Speech

Prime Minister's keynote speech at the Society of Editors 25th Anniversary Conference: 30 April 2024

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's speech at the Society of Editors 25th Anniversary Conference in London.

• From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
• Published: 30 April 2024

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

• Delivered on: 30 April 2024 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Good morning.

Just before I start, I would like to say that my thoughts are with all those affected by the incident in East London this morning and put on record my thanks聽to the emergency teams who are responding and pay tribute to their bravery.聽

Dawn, thank you for the kind introduction.聽

I believe you worked for one of our great regional papers in my home town 바카라 사이트� Southampton바카라 사이트檚 Daily Echo 바카라 사이트� which obviously I know well. I still actually have聽the Echo app on my phone to keep up with Saints news.聽

And it바카라 사이트檚 great to be talking to you all here this morning.

You know, I was away last week in Poland and Germany talking about European security.聽

And nothing makes you feel more at home, in these troubled times바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�than coming back home to the British papers reflecting the things I am most passionate about바카라 사이트�

Front page of The Telegraph: Defence Spending.聽

The Times: Defence Spending.聽

The Guardian: Defence Spending.聽

And, The Sun바카라 사이트� Taylor Swift바카라 사이트檚 Guide To London Pubs.

No just joking, The Sun also actually did stellar reporting of the defence spending announcement too.

And actually as a defence champion and a devoted Swiftie바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�nothing could make me prouder of this country바카라 사이트檚 sensational journalism 바카라 사이트� covering what matters to me the most.聽聽

But I want to begin with a big congratulations to the Society of Editors on your 25th anniversary.聽

For a quarter of a century now, you바카라 사이트檝e been championing media freedom.

Back when you were first formed, the world was a very different place.

The Berlin Wall was a mere memory.聽

Democracy was in the ascendancy.聽

Facebook and Twitter were still some years off.聽

But today, things have changed.聽

This year over four billion people are heading to the polls 바카라 사이트� more than ever before.聽

But no one is talking now, as they did 25 years ago, about democracy바카라 사이트檚 triumph and the end of history.聽

Freedom House says that global freedom has declined for the 18th consecutive year.

And as you know, 2023 was one of the deadliest years for journalists on record.聽

New technology is being used to peddle propaganda and false narratives.

Disinformation is fomenting division, undermining the truth 바카라 사이트� and journalists themselves are even becoming the victim of deep fakes.聽聽

And we face an axis of authoritarian states바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�Russia, Iran, North Korea, China바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�who are united by their shared antipathy to our values and our freedoms바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�and are growing more assertive all the time.聽

Friday marks World Press Freedom Day.聽

And I바카라 사이트檇 like to take this chance to pay tribute to all those suffering behind bars in the name of freedom and democracy.

To Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Sergei Tikhanovsky, Jimmy Lai, Narges Mohammadi, and so many more.

To the Iranian-British journalist Pouria Zeraati, who was stabbed on the street here in London just a month ago.聽聽

To Alexei Navalny, whose decision to return home to stand for his principles, when Putin had already tried to have him killed바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�was surely one of the greatest acts of individual courage of the 21st聽century.聽

And to the men and women of Ukraine who are on the frontline of the fight for the values we hold dear.聽

I know you will join me in saying that we stand with them all.聽

And it just shows that our values 바카라 사이트� and the principles this body was founded on 바카라 사이트� are more important than ever:

Free Speech.聽

A vibrant, diverse media sector.聽

High journalistic standards.聽

And the freedom for journalists to inform, investigate and report, without fear or favour.

That바카라 사이트檚 why we바카라 사이트檙e acting to protect a free press here at home.

We바카라 사이트檙e repealing Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, which could stifle freedom of speech and threaten the sustainability of the press.

We바카라 사이트檙e making sure that public service broadcasters can compete as technology changes바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트� by modernising the 바카라 사이트渕ission statement바카라 사이트� for public service TV바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and making sure public service content is carried by connected devices and online platforms.

