Sir, – While there is never any room for complacency in regard to the right of freedom of expression, for those who care about the health of the Irish media there is considerable comfort to be taken from the latest worldwide survey of media freedom. Ireland now ranks second in the world in regard to press freedom (News, May 3rd). This is a rise in world rankings from 15th five years ago. What this means is that in terms of access to information and absence of restrictive controls, Irish journalists operate in a climate which allows the delivery of quality journalism which is in the public interest. With the implementation of the reforms proposed in the review of the Defamation Act 2009, it is not unreasonable to hope that Ireland may be first in the world index in years to come. Of course it is not just about press freedom, there also has to be resourced investigative journalism, as well as the provision of accurate and impartial reporting. It is now up to proprietors, editors, reporters and commentators to deliver! – Yours, etc,
PETER FEENEY,
(Press Ombudsman, 2014-2022),
Dublin 6.