Programs and Events

Stop the Presses! U.S. Embassy Vientiane Observes World Press Freedom Day at the American Center

Deputy Chief of Mission Mary Grace addresses college students at the Lao American Center

To mark World Press Freedom Day 2007, the Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Mary Grace McGeehan, spoke with a group of college students at the Lao-American Center on May 2 about the history of journalism in the United States and the ethical dilemmas faced by media organizations.

Ms. McGeehan, who worked for a television news organization before joining the Foreign Service, discussed the press freedom guarantees enshrined in the First Amendment and described the shift over time from partisan journalism to the ideal of objective reporting. She said that, like teenagers who suddenly get to make decisions on their own, early American newspapers were often reckless and irresponsible. Of course, there are still some publications that fit this description! She discussed the difficulty of balancing freedom and social responsibility, noting that other countries have different laws and cultural norms governing what news organizations can publish. This is a timely issue in Laos, since the National Assembly may soon consider a new media law.  

In a group exercise, the students took on the roles of senior editors and producers at major media outlets and debated how they would handle dilemmas similar to those that real-world journalists have faced. In evaluating whether to publish certain information, the students discussed whether publication would be insensitive to other cultures, whether the public would want to see the information, and whether their actions could create public disturbances or, in other cases, save lives. Each group then reported on the decision they would make as leaders in this difficult business.