U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told an Arizona State University audience that a strong press is the cornerstone of democracy and that the U.S. is working to ease the threats faced by journalists around the world.
Blinken spoke Tuesday at the ASU California Center in downtown Los Angeles, where the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication hosted the first Media Summit of the Americas, in partnership with the Equis Institute. Blinken’s talk capped the daylong event attended by dozens of journalists from Latin America, which was devoted to fighting disinformation. The Media Summit was part of the weeklong Summit of the Americas hosted by the Department of State.
“In every country in the hemisphere, for every goal that we want to achieve, for every problem affecting the lives of our people, a free, independent press is essential,” Blinken said.
“And at its core is the idea that accurate information is a public good — one that helps people understand the events and forces shaping their lives; spotlights problems and solutions that they otherwise might not see; and, fundamentally, empowers citizens to engage meaningfully in their communities, their countries, and the world.
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