Ladies and gentlemen, my sources have indicated to me that within this room, each journalist here is possessed of a character and integrity that is beyond reproach.
These sources have gone further, saying that every member of this group is imbued with a deep sense of justice and commitment to the truth and the very noble ideals of journalism.
Ladies and gentlemen, which part of the information I have received from my sources is true? Which part of it is a fabrication? My sources are of the soundest character, well placed, and I enjoy the right and privilege to keep them confidential.
If they are wrong, how do you disprove them if you don’t know who they are? How do you know if they even really exist at all?!
My candid and respectful submission here to you this evening is this…How many of you can attest to living up to the following lofty ideals
“I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly. I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on or degrade any person by reason of sex, creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and ethnic origin.”
And the source of that guide is none other than the Journalists Code of Ethics.
I do not stand here this evening to call you to account but simply to remind us all of the huge responsibility you carry.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to have this opportunity to speak with you and share some of my own thoughts and ideas with our esteemed guests and participants of the IPI World Congress and 61st General Assembly.
Our Independence Golden Jubilee marks a moment in our history when we think back, with vivid clarity on all of the significant events that supported our growing nationhood, and in the context of this Congress, the spread of the free press as a sacred promise.
In this moment of reflection, and planning for our future, my solemn assurance as Head of Government is that this administration will protect, defend and uphold press freedom and the rights of journalists to “tell the story”.
This solemn assurance is also equally made to protect, defend and uphold the freedom of each and every single man, woman and child in our country.
We appreciate that a free press is an integral component of our democracy, as the voice of the population which is determined to “have a say” on issues of national importance, and as a channel for important public debates on issues. The free press is also what we all depend on to inform, inspire, monitor and support the interests of our citizens.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the freedom of the press and of expression, are constitutionally guaranteed, regardless of whether it coincides or diverges with the views and priorities of the Government, or of State institutions.
The late US President, John F Kennedy’s declaration that “the unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion” delivers the point, for even in divergence, as long as the common objective remains the protection of liberty and the unity of freedom, we are working together, even if differently.
We hold firmly to our commitment to Press Freedom. A free media that is responsible and sophisticated represents one of the binding threads that hold together our strong democracy. Press Freedom is one of the pillars of our stability.
So, having established the enormous power wielded by media; the fact that it monitors, informs and investigates, and the fact that it seeks to uphold the ideal of preserving the public interest, the question arises, who and how will the guards be guarded?
With great power comes great responsibility. I wish to pause to highlight the awesome power you have and urge integrity and responsibility in the practice of journalism.
These sources have gone further, saying that every member of this group is imbued with a deep sense of justice and commitment to the truth and the very noble ideals of journalism.
Ladies and gentlemen, which part of the information I have received from my sources is true? Which part of it is a fabrication? My sources are of the soundest character, well placed, and I enjoy the right and privilege to keep them confidential.
If they are wrong, how do you disprove them if you don’t know who they are? How do you know if they even really exist at all?!
My candid and respectful submission here to you this evening is this…How many of you can attest to living up to the following lofty ideals
“I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly. I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on or degrade any person by reason of sex, creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and ethnic origin.”
And the source of that guide is none other than the Journalists Code of Ethics.
I do not stand here this evening to call you to account but simply to remind us all of the huge responsibility you carry.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to have this opportunity to speak with you and share some of my own thoughts and ideas with our esteemed guests and participants of the IPI World Congress and 61st General Assembly.
Our Independence Golden Jubilee marks a moment in our history when we think back, with vivid clarity on all of the significant events that supported our growing nationhood, and in the context of this Congress, the spread of the free press as a sacred promise.
In this moment of reflection, and planning for our future, my solemn assurance as Head of Government is that this administration will protect, defend and uphold press freedom and the rights of journalists to “tell the story”.
This solemn assurance is also equally made to protect, defend and uphold the freedom of each and every single man, woman and child in our country.
We appreciate that a free press is an integral component of our democracy, as the voice of the population which is determined to “have a say” on issues of national importance, and as a channel for important public debates on issues. The free press is also what we all depend on to inform, inspire, monitor and support the interests of our citizens.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the freedom of the press and of expression, are constitutionally guaranteed, regardless of whether it coincides or diverges with the views and priorities of the Government, or of State institutions.
The late US President, John F Kennedy’s declaration that “the unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion” delivers the point, for even in divergence, as long as the common objective remains the protection of liberty and the unity of freedom, we are working together, even if differently.
We hold firmly to our commitment to Press Freedom. A free media that is responsible and sophisticated represents one of the binding threads that hold together our strong democracy. Press Freedom is one of the pillars of our stability.
