Friday, June 29, 2007

Toasting A Friend of Press Freedom...

Friday, June 29, 2007

The world of press freedom lost a true leader this past week. Dana Bullen, who for many years headed the World Press Freedom Committee, passed away June 25. A real ‘journalist's journalist,’ Bullen was foreign editor at The Washington Star, covered the U.S. Senate and Supreme Court, wrote a syndicated column and was selected as a Nieman Fellow. He headed the WPFC for 15 years, sitting in on many UNESCO meetings - where New World Information and Communication Order proposals were launched - lobbying behind the scenes to nip potential dangers in the bud. On an individual level Bullen also helped many journalists lacking institutional support by covering their legal bills through WPFC’s Fund Against Censorship. In 2000, Bullen was awarded the Inter American Press Association’s Chapultepec Grand Prize in recognition of his work for press freedom.

To see the New York Times obituary
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/us/27bullen.html?ex=1183608000&en=2e4f8a07d1090586&ei=5040&partner=MOREOVERNEWS

We welcome you to post a comment about Bullen

1 Responses to “Toasting A Friend of Press Freedom...”

Mark Bench said...
8:26 AM, June 30, 2007

Dana proves that one man can make an enormous difference. He was strong, brilliant and tenacious, uncannily focused on press freedom. He was able to see through what he called "code words" in proposed intergovernmental conference documents that could eventually lead to press restrictions. He orchestrated opposition from among World Press Freedom Committee's affiliates to those restrictions and was able, in numerous cases, to prevent their being adopted. We will miss him.

Mark Bench, Executive Director
World Press Freedom Committee


Post a Comment