The open lecture for journalism students from Ukrainian universities, as usual on Thursday, April 4, was held as part of the continuation of the certificate course “Truthful Reporting: Even When It Hurts” by the NGO “Platform of Student Journalism”. This time, the lecturer was a guest from Denmark, Leif Lonsmann, a media expert with over 40 years of experience as a journalist, chief editor, and CEO for the Danish National Public Service broadcaster (DR). Currently, he works as a senior advisor at the Nordic Journalist Centre and is a member of the International Press Institute (IPI).
Media and democracy, how do they coexist and depend on each other? Leif Lonsmann acquainted students with the role of a free press in democratic countries, emphasizing that the media should deliver truth to society and shape public opinion. They also discussed how the free media manifests itself as the fourth estate in a country.
“Free media provide information upon which people make decisions as citizens, as well as voters.”
The lecturer provided statistical data on which countries have the most free media. It was interesting to learn that the best situation with freedom of speech is in Scandinavian countries, while in Ukraine, there are some, albeit not critical, limitations observed.
The next lecture is scheduled for April 11.
