The MFC has published a new report entitled “Why Media Freedom Matters”, which seeks to make the argument for protecting media freedom even stronger.
The report, featuring over 100 pieces of evidence, will support and has been distributed to MFC governments and their embassies to advocate for media freedom.
Highlights include how:
- A free media is linked to greater democratic knowledge and participation as well as electoral integrity.
- A free media can support improved health through greater awareness among citizens as well as scrutiny of health systems and providers.
- It can reduce the risk of escalating state violence and puts pressing security concerns on public and political agendas.
- It supports a well-functioning economy by maintaining the flow of trustworthy information and detecting fraud and collusion – sometimes more effectively than regulators.
- It has played an instrumental role in exposing environmental crimes and informing policies to address the major environmental challenges of our time.
The report was authored by Dieter Zinnbauer of Copenhagen Business School.
As the report says, “amidst the many threats that journalists and media workers face around the world, a passionate and purposeful argument for upholding media freedom still needs to be made. What this paper aims to show is that the argument for media freedom is stronger than ever. It is an argument buttressed by quality evidence from multiple academic disciplines and underpinned by fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and the right to know. In conclusion: the freedom of the press has never been more worthy of our protection.”
