“A free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most certainly without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad.” –Albert Camus
As a journalist, being in the right place at the right time is different from just watching historical events pertaining to press freedom from afar. I consider it one of many “blessings,” my opportunity to make history and file a live report hours before the annual ball drop on New Year’s Even in New York City. For the time in history, the ceremony marking the start of the new year was dedicated to “press freedom.”
By dedicating this year’s observance to press freedom, it helps the public understand the role journalists play in shaping public opinion and disseminating facts. Journalism is largely misunderstood (even in advanced countries) and journalists are among those who have faced tremendous crises throughout the years.
“On New Year’s Eve, we look back and reflect on the major events of the past year, we look forward with a sense of hope, and we celebrate the people and things we value most,” Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins said in a statement. “This year, we’re celebrating the free press and journalism; and those who work to protect, preserve and practice it.”
The Times Square Alliance, which named the Committee to Protect Journalists as its “charity honoree” for the evening, was inspired by Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2018, persecuted journalists like slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
I was even more proud to see one of the 11 journalists selected to press the button to kick off the countdown was Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa.
Others invited included Washington Post editor Karen Attiah, New York Times Deputy Managing Editor Rebecca Blumenstein, CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota, CBS News correspondent Vladimir Duthiers, Time Magazine Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal, NBC anchor Lester Holt, Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Matt Murray, ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz, Fox News anchor Jon Scott, and Bloomberg Senior Editor Karen Toulon.
Tzipi Livni once said: “In a democracy, you need to have a strong judicial system. You need freedom of speech, you need art, and you need a free press.”
In addition, Alexis de Tocqueville said: “Grant me thirty years of equal division of inheritances and a free press, and I will provide you with a republic.”/WDJ