Neither state nor society can ever progress in the absence of a free press. A free press leads the way to serious debates on public issues. A free press is allowed to criticize government policies, monitor the performance of the executive and stimulate public opinion for and against reform. In addition, it should also suggest solutions to national problems and work to end — or at least minimize — shortcomings and mistakes.
Reporting the truth begins with free access, with neither fear nor delay, to information from official and other sources. The information and data processed and analyzed objectively and critically makes it possible to formulate a true national vision, involving the efforts and ideas of writers, thinkers and intellectuals. This must happen despite social, economic or political pressures. Only under such circumstances can we claim to be doing the right thing by attending to our domestic problems and thus denying others a basis for criticizing us.
The national dialogue forum has addressed this matter and stressed the importance of freedom of expression. The chronic problem that our media faces is its inability to access information. If this matter were resolved once and for all, then much of the uncertainty and ambiguity that surround it would be overcome and truth would prevail.
As long as requesting information from an official body involves waiting weeks or even months for any response at all, things will remain as they are, unchanged and unimproved. This fact is a contradiction of the spirit of the times where transparency and openness are supposed to be the rule.
Our ultimate goal must be the truth. All attempts to conceal it or delay in bringing it to light will only increase our current state of isolation — and play directly into the hands of our enemies, both internally and externally.
