Kathmandu, May 3 -- We are gathered here today to mark World Press Freedom Day May Third, and the Third Himal Media Mela. This year we have adopted UNESCO's theme: 'Press for the Planet' to focus on the link between press freedom and environmental action.

Even as human activity globally has endangered nature, and threatened all life on the planet, journalists reporting on these issues face threats, intimidation, or are silenced by abusive trolling. In the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico and India, journalists reporting on illegal logging or mining have even been killed.

Reporters, especially those who investigate local environmental crimes and their links to bad political actors, are especially at risk. Climate deniers deploy bot armies to ...