In his sermon at St. Martin in the Fields last year on World Communication Day, Tim Martin, the Director of the World Media Trust, noted that "Free societies are built on the old truth that intellectual, religious, and press freedoms are inextricably linked - and are vital for individual and community liberties to flourish. So both the faith communities and news media have a proper vested interest in ensuring each others freedoms are jealously guarded. Such freedoms don't exist for their own sake, but for the building of open communities."

One only has to look at the development of totalitarian regimes whether in the then Soviet Union, Nazi Germany or Amin's Uganda to see that in their oppression of their own peoples the state first sought to subject those independent voices of opposition, the Church, the intelligentsia and the Press. For all three the desire to educate and inform according to different sets of values both feared by the state, meant an unacceptable opposition to totalitarianism.

And whilst the recent report of the Committee to Protect Journalists highlights this continuing trend in states which seek to repress journalists who question, so organisations such as Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release International and Amnesty International continue to work for those individuals whose Christian faith has led them to be held as prisoners of conscience.

My continuing prayers for Alan Johnston's freedom are grounded in the belief that the journalistic enterprise is a noble and worthy one. As Tim Martin also noted journalism at its best is always undertaken in service of the reader, listener or viewer and in the common cause of human rights and personal liberty, and therein lies the moral responsibility of the media. Journalists, whether imprisoned or not, deserve the supportive prayers of the faith communities and the critical solidarity of all lovers of freedom. It is also true to say that those people persecuted for their religious faith or laudable opinion deserve the attention of journalists.

The Hungarian-American newspaper publisher, Joseph Pulitzer, once remarked that the purpose of a newspaper was to "Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light."

My prayer for all of you this day is that you will be guided by the light that shines in accuracy and truth. That through truth you may inform and educate and that through education and information we may together build a better society where the way of truth and the light of truth becomes valued above all else.

It's for freedom under the law that you entered into journalism. Do not give away the birthright of helping to preserve the rule of law for the very thin stew of so called "social justice" - the contents of which can be rarely agreed upon. As guardians of the rule of law you must be at the same time, political philosophers, jurists, historical and moral theologians. And dare I suggest, biblical scholars, insofar as the issue of freedom under the law is extensively treated in the Sacred Scriptures, a solid dictum of experience which we have to take seriously - the journalist cannot afford to ignore it.

I salute you all. Continue to be sojourners after truth. God Bless.

Thank you for listening.

Dr John Sentamu
Archbishop of York