BANGKOK — The Australian Embassy Bangkok hosted a reception on Wednesday evening bringing together Thai and international media, government representatives, civil society and diplomats ahead of World Press Freedom Day.
Australian Ambassador to Thailand Angela Macdonald said the occasion served as a reminder of the critical role of a free press.
“Timely, accurate and independent reporting has never been more important,” she said, noting that journalists around the world continue to face imprisonment and even death in the line of duty.
The event’s guest of honour, Peter Greste, a professor of journalism at Macquarie University, reflected on his own experience of being imprisoned in Egypt for 400 days.
He said the media industry is facing what he described as a “perfect storm” of economic, technological, political and security challenges.
“In a world awash with misinformation and propaganda, we have never needed ethical journalism more,” Greste said, adding that journalists must work to rebuild public trust while governments do more to protect press freedom.
Earlier in the week, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand hosted a panel discussion on media freedom and threats to journalism.
Greste joined FCCT president Panu Wongcha-um and Karishma Vyas, Asia editor at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, to discuss industry challenges, journalist safety and the importance of press solidarity.
The Australian government reiterated its support for freedom of expression and press freedom as key pillars of open and resilient societies, emphasising transparency, accountability and access to information.
