-
.
- Ελληνικά
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Presidential Palace for the traditional journalism awards ceremony, organised by the Cyprus News Agency (CIFA), an institution that is well established and justifiably held in the highest esteem among many stakeholders because of the validity and credibility of the Agency.
With today's event, CNA is at the same time actively contributing to the upgrading of the journalistic profession, which not only in our country, but also at the international level, is being tested by multiple and diverse challenges that touch the principles that journalism stands for and threaten values that have been conquered through decades of struggles. Undoubtedly, the digital revolution, all that we have been living for the last few years, has created a completely new scenario in the field of information, which on the one hand works beneficially because it annihilates concepts such as time and space, but at the same time affects basic ethical principles such as the accuracy of the news, the protection of privacy, respect for human dignity, the safeguarding of sensitive personal data and much more.
In an era of fake news and attempts to manipulate public opinion through opaque channels where political, economic, religious and other interests meet, the press' commitment to objective information becomes even more important for reasons that are obvious to all.
For our Government, members of the press, as disseminators of information, ideas and opinions, are extremely valuable partners in the great effort we are making to build a better tomorrow for our country.
We want journalists to be the honest broker between us and the citizens, to be rigorous and fair in their judgments, to denounce the bad and, at the same time, to highlight the positive. As a sign of our respect for the journalistic world, we have also adopted some new practices that have been in place for many years. The Government Spokesman has introduced a twice-weekly briefing for journalists. We have a strong team that is always at the disposal of press officers.
At a time, beyond fake news, when denigration sweeps everything in its wake, we all have an obligation to work to not allow flattening to prevail as the dominant perception. And in this matter, in this effort, the role of the press, the role of all of you, is of major, leading importance. It is in this context that the Government is actively supporting the Press - and when I say the Press, I do not only mean the owners of the media - because we consider the Press, among other things, to be a pillar of our democracy.
It would be remiss of me, in the context of tonight's event, not to highlight the special role that the CBC has to play, not only for all that I have just mentioned, but especially in a country where for fifty years, half a century, there has been an ongoing Turkish occupation. After all, the CBC was created to meet the needs of promoting the Cyprus issue abroad in the first difficult years after the Turkish invasion and occupation.
Today it is a modern information hub with an international reach and presence on all major events, both in Cyprus and abroad. Without a trace of exaggeration, and I know this first hand, it is at the forefront of information and is the most valuable source of information for all Cypriot media. This role is further enhanced by the challenges faced by the printed press in recent years, whether due to the increased role of online media, or the impact of the war in Ukraine, the economic crisis and the pandemic.
As a result of this new state of affairs, which is taking shape in the media landscape, CNA is now called upon to play an even more important role. Moreover, we must not forget - I know this very well from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - that the CIF is a valuable source of information for our Diaspora, for foreign diplomatic missions in Cyprus, for international organisations and institutions, and, at the same time, it is used by our own diplomatic missions abroad.
In this context, the role of CNA, together with the Press and Information Office (PIO), in the upcoming second Presidency of the Council of the European Union by the Republic of Cyprus in the first half of 2026 is expected to be of particular importance. I know from personal experience - from the first Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus in the second half of 2012, when I was the Presidency's Press Spokesperson in Brussels - the crucial role that the CBC and the GCO played both outside Cyprus and within our country.
For all the reasons I mentioned above, as a State we strongly support the Agency and meet every justified request related to staffing and technological upgrading issues. We have a serious outstanding matter involving the building. It is a shame that we have been paying rent for so many years and that there is no privately owned building for the CFCA. It is an issue that we will resolve.
I want to congratulate you, the Board of Directors, the Management Team, all those who work at the CIF who have made it - I want to mention this aspect as well, we discussed it recently in the Council of Ministers - a model semi-governmental organization and in financial management. It is something that we recognise.
I also congratulate the journalists, the photographers, the filmmakers, the administrative staff for their professionalism and dedication. And of course to congratulate those who excelled and those who participated in the competition, as well as the jury.
I want to congratulate the AEC. It is important to have this kind of support from the AEC, it is something that honours both its Board of Directors and its management staff.
(PM/GM/MS/MS)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
