End of freedom of speech will trigger end of democracy, Global Media Forum hears

The Global Medial Forum has kicked off in Bonn, Germany.

Speakers at the opening session on Monday said the end of freedom of speech will trigger the end of democracy, host Deutsche Welle said in a media release.

"The end of the freedom of expression is also the beginning of the end of democracy," Deutsche Welle's Director General Peter Limbourg said.

"When this point is reached, each and every one of us is called upon to demand freedom of expression loud and clear," he added.

In his opinion, there will be change only when people are able to communicate 'freely'.

“We need to rethink the way in which we perceive, demonstrate and spread our values,” Limbourg said.

Deutsche Welle's Director General Peter Limbourg delivers speech at the opening session. Photo: Deutsche Welle.

He cited Turkey to express his grief regarding the state of affairs in which limitations are being clamped on laws protecting freedom of expression instead of preserving those.

“In the heart of the EU, freedom of the press cannot be taken for granted,” the DW director general said.

With an eye cast on the nationalist-conservative powers in Hungary and Poland, Limbourg said, “But nothing – and I stress – nothing – justifies a limitation of the freedom of expression to be rooted within a democratic constitution.”

He also referred to the example of Germany. “Even here in Germany, the enemies of the freedom of the press are at work.”

Germany's President Joachim Gauck, in a video message addressed the audience.

“With the increasing abundance of information available online, we, as a global community, need to hold a debate about those values and orientations that dictate our ways of thinking, speaking and how we go about dealing with each other,” he said.

Pianist Aeham Ahmad from war-torn Syria plays at the opening session. Photo: Deutsche Welle.

“Never before have we had so many possibilities for acquiring information as we have today. But we see at the same time the increasing possibilities for manipulation and disinformation – and that this is being used scrupulously by some.

"For this reason it is so necessary to enshrine the media whose hallmark is one of reliable journalism, one which you can continue to trust. One which is incorruptible, which continues to remain fact-based. A medium whose reporting is serious,” he added.

Germany's Minister of State for Europe, Michael Roth said no political order can remain stable in the long term if it systematically violates the rights of its citizens.

"The free media need to do justice to their role as the fourth estate,” Roth added.

The release said more than 2,000 experts representing over 100 nations joined the three-day forum at the World Conference Centre.

This year's theme is “Media. Freedom. Values”.