Governments told to stop interfering with media operations

Germany’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Andrea Nahles has urged governments across the globe to stop meddling with the affairs of the media for the Fourth Estate to enjoy its freedom.

Delivering a keynote speech Tuesday to participants of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum at the World Conference Centre in Bonn City, Germany, Nahles said political influence limits freedom of
the press and public access to the media.

“True media freedom can only exist where there is free press, Media has to be better protected from political influences,” she said.

Besides politics, Nahles also observed that journalism has a come under intense pressure due to digitalisation, urging media practitioners  to be factual when reporting.

The conference, which has attracted over 2 000 journalists from around the world, has mainly centred on Freedom of expression and media bias.