Christiane Amanpour speaks to Foreign Press about the future of journalism
In December 2020, CNN’s chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, accepted the Honorary Award of the Year from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents (AFC-USA) in recognition of her lifetime contributions to the excellence of journalism. Amanpour, who is also the host of PBS’s “Amanpour & Co.,” spoke to viewers of her hopes for the future of journalism, and what journalists must do to prevent another fake-news epidemic.
Respect for Journalism: Amanpour, decked out in a light brown blazer, the glass AFC award by her side, first spoke of how she believes the Biden-Harris administration will respect journalism and its place in America’s civil society.
Amanpour spoke of her hopes that journalists will no longer be accused of fake news, or be insulted by “the highest official in the land” -- a reference to former-President Donald Trump. With Trump out of office, and respect placed back on the journalism field, she is faithful that other citizens, who were encouraged by the last administration, will stop taking their anger and frustration out on journalists.
Courageous Reporting: Amanpour wants journalists to take advantage of the opportunity to relaunch their ability to “report without fear nor favor” under the new American presidential administration. Journalists need “to be aware that no democracy is solid without a free, fair and independent journalistic community,” she said. Her strong beliefs were inspiring and empowering to viewers. Encouraging them to recommit to these ethics
The Last Four Years: Amanpour went on to speak about the tumultuous last four years under the Trump-Pence administration. She informed listeners that the administration under former-President Trump taught journalists that they can’t give their journalistic platforms to just anybody to use, even if that person holds the most powerful American office. Whether the medium is broadcast, cable, radio, digital, or print journalism, journalists must protect their platforms from the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories.
“There must be a new contract between us the journalist, and them, the elected officials, or any other actor in leadership roles around the world,” Amanpour said. “If they don’t tell the truth or deliberately lie, we are going to hold them accountable and we are not going to offer them unfiltered and unfettered access to our platforms.”
Parting Words: Amanpour ended her speech by congratulating the seven winners of the AFC-USA scholarship. She then left viewers with one last inspirational piece of advice:
“As journalists, we must always be committed to holding elected officials accountable for respecting the rule of law and for respecting democratic institutions. Of course, the basis of all of this is fact and truth.”