[Music] imagine a world without media freedom a world where those in power can get away with corruption a world where the public is continuously exposed to lies biased information and disinformation a world where no one reports on human rights violations a world where crime and wrongdoings are never put under the spotlight we need independent journalists to uphold human rights realize citizens right to know and keep those in power accountable when this doesn't happen the loss is for all of us some time ago a newspaper journalist investigated a story about a decline in organ transplant in
his country digging deeper he discovered that between 2013 and 2015 the national air force did not transport 153 organs instead it prioritized 716 flights for government officials during this same period the article led to a public outcry this forced the country's president to verify claims and issue a decree prescribing that at least one of the air force's aircraft had to be on standby to transport a patient or organs for transplant at any time in the two years following this decision 470 organs were transported through the actions of an investigative journalist and independent media human lives
were saved this is just one example among many in which evidence-based reporting responded to social problems and triggered positive changes think of it and you'll probably recall many examples when local or international media unveiled money laundering exposed an abuse of power or revealed a humanitarian situation a mechanism for checks and balances needs to be in place and is vital in our society journalism fulfills this role by acting as a watchdog without it who would demand responses from public officials and government who would scrutinize them who would empower the public with information if journalists were not
allowed to operate free of fear or favor the world would look very different they are key to our society and keep the powers that be in check governments and politicians are not the only ones who need to be held accountable every day journalists pursue investigations exposing the wrongdoings and crimes of private companies and other powerful institutions and individuals the topics are wide-ranging from the violation of workers rights to human trafficking from revealing complex conflicts of interest to exposing conspiracy theories with fact-based information from illegal exploitation of the environment to corruption and many more journalists still
have one goal to serve the public to inform you on occasion journalists expose mistakes and manipulation from colleagues of other media by professionally reporting on issues of public interest based on reliable and accurate information journalists not only help bring about justice and strengthen the rule of law but also bring people together for the common good in the midst of an economic crisis where people are reluctant to pay for news along with a shift in advertising revenue to online platforms independent journalism needs our urgent support without it we risk facing news deserts and media extinction we'll
hear fewer voices and know less about our world and the world itself that is why the universal human rights system goes to such great lengths to protect press freedom and why international organizations such as unesco have developed during the last 75 years specific standards policies and tools to protect and promote independent journalism governments should be held accountable and states should enable free independent and diverse types of media we need empowered citizens with universal access to information internet companies need to be transparent about the steps they take to stamp out misinformation and support quality journalism like
the air we breathe and the water we drink information is a public good and every individual needs to recognize and cherish it [Music] you
