation in civil society and democratic governance: Now, therefore, be it