President Seguro marks World Press Freedom Day – Portugal Resident
Portugal’s President Seguro marked World Press Freedom Day today, defending the essential role of a free press as a pillar of democracy, and warning of the worsening threats to journalistic activity worldwide.
In a statement released by the presidency, António José Seguro affirms that “freedom is the foundation of democracy” and that freedom of the press constitutes “one of its most demanding expressions,” because “it has an obligation to disturb.”
“A free press is, by definition, a counter-power. A voice that questions, that investigates, that does not bend to power nor surrender to easy applause. A well-founded, independent and, when necessary, inconvenient voice. That is precisely its function. That is precisely why it is irreplaceable.”
Despite this, the international scenario shows precisely the opposite, with figures that contradict “the expectation of progress that the consolidation of democracies should guarantee,” the head of state adds.
“Last year, 129 journalists and media professionals were murdered worldwide. It is not a statistic. It is an accusation.”
Beyond direct violence, President Seguro points to other threats to press freedom, “equally corrosive,” such as democratic regression in various regions of the world, pressure from authoritarian regimes on independent media, the economic precariousness of newsrooms, concentration of ownership, and the spread of disinformation.
Regarding this last point, he warns that this proliferation of misinformation seduces “the very media that should be its antidote.”
According to the president, these factors contribute to an “increasingly fragile information ecosystem,” in which truth competes with spectacle, and the “media circus” captures more attention than rigorous journalism.
António José Seguro thus argues that the protection of press freedom should be understood as a collective responsibility and a civic priority, not just for journalists or media companies.
“When a journalistic voice is silenced out of fear, economic hardship, or capture, it is not only that voice that loses. We all lose,” he concludes.
Source: LUSA