And we바카라 사이트檙e going to put an end to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation 바카라 사이트� so-called SLAPPs바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�to stop those with deep pockets abusing our courts and preventing the exposure of corruption and economic crime.

It바카라 사이트檚 why we바카라 사이트檙e defending democracy, and tackling unacceptable threats to MPs바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�putting in place new measures to protect them from intimidation, and new defences against foreign interference and disinformation.

And it바카라 사이트檚 why we must tackle the chilling effect of so called 바카라 사이트渃ancel culture바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�the shutting down of people바카라 사이트檚 views바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and making people fearful of speaking out.聽

Because that is not who we are.聽

That is not what this country stands for.

Democracy depends on the ability to air our views바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�to challenge and interrogate people바카라 사이트檚 standpoints바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and to learn from different perspectives and experiences.

And if we value a liberal, pluralistic society, we cannot allow one group of people to say their experiences are more important than others.聽

And I stand by that declaration of George Orwell바카라 사이트檚, carved into the wall outside the BBC바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚f Liberty means anything at all, it means聽the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.바카라 사이트�

This is vital for the future of a free press.

More than that, it is vital for the future of our democracy.

So we will continue to stand for these principles here at home.聽

And we must go further to strengthen freedoms around the world too.聽

Over the last five years we바카라 사이트檝e backed international media and free flow of information with over 拢600 million바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�making the UK one of the five leading nations in championing this cause.聽

It includes supporting the BBC World Service which reaches over 300 million people each week바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and has planted countless seeds of freedom.聽

It includes training for journalists around the world바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and nurturing media outlets in countries like Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Bangladesh.聽

It also includes supporting the Global Media Defence Fund, which has benefitted over 7,000 journalists바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and our leadership in founding the global Media Freedom Coalition 바카라 사이트� together with Canada.

Now we바카라 사이트檙e also working to ensure that the opportunities of technology are not exploited by the enemies of democracy.聽

And that바카라 사이트檚 why we brought the world together here to discuss how to manage the risks of AI바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and created the first ever AI Safety Institute.聽聽

And we are meeting this threat head on 바카라 사이트� ensuring we do so in a way that doesn바카라 사이트檛 hamper freedom of expression but enhances it.聽

Now we do all this because it matters바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and because media freedom is a catalyst.

Because when the media holds governments accountable바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�exposes corruption바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and gives new voices a platform바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�it strengthens democracy바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�it enriches society바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�it builds the habits of freedom.

And in conclusion, I say that politicians and the media will always clash.聽

It바카라 사이트檚 a law of nature 바카라 사이트� as much as night follows day.聽

And I won바카라 사이트檛 always like what you write, or the questions that you ask.

I might not agree with what you say바카라 사이트� or the way you represent the government바카라 사이트檚 actions.

But that바카라 사이트檚 ok.聽

You probably don바카라 사이트檛 love me always finding a way to mention that inflation is coming down바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�or our tax cuts, which by the way will be hitting payslips today!聽

拢900 in average earners pockets.

The plan is working.聽

And just in the last few weeks, we바카라 사이트檝e also got the Rwanda Bill passed to stop the boats.

We바카라 사이트檝e set out major welfare reforms to better target support for those who need it, and help people back into work바카라 사이트�

We바카라 사이트檙e cracking down on retail crime which damages communities and local businesses바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트� and we바카라 사이트檝e announced a generational investment in British defence and security making us safer at home and stronger abroad.

Now it바카라 사이트檚 my job to deliver on the things that matters to people 바카라 사이트� and to shout about it.聽

And it바카라 사이트檚 your job to hold us to account.聽

And for all we might clash, I know how important your role is.

So please keep doing what you do바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�constantly questioning, investigating, seeking the truth.

Because as long as the British media continues to thrive, so will British democracy.

Thank you.

Published 30 April 2024