Nicosia, Cyprus. The Cyprus Union of Journalists has raised concerns about what it called a growing trend of government and state officials avoiding questions from the press.
Union statement on officials and press questions
In a statement, the union said officials increasingly either refuse to take questions or fail to respond when questions are posed, adding that this practice “offers no service to the public good”.
The union said such behaviour undermines transparency, erodes public information and weakens critical scrutiny of public affairs.
“Journalists have a duty to ask questions and officials have an obligation to respond. Both engage in public discourse and are therefore subject to public judgement,” the statement said. “Journalists are judged on the quality of their questions and officials on the content of their answers.”
Two incidents cited by the board
The board said it censured two recent incidents. It said that on April 16 police chief Themistos Arnaoutis invited journalists to make statements but refused to answer their questions.
It also cited an incident following a cabinet meeting on April 21, when journalists waited but no official made any statements.
The union said this may have been a first, noting that “an extremely significant decision was taken regarding the arrival of the FBI in Cyprus”. It added that by avoiding statements, “potentially uncomfortable questions were also avoided”.
Call for officials to allow questioning
Acting on behalf of the journalistic community, the union called on state and government officials to recognise that journalists are not merely recorders of statements.
It said journalists investigate, question, seek, reflect, wonder and often challenge on behalf of the public in service of the public interest, and concluded that allowing the submission of journalistic questions is “non-negotiable”.
What steps should officials take to ensure journalists can ask questions in the public interest?
