Message from the Information Secretary ahead of Press Freedom Day
SAN MARiNO – The Secretariat of State for Information, in view of the World Press Freedom Day which will be celebrated tomorrow, highlights how “quality of content and training” are fundamental in the face of communication that introduces “only noise or hostility” into the system, generating the result of a “society divided and incapable of listening”. Here is the message from the secretary of state Federico Pedini Amati: “The anniversary of May 3 cannot be reduced to an exercise in institutional rhetoric. Celebrating World Press Freedom Day means, first of all, reflecting on the state of health of our communities and the quality of public debate. As Secretary of State with responsibility for Information, I feel the duty to underline that the right to freedom of the press and freedom of expression represent the very foundations of our Republic, a heritage that must be defended with obstinacy, especially in an era dominated by algorithms and communication fragmentation.
The current landscape has changed profoundly. Today we live in what experts define as a permanent conversational market, where the speed of the web imposes fast pace and, often, to the detriment of in-depth analysis. Precisely in this scenario, the role of the journalist becomes even more crucial (indeed, I would say vital, to avoid abused terms). It’s not just about transmitting news, but about guaranteeing an accuracy that has become a rare commodity. Fact-checking, moreover, is an act of respect towards the citizen-reader.
I look carefully at the challenges that San Marino professionals face every day. Ours is a peculiar reality, where the closeness between reporters and institutions is physical, daily. This proximity must never translate into conditioning, but must stimulate an even stronger ethic of responsibility. I would like to reiterate a concept: freedom of the press is not a privilege granted to journalists, but a right of citizens to be correctly informed. When a reporter is limited, the entire society suffers a democratic mutilation.
That said, we cannot ignore the impact of artificial intelligence and programmed disinformation. They are tools that, if used without ethical guidance, risk polluting the wells of common knowledge. For this reason, as a Government, we are committed to supporting a publishing industry that knows how to innovate without losing its soul, investing in the quality of content and training. The new communication teaches us that today we are what we publish. If we only introduce noise or hostility into the system, we will have a society divided and incapable of listening.
On this very significant day, my thoughts go to those who, in contexts far more dramatic than ours, sacrifice their life or freedom to tell the truth. Here, in the Ancient Land of the Free, we are privileged to be able to openly discuss, disagree, and criticize. We guard this prerogative with care. In short, the commitment I make on behalf of the Secretariat of State is to continue to guarantee free and independent spaces of expression, because a power that fears control of the press is a power that has stopped serving the common good”.
Federico Pedini Amati,
Secretary of State for Tourism with responsibility for Information
