"Mr. Adler, the president and editor in chief of Reuters, sits on the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists."
"With the world’s nations preparing for
the opening this week of the United Nations General Assembly, it is time
to affirm not only the facts of this case but the value of facts
themselves — to declare our certainty that some things are true and
others are not. We must reject the cynical and dangerous idea that
everyone is entitled to their own facts. We can see where this has
gotten us in Myanmar and elsewhere. And we need to reaffirm the
essential role of a free press in uncovering facts.
Journalists,
being people, are imperfect. But journalism, done right, serves a high
public purpose. It produces transparency in markets, holds governments
and businesses to account, gives people tools to make well-informed
decisions, uncovers wrongdoing, inspires reforms, and tells true and
remarkable stories that move and inspire. The United Nations must insist
that the suppression of a free press contradicts the very nature of
democracy and cannot be tolerated. And other multinational institutions,
alongside governments, should make it forcefully clear to Myanmar’s
leaders that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo must be freed."
