Challenges to freedom of the press – the public’s right to know – continue at home and abroad. The year 1981 saw many actions to restrict news media, according to the International Press Institute. in evaluating press freedom over the past year. IPI said it is “Becoming increasingly difficult to find more than perhaps 20 countries where such freedom can be said to exist. And. invariably where it does there are still restrictions.” Even in America, the public’s right to free flow of information suffered setbacks. The IPA charged that President Reagan’s move to “reform” the Freedom of Information Act actually attempts to curtail it. Questionable also are the administration’s termination of Central Intelligence Agency unclassified background information briefings and making the high level National Security Council staff “offlimits” to reporters. Efforts to restrict journalists were noted in 1981 in a number of countries. Some governments pay lip service to a free press but their actions belie their words. in Poland for example. parliament voted last summer to institutionalize press freedom. Previously Poland had been described by IPI as the freest country in Eastern Europe. in terms of access to information. The new bill detailed what may or may not be published or broadcast. It retained prior censorship although creating a system of appeal. News in the current Polish crisis has been heavily censored. In the Soviet sphere of influence, according to Editor & Publisher, newspaper industry weekly. “freedom exists only when the authorities permit it. There is no appeal.” Developments in Poland are indicative of what can happen in other countries if the drive by some Third World countries to establish their “New World Information Order” is successful. These countries allegedly are using the communications policy of the U.N. organization of Unesco “as an umbrella in their efforts to pin down and squeeze the vitality out of the press turning it into an arm of the government information service,” said E&P. The International Press lnstitute’s annual review listed actions and incidents negative to press freedom in many countries. including Spain. Afghanistan under Soviet influence. Angola, Argentina. Bolivia, Brazil, China. Equador. Egypt. Guatemala, Nicaragua. Turkey Uganda and Uruguay. The Daily Herald recognizes of course, the need to preserve confidentiality of truly – classified information relating to national welfare and security. The American press has a good record for guarding such information. But across the world far too much information that belongs to the public is being suppressed under the security guise. One positive move in 1981 came when international news organizations banded together in a declaration urging Unesco to abandon attempts at press control and resolving to fight efforts for a “New World Information Order” that would restrict free flow of information. The people’s stake in the action is vital. When public officials tighten restrictions, impose censorship or impede the free flow o information, it’s the people’s rights that are being trampled.