The press must have courage
to take a critical look at itself
~ Says Nicolai in Sixth Annual Daily Herald Lecture ~
BELAIR--Although fully endorsing the right of press freedom, Dutch Parliamentarian and former kingdom relations minister Atzo Nicolaï believes the press must have the courage to take a critical look at itself.
He believes the media are more powerful than they realise. “And that must never be allowed to lead to attempts to limit that power,” said Nicolaï during the Sixth Annual Daily Herald Lecture.
“Media: Noblesse Oblige” was the title of the lecture that focused on press freedom and responsibility. “The better the freedom the better the journalist can fulfil his or her role in society,” Nicolaï said.
The former head of kingdom relations, considered the person who laid the foundation for the current ongoing constitutional change process, gave his lecture in front of a full conference hall at the Belair community centre.
However, he pointed out that a journalist might not always have it right. “The media in such a case should look to itself for the blame.”
According to Nicolaï, too often a colleague journalist is protected. “The system of inter-disciplinary correction is weak and in my opinion could be stronger.”
During the course of time, Nicolaï said, the press has determined its own unwritten journalistic rules, such as the principle of hearing both sides and the unwritten law about checking sources. “The professional ethics of journalism, however, are still in the course of being developed.”
He completely backed the right of freedom of expression and applauded that he, as a politician, was looked at with suspicion. “But I challenge the press to have the same critical attitude towards itself as it has towards the powers-that-be.”
Nicolaï emphasised that the tremendous role the media had in the community carried with it a great responsibility as well. “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter,” he said quoting and totally agreeing with Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States of America.
