; Whereas, the 2016 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders in April 2016, indicated a climate of fear and tension combined with increasing control over newsrooms by governments and private sector interests ; Whereas, the 2016 World Press Freedom Index identified a decline in media freedom across all indicators, especially the destruction of media infrastructure, like the facilities and equipment of media, and the adoption of legislative frameworks that unjustly penalize journalists for doing their work; Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2016, the three deadliest countries for journalists were Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, with more than half of the journalists killed in combat or crossfire, for the first time since the Committee to Protect Journalists began keeping records; Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2016, 48 journalists were killed in cases where the motive was confirmed to be related to their reporting, 28 journalists were killed in cases where the motive was unconfirmed, and 2 media workers were killed; Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, impunity for the murder of journalists remains systemic, with the killers going free in 9 out of 10 cases; Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, as of December 1, 2016, 259 journalists worldwide were in prison, the highest number recorded since the group began systematically tracking imprisonment in 1990; Whereas, according to the Freedom House report Freedom of the Press 2017 , only 13 percent of the world’s population enjoys a Free press, meaning 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 freedom of the press is a key component of democratic governance, activism in civil society, and socioeconomic development