2009 Speeches
Remarks by Chargè d’Affaires, a.i. Timothy Zúñiga-Brown
Media Seminar and Panel Discussion on “Freedom of the Press”
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
British Colonial Hilton Hotel
Distinguished panelists, Members of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning. Welcome to this roundtable on “Freedom of the Press” sponsored by the U.S. Embassy.
I am glad to see so many of you here. Thank you all for coming.
We live in a world where the free flow of information and ideas is a powerful force for progress. Independent media outlets, whether print, electronic, or on-line, play an important role in democratic societies. They are more than sources of the latest news and diverse opinion.
They may investigate burning social issues, expose abuses of power, fight corruption in all its forms, challenge widely-held and sometimes unquestioned assumptions, and provide constructive outlets for dissent or new ideas.
This roundtable is part of a continuing celebration of democracy and freedom, particularly freedom of the press. I am happy that we were able to sponsor this event, and invite an expert speaker from the U.S. – writer and journalist Ronald Wimer - to provide his perspective.
Freedom of the press is enshrined by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Adopted in 1948, the UN Declaration of Human Rights upholds the fundamental principle that everyone “has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Freedom of the press is a hallmark of every free, democratic society. A free media is essential to democracy because it fosters transparency and accountability, both of which are also prerequisites for sustained economic development.
Throughout the world, nevertheless, those who seek to abuse power and spread corruption view media freedom as a threat. Instead of supporting a free and independent press, they attempt to control or silence the media – and for that matter any other independent voices in society. Restrictive laws and regulations; official or unofficial censorship; intimidation; imprisonment; violence, even murder – these are the tactics used by repressive regimes everywhere against their own people, including journalists.
Thankfully, none of that is present here in The Bahamas. I think you will agree with me that in The Bahamas, the media is wide open, vibrant, and multi-faceted. But the media here as in any country, including the U.S., has its challenges. As citizens of free countries, we are keenly aware that the information flow nowadays is nearly instantaneous, non-stop, almost overwhelming. Thanks to the Internet, the proliferation of cell phones, Blackberries, computers and other technologies, the entire planet is increasingly interconnected.
Journalists and writers know that this progress posses both opportunities and challenges to their profession in this new age. We will hear about some of the current issues facing both Bahamian and U.S. media in our conversations today.
But let me just underscore what President Obama and Secretary Clinton have said: the United States remains strongly committed to media freedom across the globe. We will champion this cause through our diplomatic efforts and through our exchange and assistance programs. We will work in partnership with non-governmental organizations and directly with members of the media. And we will stand with those courageous men and women who face persecution for exercising and defending their fundamental freedoms, including, of course, freedom of the press.
Let us remember that, even as the world recognizes the vital need for media freedom, journalists find themselves in peril in many countries. Since World Press Freedom Day was first celebrated a little over sixteen years ago, 692 journalists have been killed. Most of them were not war correspondents. Most of them were local reporters covering domestic topics such as crime, corruption, and national security in their home countries.
Add to this tragic figure the hundreds more each year who face intimidation, censorship, and arbitrary arrest. They are guilty of nothing more than having a passion for truth and a tenacious belief that a free society depends on an informed citizenry.
In every corner of the globe, including in our own immediate region, there are journalists in jail or being actively harassed: from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe, Burma to Uzbekistan, Cuba to Eritrea. We are especially concerned about the citizen-journalists from my own country detained abroad: individuals such as Roxana Saberi, released just last month from custody in Iran, and Euna Lee and Laura Ling in North Korea.
Today, let us also lend our voices of support and admiration to each of these brave journalists, and all those brave men and women of the press around the world, who labor to expose truth and enhance accountability in their countries.
Let me conclude with the words of Thomas Jefferson: "The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
Thank you.