[State Department] A free press is essential to an informed citizenry. A vigorous press can, for instance, expose corruption, shine a light on human rights abuses, and provide the public essential information during crises. In many places, journalists fulfilling this necessary role risk attacks by authoritarian regimes and criminal organizations seeking to clamp down on press freedom and freedom of expression. More than 1,500 journalists have been killed worldwide since the turn of the century, and in more
