Speeches
Remarks by Ambassador Joseph A. Mussomeli, Closing Ceremony for the Workshop "How a Free Media Covers Elections"
U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh
December 21, 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press:
It is a pleasure to be with you this morning for the closing ceremony of the workshop entitled "How a Free Media Covers Elections," sponsored by the Embassy's Public Affairs Section. It's been said that "one of democracy's best shows is elections, and the media have front row seats -- as well as an awesome responsibility." So with the approach of national elections in Cambodia, this workshop was particularly timely and relevant to your work.
While the commune council elections earlier this year were carried out in a generally orderly and peaceful fashion, there was some controversy over the role of the media in the election. Controversy over media responsibilities in an election, however, is not limited to Cambodia. We have the same debates in the United States.
Every four years, the American news media gear up for the U.S. presidential election. Countless broadcast time and newspaper and magazine space are devoted to candidate speeches, campaign spending, analysis of television advertising, style, issue differences and debates. Planes and buses loaded with reporters and camera crews follow the candidates.
Studies show that two-thirds of the American people depend on the media as their main source of campaign information. Although American voters may rely heavily on journalists to get them the information they'll need to make up their minds on election day, they often have some misgivings about media coverage of the campaign. What voters want--and deserve-- from mainstream journalists is that they will "drive down the middle of the road," to not pick sides, to be objective.
In the upcoming national elections in Cambodia, you can best serve the public by providing information on the candidates' ideas, proposals, and overall qualifications. Your job is to ask questions, tough questions, and report on the answers. Or, report on their lack of answers, or on their unwillingness to be questioned. The most important role is to objectively observe and report on the positions the candidates take in the election and to report fairly on the issues.
As I've said on many occasions, a free press is vital to a healthy democracy. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, if we had to choose one safeguard to protect democracy, it is a free press. Holding government and politicians to account is one of the important roles the press plays in any democracy, and there should be a certain level of tension between government officials (and candidates for government office) and journalists. Both sides, while not necessarily adversarial, have a role to play in defending freedom.
Good governance and integrity of public officials is absolutely critical to democratic government. If government officials are happy with you, then you can safely assume you have not done your job well. That goes for America as well as Cambodia. Your job is not to be friends with candidates. Your duty is to the public, not to the government. For this reason you have a very important responsibility: to be fair and balanced; to not engage in corruption by accepting bribes, to not allow yourselves to be intimidated or seduced into engaging in self-censorship; and of course to always consider accuracy the touchstone of your profession.
I commend all of you for your courage, hard work and dedication, and trust that the discussions you have had in this workshop will guide your reporting in the months ahead.
Thank you.
