Q: Thank you very much Marianne Pearl for being with us today. I will ask you a few questions. Your husband went to the frontline to do his work and paid his courage with his life, what is your message to the world on the protection of journalists?

MP: Well, I'm not a safety specialist but the truth is, you know, that journalists used to think that because they were journalists nobody would touch them. They were kind of a protected community in the world. Obviously its no longer true. And as you mentioned, Danny got killed but it was not even like in Afghanistan like the other people got murdered as well. They were at the frontline. They were in the battle. Danny was an investigative reporter so even people who are the second frontline now are entitled to, you know, suffer probably security problems. So I think my message to the world, I mean definitely there's two messages. One is that we should not allow the terrorists to win in the sense that if we -- you know, if we don't go anymore then they've won. That's for sure.

Now the safety is a real problem, you know, for which I don't have an answer, a straightforward answer. But I do think that there is the responsibility of the media that people work for to ensure that the safety is taken care of, of the states. And I have a little, you know, special thought for all the freelance journalists who have no insurance. You know, I've seen a lot of them going to Afghanistan because they could get assignments and had no protection whatsoever. If anything happened to them, you know, it was just like their own responsibility. So that's something that we should be aware of also.



Q: Freedom of opinion and expression is a basic human right and a condition of democracy. As we mark World Press Freedom Day do you consider that this freedom has made any progress?

MP: You know, I think I would like to take the question beyond in a way, you know, because as the world changes the world is becoming a global world for sure and I think journalism has to change as well. So to me -- like I was thinking about that question of freedom of the press and it's still true there is a problem of access of information for a lot of countries so we need to go and we need to keep going on these efforts, like in Tunisia or in Cuba, to ensure that journalists can do their work. But then I think there's something beyond that now also.

I think freedom of press, what do you mean -- like freedom to me is not like access to information but it's also, you know, independence of the journalists. You know, how free are they from their own media, especially probably the television networks. It's also, I think, freedom is also in a way it's a power because who else than journalists can go in a country and ask questions and meet other people. So to me this power now becomes more a responsibility than a power as such. So I think like there's a lot of thinking to do on how we do things and also why do we do them. So I think, you know, like there's also a question of freedom of press means also that the big media networks are not, you know, monopolizing information. You know, we need to balance also the input of journalists from other countries as such also. Freedom of press is also that, it's also making sure that all opinions are actually broadcasted and invaluable to people. So we have made progress I guess, you know, but there's a big redefinition of why we are journalists basically.



Q: In its efforts to fight terrorism the United Nations needs partners, is there a role for the media in the fight against international terrorism?

MP: I definitely think so. I think that's, you know, a conversation that we would have a lot with Danny because I think, you know, as I was saying like the problem become more and more global problems. So the media needs to follow in that, you know, perspective. And the first thing I was saying, you know, as I've said that journalists need to like, you know, overcome vested interests and, you know, narrow points of view, nationalistic points of view to have a global, you know, outlook in the world. But also I think the media has a responsibility of like being so committed to truth. You know, to fight against like conventional wisdom, to provide other opinion and that is ultimately really, really an important issue because no state is going to do it for them, or for us, you know? Who else is going to represent citizens? So not only they have a role but I think they have a crucial, we have a crucial role, yeah.



Q: Do you think we can ever have a world without terrorism and how will this come about?

MP: You know, ultimately I think, you know, a world -- like what's so striking about terrorists is that they don't care about their lives anymore, you know. That's like what, you know, scares people so much. They're ready to die. So in a way it is a kind of determination, you know, that we need to have even though we don't want to die. I mean it's not a problem cause it's not a value in itself to die, you know. It's why they do it basically, right? So these people have the kind of determination. So I think that the world and the United Nations, I mean talking about the United Nations, you know, I'm not a cynical person again about the United Nations because I think that it's not perfect as the world is not perfect, but then it's all to do something, to hold hands. Same with law enforcement has to come together to fight international terrorism. I think the media also has to come together to fight against them. So the only way we're going to get rid of this problem is, you know, ultimately addressing the root causes of terrorism and that also is a role for the media because I do think journalism is close to education in that way.



Q: Thank you very much Mrs. Pearl for being with us today and sharing your thoughts. Thank you so much.