So, having established the enormous power wielded by media; the fact that it monitors, informs and investigates, and the fact that it seeks to uphold the ideal of preserving the public interest, the question arises, who and how will the guards be guarded?
With great power comes great responsibility. I wish to pause to highlight the awesome power you have and urge integrity and responsibility in the practice of journalism.
The unfolding saga of the Rupert Murdoch inquiry shows that the media is not immune to the vice of political vendetta and agenda. Great vigilance and high ethical standards are therefore needed on your part to ensure these rights are not misused and abused for partisan interest.
With the media’s considerable power, how is the exercise of that power balanced with a measure of accountability to the very public it serves?
There is a great responsibility to rise above partisan interests. There is also a great responsibility to keep a clear line separating ‘telling the story’ and ‘capitalizing on misfortune’ or reporting the news as opposed to sensationally making the news.
Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated to fulfill the ambition, vendetta or conspiracy of anyone or any organization. The power of a free press must be held in trust of the people and should always be exercised in the public interest and serve the overriding objective of the fairness, justice and truth.
At times, I know that things become even darker and that the world of Journalism can be a perilous one.
Many journalists around the world have been harassed, intimidated, attacked, tortured, imprisoned and murdered to hinder their efforts to report on the worst forms of human rights abuses, organized crime and corruption.
I was deeply dismayed and saddened by the news of your 72 colleagues killed this year, and I pray that that in our time, we will bring an end to such crimes against the men and women who dedicated their lives to getting the story.
I also take note of the strongly worded Joint Declaration on Crimes Against Freedom of Expression, launched by the Representative and Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression from the OAS, the United Nations, the OSCE and the ACHPR during the Congress.
This declaration clearly outlines international mechanisms for Promoting Freedom of Expression.
In this regard, I am pleased to inform you that during this year’s Congress, an IPI-led delegation met with the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago, Senator the Honourable Anand Ramlogan. Following this meeting with the Attorney General, I want signal our intention to review our Defamation Laws to bring them in line with international best practice.
The responsibility falls to us as the Government to ensure that even as we preside over the passionate defense of all aspects of freedom, we must ensure that the exercise of one’s freedom at no time represents an impingement of another’s freedom.
If I asked you to comment on a story which in fact had no basis of truth and you denied its very existence which I in turn as a journalist then carried as your rebuttal, taking it into the public domain, would that be fair and just? Would your denial be the only basis of truth inherent in a story that is otherwise fabricated and that would never have existed had I not written it at all?
This is where we consider more than simply our roles in society, but also our responsibilities as professionals and as men and women who work every day to promote some national or public interest.
We in the Government take responsibility for all in our nation, and each citizen takes responsibility for himself. If anyone slips, trips or falters, the media is there to ensure that nothing is missed.
But who reports on the media? Who regulates the media? How can the media be regulated and held to standards in a manner that is transparent and does not impinge on its ability to operate freely?
How can the media also decide on parameters within which journalists must operate so that Journalistic integrity, as an ideal, becomes a continuous pursuit, rather than at times, simply a shield?
Integrity and character are not automatic endowments by virtue of the professions we choose. We, the people who populate the professions, are the ones entrusted with the responsibility to either maintain or destroy the integrity and character of our professions.
Integrity and character therefore can only be our shields when we have earned them, through trust, a continuous demonstration of us aspiring to those ideals, and evidence that we have upheld the noblest of ideals.
My firm view is that such self-regulation is essential and, as with everything, must subject itself to growing demands of the millions of people driving the evolving global environment.
I would therefore place this responsibility on all stakeholders to consider this next step in consolidating democracy, by ensuring that everyone is subjected to both the defence and the demands of true freedom.
In this regard, it is the intention of the Government to review our defamation laws to bring them in line with international best practice.
As leaders of Governments embracing the democratic model, we must uphold the tenets of the 1991 Declaration of Windhoek and the earlier United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article 19, “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”.
Let me say very plainly to all of you this evening - my firm conviction is to do otherwise, would be to threaten the very democracy and the pillars of freedom upon which the free world stands.
Let me also add that this means that freedom and democracy must be something that we all protect, with no one having any greater right over its protection than any other.
Before I go, I am advised by a ‘well-placed insider’, that Mr David Rohde is this year’s recipient of the IPI World Press Freedom Hero Award and the youth publication, 34 Multimedia Magazine, the winner of the IPI Free Media Pioneer award. I congratulate him on this great achievement.
I am also advised that the IPI has posthumously honoured Sir Étienne Dupuch, OBE, of the Bahamas who was the editor of the Nassau Tribune for 54 years and the world’s longest serving editor.
