Today we celebrate the World Press Freedom Day by the means of emphasizing the value of Freedom of Press, Freedom of Expression and free access to the Truth and Information.
The United Nations proclaimed the World Press Freedom Day since 1993 on the 3rd of May to increase consciousness of the huge role of journalists in connecting us with reality and providing us with the news, promoting transparency and accountability.
Without Journalism there is no Democracy.
This Makes Journalists the Guarantors of Freedom
This coincided with the news of Tesla CEO, Elon Musk taking over Twitter, one of the most influential social media in the world.
What does this mean to journalism and Freedom of Expression?
Musk, who is known to have a “libertarian philosophy”, announced that he is planning to unlock Twitter’s tremendous potential through:
- Adding new features
- Open-source algorithms to increase trust
- Authenticate all its users to avoid spam bots and scams
- Transform it into a pilar of a Free Speech Platform.
As mentioned in a statement after the deal, Musk said: “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated”. For that purpose, he must battle hate speech and misinformation conducted by some mass media.
However, what does “Free Speech” really mean for him? Is this deal, expected to be effective within 3 to 6 months, a real victory to free speech? Is this deal good for Twitter users and for freedom of expression as a social experience?
Maybe this deal will push other high-tech companies which have been engaged in censorship and other banning practices to follow him.
Moreover, the situation was complicated, especially last year, for reporters and journalists. Using the pretext of the coronavirus pandemic, the authorities tightened the blocking of information and raised more restrictions to prevent the press from covering and investigating on sensitive topics, not only in the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, but even in Europe and the United States.
Not to mention all kinds of harassment and intimidation based on gender, racial or religious discrimination, threatening citizen freelance reporters or journalists who have no protection behind them.
If Twitter after the deal might become a “Free Speech Platform”, I believe that the European Press Agency – EUPA is in the right position nowadays to play this role and provide its freelancers a very solid platform to protect them legally and encourage journalists, being freelancer professionals or ordinary citizen reporters to take part in the diversity of the newsrooms and media outlets.
To do this, the presumed platform of Twitter will need to rely on EUPA to first provide the floor to independent journalists and reporters, who have no access to press agencies, being “the first press agency dedicated to truly independent media professionals including journalists, reporters, influencers, television and radio hosts, podcasters and internet channels animators”, https://eupa.uk/about/.
EUPA and the new platform of Twitter would make the experience of both independent professional journalists and citizen freelance reporters, influencers, television and radio hosts who create timely, trusted and fact-based information with hundreds of stories and photographs and content that are adapted for television, newspapers and online portals in America and other countries, truly in the benefit of the Free Speech and Democracy.
Hayet Bouzid
Email: Info@LadyExpertInvestor.com