Thread by @KarrieKehoe

As today is #WorldPressFreedomDay I want to take a moment to reflect on the state of journalism in Ireland 🧵

We're lucky enough that in Ireland, journalists can work in relative safety, free from the fear of imprisonment for doing their jobs but we still have a way to go

A strong independent media means greater public accountability and a more resilient democracy, but our defamation laws are stifling and archaic. Huge court costs and uncapped damages can bankrupt an independent organisation and creates a chilling silence

We seriously need to reform our defamation laws so Ireland is no longer a desirable location for libel tourism, and to enshrine in the constitution greater freedom of expression for the media.

We should create a public fund to invest in investigative journalism, to award grants to Independent journalists and news organisations and to provide free training for students.

We should invest in our public broadcaster so they can do their jobs and not have to worry about keeping the lights on

Finally the @DublinInquirer is an amazing asset to Dublin and provides high quality local journalism. I wish there were twenty more papers like it in the country. We need funding for grants for independent media, subsidized or free office spaces and access to media lawyers

If we invest in journalism, we're investing in our democracy and ourselves. We could create a thriving media environment, greater transparency and an overall stronger society 🙂