By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Embassy Nassau posted a reminder on its Facebook page on Monday, May 3, 2021 in recognition of WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY with the following narrative:
“Freedom of expression is a human right. Independent media rely on this right to help root out corruption, demand transparency, &lify marginalized voices. When regimes suppress free expression, they suppress human rights and democracy. The United States is proud to be a part of the Media Freedom Coalition, a group of 47 governments working to bolster global efforts to promote media freedom and the safety of journalists.”
As a veteran Bahamian journalist, I was absolutely shocked to find out that the government of The Bahamas is not one of the “47 governments working to bolster global efforts to promote media freedom and the safety of journalists.”
Of course, freedom of the press has never been an issue in The Bahamas, a fact that regular readers of The PUNCH, the popular twice-weekly tabloid would unhesitatingly agree. Indeed, its editor, Ivan Johnson, is one of the most qualified journalists in The Bahamas, and he is skillful enough to remain on the cutting-edge of libel in every edition of The PUNCH, especially in the popular GRAPEWINE gossip column.
So the question has got to be asked: Why isn’t The Bahamas among the “partnership of countries” that “signed the Global Pledge on Media Freedom, a written commitment to improving media freedom domestically and working together internationally.”
As noted in the overview of a policy paper on the Media Freedom Coalition, which was updated April 7, 2021: “The Media Freedom Coalition was formed in July 2019 at the Global Conference for Media Freedom and is a partnership of countries working together to advocate for media freedom and safety of journalists and hold to account those who harm journalists for doing their job. The Coalition’s raison d’etre is to defend media freedom where it is under threat.
“Members of the Coalition have signed the Global Pledge on Media Freedom, a written commitment to improving media freedom domestically and working together internationally.
“The Coalition will promote media freedom by lobbying on individual cases, working to hold abusers to account, supporting members of the Coalition and other countries to improve protections for the media and making collective statements in multilateral fora.”
Continuing the overview adds: “The first full meeting of Senior Officials of all Coalition members met in Geneva on 29 to 30 January 2020 to agree terms of reference (including mechanisms for joining the Coalition), lobbying mechanisms and priorities. Members of the Coalition have agreed a concluding statement.
“In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the UK and other members of the Executive Group of the Media Freedom Coalition agreed a statement on 6 April 2020. It reaffirms the fundamental importance of media freedom and calling on all states to protect access to free media.”
In recent years, The Bahamas Press Club has annually sponsored a glitzy Media Awards Dinner at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel in downtown Nassau, so maybe Press Club President Anthony Capron or Secretary Lindsay Thompson can provide an answer as to why The Bahamas is not among the countries that have signed the Global Pledge on Media Freedom.
Learn more this World Press Freedom Day: https://www.gov.uk/…/media-freedom-coalition-an-overview
