European Union Ambassador to Eswatini, Karsten Mecklenburg, called for greater protection of media freedom and support for journalists during an address to local media practitioners at the World Press Freedom Day commemoration held on 02 May 2025 at Mountain View Hotel in Mbabane.
The event, supported by the EU, brought together journalists and stakeholders under the local theme, “Implications of significant transformation in the media landscape and enhancing partnership for development with the European Union.”
Addressing attendees, Ambassador Mecklenburg said free, independent, and pluralistic media remains essential to building strong democracies. He warned that threats and violence against journalists continue to pose a danger to freedom of expression, and he encouraged the media fraternity in Eswatini to stand firm in their watchdog role.
He pointed to global programmes supported by the EU that defend press freedom and protect journalists in danger, including initiatives in the Western Balkans, Cambodia, and Afghanistan.
This year’s international theme, “Reporting in the Brave New World: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media,” was also discussed. The Ambassador said AI is transforming journalism by improving content creation, data analysis, and multilingual access, but warned that it also introduces risks such as misinformation and disinformation.
He said the EU is actively countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) through platforms like EUvsDisinfo and the European Digital Media Observatory, to ensure citizens access accurate and credible information.
Journalists were urged to remain committed to fact-based reporting and to continue holding power to account, as essential players in democratic society.
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