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Speech at the Commonwealth Journalists Association Conference

Date: 20 Feb 2003
Speaker: Secretary-General Don McKinnon,
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh

I am very pleased to be with you today. I would like to congratulate the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) for having organised such a successful conference - in your Silver Jubilee Year - and I'd like to thank Ian Gillham for inviting me to come and speak to you today.

As a former politician standing in front of a group of journalists, I feel a little bit like a lost sheep under the glaring eyes of some hungry dogs. And that may not be so far from the truth: journalists are the people's watchdogs. They keep governments on their toes and make sure they don't betray the trust voters have put in them.

In fact, journalists play a central role in any democratic system of government. A healthy democracy is inconceivable without a free press.

There are three aspects of this role I would like to discuss with you today:

First, we must recognise that a free press is one of the fundamental building blocks of any democracy.

Second, I would like to share some of my thoughts with you about press freedom in the Commonwealth.

And finally, I will outline my views about the role of a free press as a force for progress and social change.


Democracy and freedom of expression
When we talk about democracy, we often forget that modern democracies are relatively recent inventions. With the end of the Cold War, many of us hoped - and believed - that democracy had finally triumphed and that nothing would stand in the way of the people taking control of their political destinies. That was the time of the "End of History", when everyone agreed there was no way back and the progress of democracy seemed unstoppable.

But hope has since receded. A recent report by the UNDP shows that democracy is now losing ground in many regions of the world. There are many reasons for this. One important factor is that in many societies democratic institutions are not yet strongly embedded in the political culture.

We must recognise that democracy is a process, not an event. In too many countries today, democracy comes alive at the ballot poll once every three to five years, and then goes into hibernation until the following elections. In between elections, there are few opportunities for the people to have their say, no credible opposition, little or no scrutiny of government policy. This kind of "hibernating democracy" will not deliver the real freedom and the real prosperity the people need.

Elections, of course, are essential. They are the foundation of any democratic system. But elections in themselves are not enough. A healthy, effective democracy demands much more.

If people go to the polls every four years to elect their leaders, but you have no effective opposition and Parliament has no real power of scrutiny over government decisions, you're not there yet.

If you have a strong Parliament, but no independent judiciary to uphold the rights of citizens, you're not there yet.

If you have an independent judiciary, but your oversight bodies - Auditor General, Freedom of Information Commission, Human Rights Commission - are weak and ineffective, you're not there yet.

And if you have reliable oversight bodies but strong restrictions on what the press is allowed to report, you're not there yet.

Democracy is not a 'pick and mix' sweet shop. You can't choose the bits you like and leave out the rest. If you want democracy to work, you've got to sign up to the whole package.

That is not to say that there is one universal blueprint for democracy that everyone should follow. Every society is unique and needs democratic institutions which are adapted to its own circumstances, history and culture. And I don't think any country in the world can claim to have got it absolutely right either. No democracy is perfect. There is always room for improvement.


Press freedom and the Commonwealth
But whatever the form and nature of a democratic system, a free press will always be a key feature. It is in recognition of this fact that Commonwealth leaders, in their Coolum Communiqué of 5 March 2002, explicitly recognised freedom of expression as a fundamental Commonwealth value. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the important role played by the CJA, together with the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) in achieving this.

In many of our member countries, however, press freedom is still severely restricted. Freedom of expression may be recognised as a fundamental principle in theory, but in practice, journalists continue to be subjected to harassment and intimidation.

Since the restoration of democracy in 1991, Bangladesh has come a long way. A great deal has been achieved: the number of dailies and weeklies has risen significantly, a private advertising market has developed, allowing newspapers to become less reliant on government advertising, and there are now privately owned television channels.
The media has played a key role in exposing corruption and drawing attention to environment and public health concerns, such as the issue of arsenic contamination of water. But despite these advances, much remains to be done.

I'm not suggesting that building a democracy and securing democratic freedoms come easily. The road to democracy can often be bumpy and strewn with obstacles. This has been the case in many Commonwealth countries, including Bangladesh.

But ultimately, you cannot create a strong democracy if people are not allowed to express their views about what makes a democracy strong. If you are serious about creating a just, democratic society, you must be serious about protecting the freedom of speech that makes such a society possible. Preventing journalists from reporting the facts does not only deny citizens the right to know, it undermines the democratic dialogue which is at the root of social progress. Every time a journalist is put in prison, citizens are being robbed of their voice.

This is why we, in the Commonwealth, believe that assisting countries to develop a strong and effective media will help strengthen democracy and create a culture of justice and equality.

Our Commonwealth Media Development Fund offers financial support to improve the skills and competence of journalists and broadcasters throughout the Commonwealth. For instance, we provide assistance to journalists from developing countries to attend and cover Commonwealth events, such as CHOGMs and ministerial meetings.

We fund training programmes which are run by the CJA, the CPU and the CBA. Thanks to this close collaboration, each year around 500 journalists, technicians and managers from across the Commonwealth benefit from this programme.

Our media workshop on "Reporting in a culturally diverse environment", held in India recently, brought together mid-career women journalists from different parts of the Commonwealth and was deemed a great success by all participants.

Our Communications and Public Affairs Division offers placements to young reporters to allow them to gain experience working at the Commonwealth Secretariat. We are also placing young journalists in our four Youth Regional Centres in order to broaden our reach and raise awareness about the work of the Commonwealth among younger generations.