May his work and memory serve to inspire all of us and indeed all of you as you move forward in your profession.I also trust that the long term outcomes of your conference will positively impact the lives of journalists and people worldwide and at the same time, inspire those who stand against freedom of the press and expression to embrace the principles and practice of democracy and freedom.
I wish you all an enjoyable evening and may God go with you as you return to your respective countries. I thank you.
With the media’s considerable power, how is the exercise of that power balanced with a measure of accountability to the very public it serves?
There is a great responsibility to rise above partisan interests. There is also a great responsibility to keep a clear line separating ‘telling the story’ and ‘capitalizing on misfortune’ or reporting the news as opposed to sensationally making the news.
Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated to fulfill the ambition, vendetta or conspiracy of anyone or any organization. The power of a free press must be held in trust of the people and should always be exercised in the public interest and serve the overriding objective of the fairness, justice and truth.
At times, I know that things become even darker and that the world of Journalism can be a perilous one.
Many journalists around the world have been harassed, intimidated, attacked, tortured, imprisoned and murdered to hinder their efforts to report on the worst forms of human rights abuses, organized crime and corruption.
I was deeply dismayed and saddened by the news of your 72 colleagues killed this year, and I pray that that in our time, we will bring an end to such crimes against the men and women who dedicated their lives to getting the story.
I also take note of the strongly worded Joint Declaration on Crimes Against Freedom of Expression, launched by the Representative and Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression from the OAS, the United Nations, the OSCE and the ACHPR during the Congress.
This declaration clearly outlines international mechanisms for Promoting Freedom of Expression.
In this regard, I am pleased to inform you that during this year’s Congress, an IPI-led delegation met with the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago, Senator the Honourable Anand Ramlogan. Following this meeting with the Attorney General, I want signal our intention to review our Defamation Laws to bring them in line with international best practice.
The responsibility falls to us as the Government to ensure that even as we preside over the passionate defense of all aspects of freedom, we must ensure that the exercise of one’s freedom at no time represents an impingement of another’s freedom.
If I asked you to comment on a story which in fact had no basis of truth and you denied its very existence which I in turn as a journalist then carried as your rebuttal, taking it into the public domain, would that be fair and just? Would your denial be the only basis of truth inherent in a story that is otherwise fabricated and that would never have existed had I not written it at all?
This is where we consider more than simply our roles in society, but also our responsibilities as professionals and as men and women who work every day to promote some national or public interest.
We in the Government take responsibility for all in our nation, and each citizen takes responsibility for himself. If anyone slips, trips or falters, the media is there to ensure that nothing is missed.
But who reports on the media? Who regulates the media? How can the media be regulated and held to standards in a manner that is transparent and does not impinge on its ability to operate freely?
How can the media also decide on parameters within which journalists must operate so that Journalistic integrity, as an ideal, becomes a continuous pursuit, rather than at times, simply a shield?
Integrity and character are not automatic endowments by virtue of the professions we choose. We, the people who populate the professions, are the ones entrusted with the responsibility to either maintain or destroy the integrity and character of our professions.
Integrity and character therefore can only be our shields when we have earned them, through trust, a continuous demonstration of us aspiring to those ideals, and evidence that we have upheld the noblest of ideals.
My firm view is that such self-regulation is essential and, as with everything, must subject itself to growing demands of the millions of people driving the evolving global environment.
I would therefore place this responsibility on all stakeholders to consider this next step in consolidating democracy, by ensuring that everyone is subjected to both the defence and the demands of true freedom.
In this regard, it is the intention of the Government to review our defamation laws to bring them in line with international best practice.
As leaders of Governments embracing the democratic model, we must uphold the tenets of the 1991 Declaration of Windhoek and the earlier United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article 19, “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”.
Let me say very plainly to all of you this evening - my firm conviction is to do otherwise, would be to threaten the very democracy and the pillars of freedom upon which the free world stands.
Let me also add that this means that freedom and democracy must be something that we all protect, with no one having any greater right over its protection than any other.
Before I go, I am advised by a ‘well-placed insider’, that Mr David Rohde is this year’s recipient of the IPI World Press Freedom Hero Award and the youth publication, 34 Multimedia Magazine, the winner of the IPI Free Media Pioneer award. I congratulate him on this great achievement.
I am also advised that the IPI has posthumously honoured Sir Étienne Dupuch, OBE, of the Bahamas who was the editor of the Nassau Tribune for 54 years and the world’s longest serving editor.
May his work and memory serve to inspire all of us and indeed all of you as you move forward in your profession.I also trust that the long term outcomes of your conference will positively impact the lives of journalists and people worldwide and at the same time, inspire those who stand against freedom of the press and expression to embrace the principles and practice of democracy and freedom.
I wish you all an enjoyable evening and may God go with you as you return to your respective countries. I thank you.
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