Join the World Press Freedom Conference 2020 | Information
News article | 26-11-2020 | 05:14
When I was 18, I chose to study international relations. The reason was simple, I like to learn about the world and our differences as well as our similarities fascinate me.
Plus, I thought it would pave the way for me to travel all over the world – what a wishful thinking, right? But studying international relations has taken me all over the world, which I learn mostly from the work of journalists who are at the forefront of political, social and economic issues – and sometimes even literally on a battlefield. Even now, as a political adviser at the embassy, I rely so much on the media to tell the truth about our world. There are always two sides to the coin, and the work of journalism helps throw both sides of every story. Often there are more than two sides, because our world is round and not flat like a coin. This is why I believe freedom of the press is so important in today’s society and is the cornerstone of our democracy.
As such, I am proud to be part of World Press Freedom Conference which will be held virtually on December 9 and 10, 2020 from The Hague, but with events around the world. In Jakarta, we are co-hosting two side events that examine the state of journalism today and build on the future of data journalism. Register here.
The first event, a Regional Conference on the State of Journalism in Southeast Asia, will feature six prominent journalists from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They will share their perspectives and challenges as a journalist today, but also their hopes for the future of journalism in their respective fields.
The second event is a digital humanities hackathonwhich brings together civil society, students, academics and the media to build digital humanities tools aimed at making data and information more accessible to the public, as well as to the media and decision-makers.
Being part of these initiatives and working with people who share the same vision is one of the aspects that I love so much about my job. There is a sense of accomplishment in contributing in the field which I believe is not only important, but also necessary for our democracy. For me, freedom of the press is one of the most important human rights. Without freedom of the press, we will be safe from truth and history from the flip side of the coin. Without the courageous journalists who sacrifice their time and energy, not for financial gain but to build a world where information is available to all, we will not have freedom of information – which is another right freedom of the press protects for us.
Join us in protecting #PressFreedom and join us at the conference, please register via this link.
What does #PressFreedom mean to you?
Dewi Barnas,
Senior Political Advisor Political Affairs
