Department of Communication and Media Hosts Special Lecture by Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, President of International of The
- Date2024.05.28
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The Department of Communication and Media at Ewha Womans University (Dean Yoo Seung-chul) hosted a special lecture by Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, President of International of The New York Times, on May 21st (Tuesday) in Hak-gwan Room 251. The lecture, titled "The Interplay of Trustworthy, Independent Journalism and Democracy in Contemporary Society," attracted over 250 students and media professionals, demonstrating Ewha students' keen interest in journalism through enthusiastic discussions on the topic.
Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, President of International of The New York Times, delivers a lecture in Room 251 on May 21st
In his lecture, Dunbar-Johnson discussed the current crisis in journalism, characterized by the collapse of the traditional advertising-dependent journalism business model, the takeover of news distribution by major tech companies, and people’s increasing reliance and bias on information that aligns with their beliefs due to political polarization. He also pointed out that political leaders worldwide are posing unprecedented attacks on the legitimacy of the press in this crisis. Despite these challenges, he emphasized that "free press and democracy cannot survive without each other," and that "only a free press can monitor government corruption, ensure political leaders act honestly, and maintain trusted democratic institutions and fair markets."
However, he also acknowledged the shortcomings within the media industry, stating, "The media must effectively demonstrate why journalism is crucial in this society." He stressed the importance of the press acknowledging its mistakes and transparently correcting them for its independence.
(From left) Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, President of International of The New York Times, Professor Park Sung-hee and Professor Lee Geon-ho of Ewha Womans University
Following the lecture, Dunbar-Johnson engaged in a Q&A session with Professor Park Sung-hee as an MC, Professor Lee Geon-ho, and the students. The session was held more than 40 minutes beyond the planned time since there were numerous questions.
In response to a question about press freedom in South Korea, referencing a recent report by Reporters Without Borders showing a decline in South Korea's freedom of speech ranking, Dunbar-Johnson affirmed that South Korea guarantees freedom of speech under Article 21 of its Constitution. He added that The New York Times would continue to maintain part of its Asia bureau in Seoul. In 2020, The New York Times relocated its Asia digital news headquarters from Hong Kong to Seoul due to concerns over the erosion of freedom of speech in Hong Kong following the enactment of the National Security Law.
Addressing a question from Professor Lee Geon-ho about the survival strategies of media in changing market conditions, Dunbar-Johnson said, "I believe good journalism is good business. During tough times, we sent more correspondents overseas and invested more in visual and multimedia journalism. Good content is the foundation of everything."
Students who participated in the lecture appreciated the lecture as a valuable opportunity to reflect on the future of journalism. Wi Shin-ae, a student from the Department of Communication and Media, commented, "Dunbar-Johnson's answer about the importance of admitting one's mistakes in the pursuit of truth was a life lesson. Although I couldn't get a chance to ask my question due to the overwhelming number of questions, I now dream of becoming a journalist and having the opportunity to directly ask Dunbar-Johnson my question in the future."
The lecture was organized by the Department of Communication and Media, and co-hosted by the Office of International Affairs and the Department of Public Administration. Meanwhile, The New York Times is providing free access to its online articles to students at over 200 universities in Korea, including Ewha Womans University, through an agreement with the Korea Education and Research Information Service (Director Jeong Jae-young). The Department of Communication and Media plans to continue facilitating various collaborations, including special lectures and industry-academia partnerships with global media companies.