Freedom of the Press

Freedom of the Press must be safeguarded as a vital underpinning of a free society to allow newspapers and news media to fulfil their essential democratic role in questioning and holding up to account those in positions of power.

Freedom of expression should always be respected as a matter of priority in any initiative or legislation proposed by national decision-makers, which could have a direct or indirect impact on the activities of the independent press.

A free press however is bound by the obligation to reflect the rights of individuals and have regard for the public welfare.  As such, NewsBrands Ireland was instrumental in establishing the Office of the Press Ombudsman and Press Council of Ireland, which provide readers with a free and fair mechanism for making complaints about a newspaper or magazine article.