Foreign Correspondents reminded the obligation of all journalists to demonstrate resistance against attempts by political powers to silence independent press

NEW YORK, NY , USA, August 9, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Association of Foreign Correspondents in the United States (www.ForeignPressCorrespondents.org) recently had the privilege of being the honorary guest at NASDAQ’s Closing Bell Ceremony in Times Square. The organization of foreign correspondents in the USA was represented at NASDAQ’s ceremony by its President and Columbia Knight-Bagehot Fellow Thanos Dimadis (www.ThanosDimadis.com), Chairwoman Nancy Prager-Kamel, Vice President Susan Modaress Tehrani, the Deputy Vice President Clarissa McNair, General Secretary Alan Jude Ryland, Treasurer Manoj Rijal, and members of the organization.

During his remarks on behalf of the Foreign Correspondents, President Thanos Dimadis expressed his gratitude for all allies and advocates for the freedom of the international press like NASDAQ and he stressed the importance for foreign journalists to not be intimidated by attempts from authoritarian regimes to silence them.

"Our credibility as journalists do not rely only on the fact-checking of the stories on which we work, but also, first and foremost, in the resistance, we have an obligation to demonstrate against attempts by political powers to silence us,” Mr. Dimadis stated; he continued by giving some examples: "There are several ways political powers can target journalists. By killing them, as we saw in the case of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi. By intimidating journalists from reporting the truth, as has happened in Turkey, where President Erdogan's regime imprisons journalists regularly and unfairly By discrediting journalists and to that extent the truth they report, as has happened during the last four years with the previous government in Greece.”

Thanos Dimadis also got the opportunity to share his own past experience as a foreign correspondent in the U.S. for Greek broadcast media. He recalled that in September 2016 Mr. Nikos Pappas, the former Minister of Information for SYRIZA, the previous Greek leftist government, used the state-owned news agency to diffuse a fake news story against Mr. Dimadis. Through this method, the Minister of Information Mr. Pappas attempted to silence and "punish" Mr. Dimadis as a journalist and foreign correspondent for undercover reporting designed to hold the Minister accountable for his use of public funds for a leisurely weekend trip in New York. Mr. Dimadis, who sued both the Minister and the government news agency in Greece for defamation regarding that fake news story, used his remarks on behalf of the Foreign Correspondents Association in the United States to send a strong message to all foreign journalists from across the globe urging them to "not to be afraid to speak out, show resistance, and denounce publicly any attempts to shut them down. As long as these examples tend to be the general trend globally we, as foreign correspondents and journalists, have to ensure that cases like the one mentioned above, will not be hidden underneath the rug".

As Chairwoman on behalf of the educational board of the Association of Foreign Correspondents, Nancy Prager-Kamel thanked NASDAQ and those who’ve supported the programs and scholarship awards that the Association provides each year to international journalists. "We are committed to aiding and amplifying the role of foreign correspondents in this country. As we witness a rise in verbal and physical attacks against the press across the globe, the Association of Foreign Correspondents will support them by providing the resources, tools, and experience to persevere. Towards this purpose our organization's mandate is to equip foreign correspondents with the resources they need to best serve their profession in the United States," Mrs. Prager-Kamel stated.

For more information, contact Vice President Susan Modaress at contact@ForeignPressCorresponents.org.

The Association of Foreign Correspondents in the United States (AFC United States) was established with an expanded mandate and mission to reflect the modern needs of foreign journalists in the United States. The main body of the organization is represented only by professional journalists who live and work in the country as foreign correspondents. In the 21st century, the Association of Foreign Correspondents was created to transform the movement of foreign correspondents in the United States and be their authentic voice of representation addressing and equipping them with greater access to informational resources, diversified skills, advanced knowledge seminars as well as networks of experts and enabling them to better serve their profession in the country. For information visit www.ForeignPressCorrespondents.org

Susan Modaress
ASSOCIATION OF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
email us here
+1 718-593-1984
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn