Good evening everyone.
Thank you for inviting me, and thank you for the welcome.
I want to speak tonight in a way that is different from the usual opening remarks, because I believe this is one of those moments we will look back on.
A moment when the country was at a crossroads.
The world is changing fast. The pressure on families is real. The anger is real. The temptation to treat politics like sport, and truth like a weapon, is real.
And countries do not always weaken because of one dramatic event.
Sometimes they weaken because people stop believing in anything at all.
They stop believing that facts matter.
They stop believing that institutions can be fair.
They stop believing that their voice can change anything.
That is why I am saying this plainly tonight.
Democracy does not defend itself.
It is defended by citizens who stay engaged, and it is defended by institutions that take their duty seriously.
Among those institutions, the press holds a special place.
Journalism is not decoration in a democracy. It is part of the structure.
If the people are sovereign, then the people must have access to what is true, what is proven, what is happening, and what it means for their lives.
The press is not here to repeat what Brave says, or what Pintard says, or what any public figure says.
The press is here to test it.
To verify it.
To interpret it.
To explain policy in plain language so people can understand whether a decision is benefiting them, or failing them.
That is why I believe journalism is one of the last walls protecting our democracy.
John F. Kennedy once spoke about the responsibilities of the press in a free society, and his words land with force in a moment like this. He said the press must inform, arouse, reflect, lead, educate, and sometimes anger public opinion.
That is not a call to recklessness. It is a warning about duty.
A reminder that journalism must do more than entertain. It must do more than chase attention. It must protect the public’s right to know, and the public’s ability to decide.
So tonight, at this opening of Righteous Realignment Bahamas, I want to say we are at a crossroads in the national conversation.
Noise spreads faster than truth.
Outrage sells.
Cynicism is everywhere.
And if we are not careful, we will wake up in a Bahamas where people no longer trust anything, and where division becomes the default setting.
That is why I welcome any effort that says: we will choose responsibility.
We will pursue truth with fairness and wisdom.
We will examine leadership and institutions, not to destroy, but to strengthen democracy and public trust.
Now, I also want to speak directly to a group of people in this room, and across the country.
Our young journalists.
Because I want you to understand something.
The future of journalism in The Bahamas is not coming someday.
It is already here, sitting in newsrooms, holding microphones, writing scripts, cutting video, doing interviews, checking facts, and taking the heat that comes with asking hard questions.
Jose.
Jade.
Leandra.
Devonte.
Earyal.
Joshua.
Delvardo.
Marlena.
Linton.
Diane.
I want to call your names tonight on purpose.
Because you are the future, and this duty is going to rest on your shoulders.
And the duty is heavy.
It is not always glamorous. It is not always appreciated. People will praise you when your story helps them, and curse you when your story challenges them.
Some will try to pressure you.
Some will try to label you.
Some will try to turn you into a weapon for one side or the other.
Do not let them.
Your loyalty is to the public.
Your discipline is to the facts.
Your standard must be fairness.
Your work must be grounded in proof.
And when you do that, even people who disagree with you will know you are serious.
I also want to say this.
I see the work you are already doing. I see the hours. I see the risks you take to get it right. I see the restraint it takes to stay professional when the temperature is high.
I see the effort to keep the country informed when it would be easier to follow the crowd and chase clicks.
The Bahamas needs you, desperately.
And we need you trained, supported, and strengthened, because the challenges ahead are bigger than any one political moment.
That is why tonight I am making a commitment.
I am going to ask Cabinet to explore how we can invest in, and help develop, the future of journalism in The Bahamas.
How we can support training and professional development.
How we can build stronger pathways for young people to enter the field with skill and confidence.
How we can strengthen media literacy and standards in an age where misinformation can spread in seconds.
Because if we want a healthier democracy, we cannot talk about it only when something goes wrong.
We have to build it, and part of building it is investing in the people who carry the responsibility of truth.
So to Howard Grant and the team at Righteous Realignment Bahamas, I congratulate you on this launch.
The Realigner Newspaper.
Foundation Radio.
The Foundation with Howard Grant.
The podcasts.
Foundation TV, that is coming.
If you hold to the principle that media power must be balanced with responsibility, that truth must be pursued with fairness and wisdom, and that the public deserves clarity and context, then you will be doing something that matters for the whole country.
And to the young journalists I called tonight, and to those I did not call but who are working just as hard, hear this.
This is your time.
Carry the duty with discipline.
Carry it with courage.
Carry it with love for country and respect for the public.
If you do, years from now, we will look back at this moment and say, at a crossroads in our national life, The Bahamas chose truth over noise.
May God bless this work. May God bless you all.
And may God bless the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
Thank you.