According to the International Press Institute, 2012 is on track to be the deadliest year for journalists since the institute began counting 15 years ago. Already, 44 journalists have been killed. 

As people around the world observe World Press Freedom Day, President Barack Obama issued a statement honoring journalists who have “sacrificed their lives, freedom or personal well-being in pursuit of truth and justice.”

Here’s some of what it said.

“As we condemn recent detentions of journalists like Mazen Darwish, a leading proponent of free speech in Syria, and call for their immediate release, we must not forget others like blogger Dieu Cay, whose 2008 arrest coincided with a mass crackdown on citizen journalism in Vietnam, or journalist Dawit Isaak who has been held incommunicado by the Eritrean government for over a decade without formal charge or trial.”

…

“In some cases, it is not just governments threatening the freedom of the press. It is also criminal gangs, terrorists, or political factions. No matter the cause, when journalists are intimidated, attacked, imprisoned, or disappeared, individuals begin to self-censor, fear replaces truth, and all of our societies suffer. A culture of impunity for such actions must not be allowed to persist in any country.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also acknowledged World Press Freedom Day with a video message.