Closing keynote address at the Commonwealth Press Union Conference
Date: 28 Feb 2003
Speaker: Secretary-General Don McKinnon
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
I am very pleased to be with you today.
I would like to congratulate the Commonwealth Press Union for having organised such a successful conference and thank Lindsay Ross for inviting me to come and speak to you today.
Only last week I was in Bangladesh, for the conference of the Commonwealth Journalists Association. My presence here today will, I hope, be taken as further testimony to the importance we in the intergovernmental Commonwealth attach to the role of the media in free societies.
But as I said in Dhaka, as a former politician standing in front of representatives of the fourth estate, 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: publishers, editors and journalists are indeed 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, the press plays a central role in any democratic system of government. A healthy democracy is inconceivable without a free press.
To those of you who were at the CJA Conference in Dhaka, I apologize in advance if much of what I say this afternoon sounds terribly familiar.
But home truths about the role of the media in free societies do not change in a week. Indeed they never change - they are of abiding relevance.
Once again, I would like to highlight three aspects of this role today:
First, we must recognise that a free press as an essential element of any democracy.
Second, I would like to share some of my views with you about press freedom in the Commonwealth.
And finally, I wish to focus on the role of the press as a force for progress and social change.
Democracy and freedom of expression
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 that the progress of democracy seemed unstoppable.
But hope has since receded. A recent UNDP report shows that democracy is now losing ground in many regions of the world.
There are many reasons for this. One important factor is that many societies have not developed the institutions that allow democracy to take root. For this to happen, 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.
This kind of "hibernating democracy" will not deliver the real freedom and the real prosperity the people need.
Elections, of course, are essential. But a healthy, effective democracy demands much more.
If people go to the polls every few years to elect their leaders, but you have no effective opposition and Parliament has no real power of scrutiny over government decisions, the journey is not complete.
If you have a strong Parliament, but no independent judiciary to uphold the rights of citizens, you still have some way to go.
If you have an independent judiciary, but your oversight bodies - Auditor General, Electoral Commission, Human Rights Commission - are weak and ineffective, you still have not made it.
And if you have reliable oversight bodies but a weak or suppressed press, you're not there yet.
As I said to the journalists in Dhaka, 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 entire package.
That is not to say that there is one universal blueprint for democracy. Every society is unique and needs democratic institutions 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. 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 vigorous and free press will always be a key feature.
That is why Commonwealth leaders, in their Coolum Communiqué last year, explicitly recognised freedom of expression as a fundamental Commonwealth principle.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the important role played by the CPU, together with the CJA and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) in promoting this principle.
These organisations are among the most active and effective of the 70 or so Commonwealth civil society organisations, all of which serve as valued partners of the intergovernmental Commonwealth.
We must recognise that we cannot create a strong democracy if there is not a well-developed print and electronic media.
Not having newspapers or magazines or radio and television which project the entire range of views leaves the public with the unenviable, even dangerous, task of making un-informed choices.
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.
I will say once again: every time a journalist is put in prison, citizens are robbed of their voice.
In a number of our member countries, the media live a life of constant struggle - trying to secure supplies of newsprint, obtaining government advertisements, attracting quality talent to the journalistic profession. In many, press freedom is still severely restricted and journalists continue to be subjected to harassment and intimidation.
Sri Lanka has enjoyed a strong tradition of democracy. That this tradition has been sustained in the face of years of ethnic conflict and strife is indeed a tribute to this country's commitment to the values which we in the Commonwealth hold dear.
Today the world watches with hope and admiration as Sri Lanka seeks to end those years of civil conflict and build a durable peace, drawing on its inherent strengths as a democracy.
In his inaugural speech to this conference, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe spelt out the steps taken recently or in the offing to further increase transparency and accountability in this country.
In recent years, the media community in Sri Lanka has been through many changes. The country is emerging from years of bitter conflict and from a climate of political violence which seriously restricted the freedom of the media. None of this is easy.
