A Discussion at the International Press Institute

         After journeying through an unassuming grey gate and halfway up a spiral staircase, I found myself in the offices of the International Press Institute. A few twists and turns through various rooms found my way through the labyrinthine space and into a back room where my classmates and I had the opportunity to be a part of a discussion with Barbara Trionfi, the interim executive director at IPI. After brief introductions (and some pretty wonderful croissants), she delved into the topic of press freedoms and how the western idea of freedom of the press as a fundamental right doesn’t always line up cohesively with the values of every culture. It seems some societies’ morals put so much value on the respect of authority that the freedom to be able to criticize, even insult authority is out of the equation. The question then arose of whether certain governments were using culture as a reason to keep such complete control over their country, and eventually drifted to the direct topic of government control in various places. Some countries with heavy government control have a seemingly democratic system that is spoiled by commercialism. Although citizens may be free to think what they wish, the media that informs their thinking is heavily censored, and unbiased true journalism is rare if found at all. There seem to be quite a few indirect but visible methods of censorship exercised by various authorities as well, the most surprising of which was the case of a government controlled paper industry in Latin America. The publishers that get the most paper are the ones saying what the government wants the people to hear; however, if someone prints what the authorities deem unfavorable, then their only access to needed materials is taken away.

            Overall, the visit to IPI was very pleasant and filled with extremely interesting conversation topics that are sure to fuel future writings.