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President Dr Irfaan Ali addressing media workers at the World Press Freedom Day conference (Photo: News Room/March 3, 2022)
“Please don’t let the imaginative thought process enter mainstream communication where it doesn’t exist,” Dr. Ali added.
He further noted that as the head of the executive branch of government, he believes in full press freedom and was not afraid of criticism.
“Let me tell you, my favourite part of the newspaper is the cartoons. I love it, even when I am the subject of it.”
To this end, the President used the occasion to recommit to a restart of Post Cabinet press briefings but said that even in its absence, the government remains accessible to the press.
“This government and president are the most accessible, anytime, and that will continue that way,” he added.
Dr. Ali said that the message of government and its relationship with the media must always be a balancing one and reasoned that while press freedom is to be accorded, there are limitations to that freedom.
“… and that is why there are laws, freedom exists within those confines.”
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media workers at the World Press Freedom Day conference (Photo: News Room/May 3, 2022)The Head of State also used the occasion to address the country’s highly contentious and criticized Cybercrime legislation.
He reminded that the Cybercrime Act was passed in 2018 under the previous APNU+AFC administration.
Dr. Ali reminded that at the time the PPP/C opposition spoke out against parts of the Bill and even proposed some amendments all of which were disregarded by the Coalition Government.
Speaking more to the theme of the 2022 World Press Freedom Day: “Journalism under digital siege,” Dr. Ali said the new digital age allows the world to see everything as it is said and done.
This, he said proposes dangers, but it also brings with it challenges.
