It wasn’t lost on us on Saturday when U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton landed in Haiti, was swarmed by reporters and immediately asked, “Where is the Haitian press?” Her question prompted organizers to move members of the Haitian media to the forefront so that they would have as equal access as the throngs of foreign media covering the earthquake tragedy on the island nation. As the media continue to report on what will be a story for months, if not years, we hope that government officials and aid organisers will keep in mind the need for transparency and access to information for reporters around the world. At no greater time than during a war or a major disaster are we reminded of how critical the press is in imparting knowledge and holding organisations and governments, and sometimes citizens, accountable. Here at IPI, we are, like the rest of the world, saddened by last week’s events in Haiti and we unequivocally support our colleagues who are on the ground there doing what they do best.

While Haiti’s reputation on freedom of the press has not always been impressive, despite a constitution that prohibits censorship except in the case of war, the country has made significant progress in recent years, particularly when it comes to impunity. In 2008, President Rene Preval created the Independent Commission to Support the Investigations of Assassinations of Journalists, along with the media rights group SOS Journalistes, to take a serious look at prosecuting those who murder journalists for doing their job. We also applaud efforts to assist Haiti’s media workers, who are largely radio journalists, so that they can effectively tell the story of their nation’s tragedy and help their fellow citizens navigate the waters during this difficult time.