Roy Thomson believed totally in the power of mass media to drive positive change in society
The philosophy evolved from his international post-war media empire. In 1962, it became the cornerstone of the charitable foundation he set up to champion free, fair and open media in the developing world
The subsequent 50 years have seen the Thomson Foundation play a vital part in raising journalistic standards around the world
Canadian-born media magnate Lord Thomson set up the foundation to help journalists and news media in the developing world establish the skills that would help them inject strong governance into their societies. In a landmark speech in early 1963 he declared that "communication is surely the spine of civilisation." As he travelled the world to build up his media empire, he became convinced that all journalists should have access to good training in how to report fairly, incisively and freely.
Worldwide (UK)
1962
Thomson Foundation history
"Communication is surely the spine of civilisation. The needs of developing countries are, above all, education and national integration. For both, mass media are all-important weapons"
