Commonwealth urged to safeguard the power of the pen

Protecting media freedom within the Commonwealth was the subject of an event held by the Commonwealth Foundation on 26th January 2021. The Institute of the Commonwealth Institute Studies, University of London, held a conference with a similar topic on the 18th of November 2020. (This followed an important panel discussion on media freedom challenges across the Commonwealth, hosted by the ICWS in June 2020, and the ICWS’ sustained work in this area). The two events held within the space of only a few weeks indicate that civil societies in member countries are urging the  Commonwealth to play a stronger role in monitoring and enforcing its core principle of press freedom.

Both virtual events had some of the most eminent journalists, academics and policy experts as speakers from the Commonwealth.  It was noted that the current media environments within Commonwealth countries require urgent attention because of hugely compromised news reporting, the erosion of democratic culture, squeezed media markets, populist strong governments, the devastating rise in online fake news, and a sharp increase in the murder of journalists in recent years, with the culprits often enjoying impunity. The need to uphold freedom of the media has never been more important or relevant as in the present times, even more so with the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic.  Both events concluded that the intergovernmental platform could play a vital role by acknowledging common challenges for media freedom across the Commonwealth. The following points became obvious in the discussion. 

Contributors for the first Media and the Commonwealth Conference, organized by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London on 18th November 2020.

South East Asia and the Pacific Panel:

Chair: Dr Sue Onslow

Speakers: David Robie (AUT, Pacific Media Centre), Peter Greste (Australian correspondent for Al Jazeera, Reuters, CNN and the BBC), Cédric Alviani (East Asia Bureau Chief of Reporters without Borders).

South Asia Panel:

Chair: Rita Payne (Emeritus Chair of the Commonwealth Journalists Association)

Speakers: Najam Sethi (leading Pakistani journalist), Rajdeep Sardesai (Leading Indian news anchor), Professor Daya Thussu (Professor of International Communication).

Africa Panel:

Chair: Dr Kiran Hassan (Research Fellow/Co-ordinator Media Freedom Initiative, ICWS)

Speakers: Ismail Einashe (an award-winning journalist), Dapo Olorunyomi (co-founder, CEO, and publisher of the Nigerian newspaper Premium Times), Rodney Sieh (Liberian newspaper editor, Founder of Front Page Africa).

Europe and Canada Panel:

Europe and Canada Chair: Professor Philip Murphy (Director, Institute of Commonwealth Studies)

Speakers: Damian Tambini (Distinguished Policy Fellow in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE), Dr Anne T. Gallagher AO (Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation), James Wilson (Publisher of EU Political Report and a Board Director of the Brussels Press Club).

The Caribbean Panel:

Chair: Yvette Rowe (Academic, and radio and television producer)

Speakers: Kiran Maharaj (President, Media Institute of the Caribbean), Aurora Herrera (Trinidadian journalist, Writer and film-maker, Presenter of the Showcase Environment programme), Steffon Campbell (Lecturer and Coordinator of the CARIMAC).