Press Freedom in the time of pandemic
On Monday, journalists around the world celebrated World Press Freedom Day
Daniela Budu, 04.05.2021, 13:50
On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, the Romanian Prime Minister, Florin Cîțu, thanked the journalists for the work done during the coronavirus pandemic and stressed that their efforts to get to the truth are vital in the fight against fake news. In turn, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest expressed its solidarity with all journalists and other media professionals who contribute to the correct and relevant information of public opinion. The MFA condemned any arbitrary acts of violence and repression against them.
On behalf of the European Union, the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, recalled that, according to the UNESCO observatory, 76 journalists worldwide had been killed since the beginning of 2020 and many others were arrested, harassed or threatened. The head of European diplomacy stated that freedom of the press means security for all and defined it as cornerstone of democratic societies, which can thrive only if citizens have access to reliable information and can make informed choices.Freedom of the press and of speech must be protected and promoted everywhere, and the EU is willing to do more in that respect, Borrell also said.
The European official expressed particular concern about violence against women in this field of activity. According to a global survey conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), almost three out of four women journalists have been victims of online violence and 20% have suffered from the extension of such attacks into the real life. In fact, the theme chosen by UNESCO to mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day – ‘Information as a public good’ – focuses on the transformation of mass communication and information through new technologies and the impact of these changes on human rights, democracy and sustainable development.Ethics, accountability and transparency must take precedence in the production and distribution of journalistic content, and the media literacy of citizens must become a priority for the states of the world, UNESCO recommends.
In turn, the head of the European Broadcasting Union, Delphine Ernotte, denounced the pressure exerted on the public media in several European countries and deplored the pressure on journalists in Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. In the world ranking of press freedom made by Reporters Without Borders, Romania remains on the 48th place, but the organization signals a decline in terms of transparency. This year’s World Press Freedom Day was marked after more than a year of pandemic, in which, experts say, disinformation and manipulation had a direct effect on people’s health and lives. (MI)
