Speeches & Op-Eds
Defending Press Freedom in our Hemisphere
Op-ed by Dr. D. Brent Hardt
June 6, 2007
Countries throughout the hemisphere, including the United States and The Bahamas, came together in Panama this week at the 37th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS). The OAS continues to lead the way in supporting the people of the hemisphere who seek the benefits of democracy, prosperity, personal security and social justice. The OAS's Inter-American Democratic Charter makes clear that democracy is the foundation of the political, economic, and social development of our hemisphere.
One of the fundamental pillars of democracy is freedom of expression, especially a free press, and protecting this freedom is one of the OAS’s core missions. The press occupies special ground in a democracy, calling upon government officials to account for their actions and holding their actions to scrutiny. Despite the ill treatment he received from the press, Thomas Jefferson had no doubt of its importance: "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government," he wrote, "I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
A free press is the best watchdog for democracy, bringing people the information they need to exercise independent judgment in electing public officials. It enables people to make informed choices. It exposes fraud and abuse. And it gives voice to the oppressed.
While Countries like The Bahamas move to solidify press freedoms through efforts to make the press more independent and provide free access to information, others in our region and elsewhere are moving in the opposite direction.
In Venezuela, democracy suffered a serious blow last week when its government forced private television station RCTV off the air after 53 years of continuous broadcasting as the result of its criticism of the government. The independent Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) commented on this decision by observing: "This arbitrary decision thwarts Venezuelans’ right to seek and receive information and represents a setback for democracy in this country." Freedom House now ranks Venezuela with the world’s worst press abusers, giving it the shameful “not free” rating.
During the meetings in Panama, OAS Secretary General Insulza and many OAS members spoke out forcefully against Venezuela's actions against RCTV. Secretary Rice, in calling for the OAS Secretary General to consult with Venezuelan authorities on the closure, told the delegates: "We, the members of the OAS, must defend freedom where it is under siege in our hemisphere and we must support freedom whenever and wherever it is denied."
The United States welcomes the support of The Bahamas and other countries where freedom of the press is respected and valued in defending press freedom throughout the hemisphere. For as Secretary Rice observed in Panama: "Freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of conscience are not a thorn in the side of government. They are the beginning of justice in every society. The unfettered public discussion of ideas is the greatest guarantee for the rule of law and the surest protection against the whims of rulers."
We applaud The Bahamas for its commitment to “the unfettered discussion of ideas" in its press. Already a beacon for democracy in the hemisphere, the Speech from the Throne this year reinforced the importance of transparent government, pledging a new Freedom of Information Act that will allow even better media and public access to government information.
At a time when such access is under siege elsewhere in our region, this strengthening of public discussion of ideas is something to celebrate. By working together, the United States, The Bahamas, and our OAS partners can ensure that the rest of the hemisphere enjoys these same freedoms.
Additional information about press freedoms can be found at Democracy Dialogues at http://www.democracy.gov/, Freedom House at http://www.freedomhouse.org/ or the Committee to Protect Journalists at http://www.cpj.org/.