Mr President, stop attacking the press
AFTER leaving office, US President Ronald Reagan created the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award to recognise individuals who have fought to spread liberty worldwide.
Nancy Reagan continued the tradition after her husband’s death, and in 2008 she bestowed the honour on human rights icon Natan Sharansky, who credited Reagan’s strong defence of freedom for his own survival in Soviet gulags. Reagan recognised that as leader of the free world, his words carried enormous weight, and he used it to inspire an unprecedented spread of democracy around the world.
President Donald Trump does not seem to understand that his rhetoric and actions reverberate in the same way. He has threatened to continue his attempt to discredit the free press by bestowing “fake news awards” upon reporters and news outlets whose coverage he disagrees with. Whether Trump knows it or not, these efforts are being closely watched by foreign leaders, who are already using his words as cover as they silence and shutter one of the key pillars of democracy.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 2017 was one of the most dangerous years to be a journalist. Last year, the organisation documented 262 cases of jour nalists being imprisoned for their work. Reporters around the world face intimidation, threats of violence, harassment, persecution and sometimes even death.
The report revealed a bleak global climate for press freedom as more governments seek to control access to information and limit freedom of opinion and expression.
They do this not only by arresting journalists but also by fostering distrust of media coverage and accusing reporters of undermining national security and pride. Governments dub the press the “enemy of the people”, weaken or eliminate their independence and exploit the lack of serious scrutiny.
The phrase “fake news” – granted legitimacy by an American president – is also being used by autocrats to silence reporters, undermine political opponents, stave off media scrutiny and mislead citizens.
Americans cannot afford to abdicate the US’s long-standing role as the defender of human rights and democratic principles throughout the world. Without strong leadership in the White House, Congress must commit to protecting independent jour nalism, preserving an open and free media environment, and defending the fundamental right to freedom of opinion and expression.
We can do this by encouraging our partners and allies to review their laws and practices, including the abuse of defamation and anti-terrorism laws, to better protect press freedom and ensure that they do not unduly shrink the space for free speech.
We can authorise US foreign assistance to support independent media outlets and programmes that create greater media pluralism. We can do more to foster conditions in which freedom of expression and information can thrive, including working to change increasingly political attitudes toward journalism. And we can condemn violence against j our nalists, denounce censorship and support dissidents and activists as they seek to speak the truth.
Ultimately, freedom of information is critical for a democracy. We become better, stronger and more effective societies by having an informed and engaged public that pushes policymakers to best represent not only our interests, but also our values. Journalists play a major role in the promotion and protection of democracy and our unalienable rights, and they must be able to do their jobs freely. – The Washington Post