Some recent developments are encouraging: in June last year, the Criminal Defamation Law was abolished, enhancing the freedom of journalists to do their job without the threat of imprisonment - which will make life easier.
A Freedom of Information Act is being drafted and the Sri Lanka Press Complaints Commission was launched last year. It is worth mentioning that the CPU has been instrumental in this regard and the seminar it held in Colombo in 2001 contributed to popularise the idea of self-regulation in this country. Indeed, I am aware that self-regulation is an area where the CPU has been involved in several countries over the last two years.
The journey is long and difficult. Emerging from the recent media restrictions, opening up public debate, allowing criticism and challenging the intellectual strength of arguments - are all part of a necessary phase and will not be easy.
Bringing more sectors of society into the public debate and discussing issues that have been hitherto 'out of bounds' will help broaden the horizons of people throughout the country. That can only be a good thing, but it will not be easy.
In Sri Lanka - as, indeed, everywhere in the Commonwealth - the media have a responsibility not to stoke up the flames of ethnic or communal hatred. They must oppose all forms of racism and discrimination, be it against minorities, foreigners or asylum seekers.
And finally, better training for journalists will go a long way to strengthen the media community in Sri Lanka, as well as improving its outreach and effectiveness.
The CPU's contribution in this regard is significant. Among the many schemes run by the CPU is the Harry Brittain Fellowship, established over 40 years ago. Every time I have met the Fellows, I have been impressed by their enthusiasm and their determination to excel in their profession.
The Secretariat's 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 run by the CPU, the CJA 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.
We offer 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.
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. And as I said to the CJA, you can even make politics appear interesting!
A free press empowers citizens. By keeping the public informed, tt enables them to monitor the performance of government policies and thus to enhance accountability. Governments perform better when they know that their failures will be exposed and that they will be punished at the ballot box if they do not keep their promises.
Media reporting provides governments with a useful sounding board. It allows them to make sure they are not out of touch with people.
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.
There is not a politician in this world who hasn't wished to control the media for just one day!
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.
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.
Over the past year, the series of seminars organised by the CPU helped promote self-regulation as a "bulwark of press freedom" and uncovered a huge need for independent press councils in many Commonwealth countries.
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."
The press can be a powerful contributor to the development of good governance practices, which can improve a country's chances of attracting foreign investment, with positive outcomes trickling down the economy.
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 do not experience famines.
And of course, the media plays a central role in any society as a force for democratic progress. The participation of publishers, editors and journalists in a number of Commonwealth election observer missions and the media election observers groups sent by the CPU to Sri Lanka and, most recently, to Zimbabwe, are 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.
It is heartening to see that schemes such as the CPU-run Astor Award for Press Freedom acknowledge the courage of those journalists.
Conclusion
The world we live in has no shortage of common enemies. We are not talking about the aliens who invaded the earth in the movie Independence Day. Indeed, the enemy of today is not a man, or a nation, or a country. Today, our enemies are global poverty, environmental degradation, AIDS and the abuse of human rights.
The media can play a vital role in facing these challenges.
As for those who have ritually been writing death notices of the Commonwealth, some since 1950, I can only commiserate with them on their level of accuracy.
As torch bearers of the Commonwealth's media, you are in a key position to publicise the successes of the Commonwealth.
I'm not suggesting Commonwealth journalists should stop being critical of the Commonwealth - and you would hardly oblige even if I said so! Rather I am suggesting that despite our shortcomings, there are a host of success stories few people know about.
Stories about the Commonwealth's impressive achievements over the last twelve years in peace-building and promoting multi-party democracy.
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 how the Commonwealth helps small states navigate in the uncharted waters of a globalised world.
Stories which, in the final analysis, are about how the Commonwealth helps make life better for its people.
If you, ladies and gentlemen of the press, do not help us sing our song out loud, 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.
Let us pool our energies so that we can together create a better Commonwealth and a better world.
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Closing keynote address at the Commonwealth Press Union Conference
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