It is always great when free speech triumphs in the face of opposition. In the case of Charlie Hebdo, it has made a sweeping victory. In the wake of the violent attack on the satirical magazine, demand has increased for the publication, and Hebdo is looking to deliver.
The magazine is planning its biggest printing yet next month – one million copies – with a little help from The Fund of Digital Innovation, which is funded by internet giant Google. Many other French papers have donated money to fund this printing, which far exceeds the paper’s usual average printings of 30,000 a month.
The director of Fund of Digital Innovation told the Guardian that the donations were an important message to send about enabling the freedom of speech, even when you don’t agree with it.
“We are a fund for the press. We must enable them to be able to write, even if we don’t agree, it’s a question of diversity of speech.”
He added: “The fund is trying to figure out a way to provide a financial support to Charlie Hebdo. We’re working on a process in order to find an exceptional answer to an exceptional situation. The role of the fund is to help the press. We’re playing our role. But we are still working on the technical process.”
While many gather to mourn the loss of the 12 people who were killed in the attack, eight of whom were journalists, it is great to see others creating a coalition to support Charlie Hebdo and the power of free speech.
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