The stellar list of contributors to this book includes Nobel Prize winner and Columbia University Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Irrational Exuberance author Robert Shiller, and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabrieаххогl Garcia Marquez The theme on which they areall passionate is the importance of a free and independent press As World Bank President James D Wolfensohn points out in the foreword to this book, "a free press is not a luxury It is at the core of equitable deveбеыьлlopment" Contributors to this volume explore the role of the media as a watchdog of government and the corporate sector, the media’s power to influence markets, its usefulness as a transmitter of new ideas and information, and its ability to give a voice to the poor and disenfranchised They also tackle the potential harm an unethical, propagandistic, or irresponsible press can cause and the impact of insult laws and other policies that hamper the operation of a free press Sevбпбноeral contributors describe the challenges faced by the media in specific countries, including the former Soviet Union, Thailand, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Zimbabwe—these are fascinating case studies and vivid illustrations of the media’s potential as a catalyst for change and growth Advance Praise for The Right to Tell: "I’ve been waiting for ten years for someone to put together a book like this The Right To Tell finally makes the case linking open media with economic growth and development Each article in this collection is like a building block in a public policy brief that places open media at the forefront of development strategy It follows Amartya Sen’s groundbreaking Development As Freedom with compelling arguments that independent media are essential to social development and economic growth Open media translates into transparency and government accountability, less corruption, participatory democracy, civil society and, yes, greater income This book is a muбсюндst read for policymakers who are only now waking up to the immense power of open media"--David Hoffman, President, Internews Network.