Press freedom: the social and economic dividends
But freedom of expression is not only a fundamental human right. It is also an effective tool for driving social and economic change.

First, a free press offers a vital platform for public debate. It allows a diversity of views to be heard on issues of common concern. Stifling public debate deprives a society of opportunities for progress. It hampers initiative and harms the spread of new ideas.

As John Stuart Mill argued in his famous essay On Liberty: "The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it."

Moreover, the media can play a constructive role in drawing interest on issues of public concern and help us make sense of our world. At a time of low electoral turnout (especially in the Western world) and increasing distrust of politicians and the political process, it is vitally important for citizens - particularly young people - to be well informed about events that affect their lives. The role of the media, in this respect, is crucial. Indeed, if anyone can make politics sound interesting, you can.

More specifically, journalists and broadcasters provide citizens with the information they need to participate fully in the democratic process. A free press empowers citizens. It enables them to monitor the performance of government policies and put pressure on those in power to tackle issues they deem important.

The media thereby contribute to make governments more effective and more accountable. Governments perform better when they know that their failures will be exposed and that they will be punished at the ballot box if voters feel they have not kept their promises.

To this extent, a free press can be a very valuable asset to governments. Constructive criticism from the media helps leaders re-assess their policies and ensure the electorate is behind them. Media reporting provides governments with a useful sounding board. It allows them to make sure they are not out of touch with people and improve their chances of re-election.

That is not to say that the relationship between governments and the press is not often fraught - indeed, most of the time, it is. Journalists often feel frustrated because they're not getting answers to their questions. Likewise, there are always times when ministers and government officials feel besieged and wish they didn't have to deal with the press.

When developing policies, governments will always be conscious of how the media will interpret their actions and put their own spin on government objectives. Governments and journalists are often attacking each other over what constitutes the "truth": the truth about the state of the economy, the truth about the success of government policies, the truth about the state of public services.

But ultimately, the relationship between the two is one of mutual dependence. The media need access to governments to report on issues of concern to electors; and governments rely on the media to spread the news about their achievements.

It is worth reminding ourselves of the power journalists often wield. They can force policy u-turns, weaken a leader and bring down a government.

But with power comes responsibility. This is why it is so crucial that the media adopt codes of conduct and self-regulation frameworks. This is not only in the public's interest, but in the interest of the press itself, as self-regulation will pre-empt government intervention and therefore protect press freedom.

Finally, freedom of expression can have a positive impact on economic development. According to a recent publication by the World Bank Institute, "a strong, independent and free press is a powerful ally to economic and social development and the reduction of poverty."

By denouncing corruption, both in the public and private sectors, the press can contribute to the development of good governance practices. It can improve a country's chances to attract foreign investment, with positive outcomes for the whole economy. In Bangladesh, the media has played a significant role in exposing corruption, particularly in the financial sector.

Moreover, free speech and a free press make governments more responsive to people's social needs. Amartya Sen famously showed that countries with a free press and a strong political party system do not experience famines, because the government knows the media will draw attention to the problem and that the people will punish the government at the polls if it lets it happen.

And of course, the media plays a central role in any society as a force for democratic progress. The participation of journalists in a number Commonwealth Election Observer Group missions is testimony to that role.

Moreover, the media community often acts as a bulwark against abuses of human rights. Not only can journalists expose rights violations, they are often at the forefront of the struggle for democracy and many of them defend the freedom of others at the cost of their own freedom.

Not all journalists are heroes. But among the heroes of this world, are a great number of journalists.


Conclusion
In the American movie Independence Day, we see the armed forces of the world coordinating their efforts to fight an alien invasion. This global show of unity is only possible because there is a common enemy which threatens humanity as a whole. The world we live in has no shortage of common enemies. But the enemy of today is not a man, or a nation, or a country. Today, our enemies are global poverty, AIDS and the abuse of human rights.

As I have tried to show to you today, the media can play a vital role in facing these challenges.

I would like to end my address by commenting on some of the things I often read in the UK press. The word 'Commonwealth', when it appears in the British newspapers, is almost always followed by the words "a grouping of former British colonies". Few other countries feel the need to add such a description.

As for those who have been writing our death notice every year, some since 1950, I am confident that future death notices will have the same level of accuracy. As Commonwealth journalists, you are in a privileged position to draw public attention to the successes of the Commonwealth.

I'm not suggesting Commonwealth journalists should not be critical of the Commonwealth - in fact, you are the Commonwealth's best critics because all you want is a stronger organisation that does even more to help its people. But despite our shortcomings, there are a host of success stories few people know about.

Stories about Commonwealth Ambassadors for Positive Living, young people with AIDS who share their experience with others in order to prevent more young people getting infected.

Stories about Commonwealth trade experts who assist small states in international trade negotiations to help ensure they don't get a raw deal.

Stories about Commonwealth consultants who help farmers in the developing world increase their crop production and provide a better life to their families.

Stories about the role of the Commonwealth in peace-building and democracy restored - as in Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Fiji in recent years.

If Commonwealth journalists don't talk about these achievements, who will?

We share the same ideals, we fight for the same principles, we pursue the same goals. By working even more closely together, we can accomplish much more. We can ensure all the vital energies of our association are channelled towards creating better opportunities for the people of the Commonwealth - better health, better education, better growth and greater freedom.

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