Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

World Press Freedom Day

21 June 2022 · 9 other contributors · 12,406 words

Opened by Damian Collins Con Folkestone and Hythe

Responding minister: Vicky Ford

Democracy & ElectionsForeign AffairsCulture, Media & Sport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Damian Collins raised concerns about world press freedom day in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Speaking truth to power is increasingly dangerous for journalists globally.
  • Eight journalists have been killed in Ukraine and eight in Mexico this year.
  • Government is asked to consider new legislation on strategic lawsuits.

Key requests to Government

The Government should consider new legislation regarding strategic lawsuits and introduce a proper register of people working for foreign governments but operating in the UK without declaring their interest. The Online Safety Bill should ensure that journalistic content from recognized news organizations has a right to be carried on platforms, protecting freedom of speech.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Damian Collins Con Folkestone and Hythe

In the 21st century, speaking truth to power is increasingly dangerous. Eight journalists have been killed in Ukraine and eight others in Mexico this year. The work of journalists like Catherine Belton highlighting Russian oligarchs' activities has gained more attention due to the war in Ukraine. Journalists face suppression through strategic lawsuits and court abuse by wealthy individuals. Local news organizations are hollowed out, affecting both national and local media's ability to report.

Other contributors (9)
  • Fabian Hamilton Lab Leeds North East

    Hamilton thanked Damian Collins for securing the debate, highlighted journalists killed in Ukraine and Russia, discussed threats to press freedom in Britain and globally, including SLAPPs, and emphasised the importance of supporting independent journalism through organisations like the BBC World Service. He called on the UK Government to act urgently to protect journalists abroad.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    I thanked the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe for setting the scene well and declared my interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief. I highlighted how important World Press Freedom Day is, noting the press's role in highlighting human rights abuses and persecution across various countries including China, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Iraq, Iran, Kashmir, Pakistan, and Russia. I expressed gratitude to the press for their work and acknowledged individuals who have sacrificed their lives for press freedom. While concerned about how the press sometimes seek to create a news agenda, particularly on Brexit, I emphasized the importance of defending press freedom. I criticized the BBC's decision not to cover Northern Ireland parades live and welcomed GB News' offer to do so. I called for regulation rather than restriction of online journalists who are bullies or trolls while stressing the need for free speech and opposition to personal censorship.

  • John Whittingdale Con Maldon

    Mr Whittingdale highlighted the decline in press freedom globally and noted improvements in the UK's ranking from 33rd to 24th. He praised efforts such as the national action plan for journalists' safety, call for evidence on threats faced by journalists, and measures against SLAPPs and digital market imbalances. He also discussed the dangers faced by journalists in Ukraine and Russia, where press freedom is severely restricted. Mr Whittingdale briefly intervened to note an improvement in the UK's ranking for press freedom, from No. 33 to No. 24.

  • Kenny MacAskill SNP East Renfrewshire

    Paid tribute to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe, mentioned the case of Julian Assange who exposed war crimes by various governments including the UK, criticised Sweden's handling of Assange and the US contemplating his extradition; highlighted media manipulation and challenged the prosecution of Craig Murray in Scotland.

  • Margaret Ferrier SNP Rutherglen and Hamilton West

    Ferrier highlighted the importance of press freedom, especially through the story of Anna Politkovskaya who paid the ultimate price for journalism. She pointed out that while the UK has better practices compared to many other countries, it ranked 33rd in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index and needs improvement. Ferrier raised concerns about Julian Assange's extradition order and SLAPP lawsuits used as bully tactics against journalists.

  • Richard Burgon Lab Leeds East

    Mr Burgon highlighted the case of Julian Assange, a journalist who has been in prison for years and is facing extradition to the US where he could receive a sentence of up to 175 years. He argued that Assange's work exposing war crimes should not result in such harsh punishment and warned about the chilling effect on press freedom if journalists fear similar repercussions.

  • Roger Gale Con Herne Bay and Sandwich

    Before leaving, Roger Gale intervened to pay tribute to journalists working in Ukraine, especially the cameramen and soundmen who are equally brave but often unseen.

  • Graham Brady Con Altrincham and Sale West

    Stressed the importance of recognizing media assistants who work alongside journalists in bringing truth to audiences.

  • Steven Bonnar SNP Glasgow East

    Mr Bonnar highlighted the dangers faced by journalists, mentioning several cases of murdered reporters in Ukraine, Belarus, and Mexico. He emphasized that the persecution of journalists is often driven by fear of truths they expose and noted that 85 percent of the world's population experienced a decline in press freedom according to UNESCO's report.

Government Response

Vicky Ford

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. Like other hon. Members, I will start by thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Damian Collins) for securing this really important debate. Thriving independent journalism is one of the cornerstones of democracy but, as such, journalists are a common target for those who want to disrupt, disturb and devalue it. Reporters across the world are being intimidated, arrested or even killed, but now more than ever we need journalists to speak truth to power, to counter misinformation and to highlight wrongdoing. The UK is, as ever, a vocal champion of media freedom and of the journalists who do this important work. On 10 March, with our partners in the Media Freedom Coalition, we issued a statement condemning the brutal crackdown on independent media in Russia and calling on Russia to respect journalists' rights. We are giving the BBC World Service more than £4 million in emergency funding for its Ukrainian and Russian language services. In Afghanistan, we are concerned about the increasing restrictions on freedom of expression, including detentions and threats against journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists. Since 2019, we co-founded the Media Freedom Coalition with Canada to speak out against attacks on media freedom and hold to account those who harm journalists. We have contributed £3 million over the past three years to the global media defence fund set up by UNESCO, which has supported more than 3,000 journalists, 490 lawyers and over 120 civil society organisations. The UK has given more than £500 million in the past five years to support independent journalism and the free flow of information across the world. We will be supporting the BBC World Service with more than £90 million per year over the next three years so that it can continue this work. To have any influence abroad, we also need to set an example at home. Since launching our national action plan for the safety of journalists over a year ago, the UK has risen nine places in the global press freedom index, to number 24 out of 180 countries. The new Online Safety Bill will create new protections for news publishers and journalistic content when shared online on other platforms. We are considering reforms to tackle SLAPPs that pose challenges to free speech and our legal system.

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