Freedom of the press is vital to the sustenance of democracy. No wonder the media is described as the fourth estate following the executive, legislature and the judiciary. May 3 is celebrated as World Press Freedom Day to highlight the state of the press and focus on violations of this freedom. The U.S. Embassy Abuja held a series of events to celebrate this important day focused on different themes. At an event on journalism ethics the Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs Aruna Amirthanayagam said in many places around the world, the media is under tremendous pressure with threats to their safety and wellbeing. He added that reporting the news accurately has always been challenging requiring great sacrifice on the part of journalists.