Op-Ed: Press freedom and its role in our society

In order to appreciate the importance and significance of press freedom in a free society, we must first understand what exactly press freedom is all about.
Freedom of the press is about the freedom of expression or communication in a free society that adheres to Art. 19 of the universal declaration of human rights which states, among others that:


"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." But what are the limits of press freedom? How can accountability and integrity be reconciled with freedom (or license)? Is there such a thing as a really free press when the owners of media clearly are sacred cows? How is citizen journalism changing the definition of press freedom? Limits of press freedom Press freedom won't adhere to the universal declaration of human rights if it suppresses citizens' rights to speak out his mind on issues that affect him, his family and the society where he belongs. But speaking out what's on your mind has its limits. Art.19.org says that most expressions are protected under the right to freedom of expression from interference by the state that adheres to the declaration. These inherent rights have limits?which include among others, the rights or reputations of others, national security, public order, public health and morals, Read more: How can accountability and integrity be reconciled with freedom? While the universal declaration of human rights guarantees freedom of expression for everyone, press freedom should be anchored on public accountability for practicing journalist as well as media establishments or the press. By the very nature of press freedom as defined in Art.19, it becomes almost untenable even for lawmakers to craft a law on press freedom without contradicting the guarantees that most constitutions of free nations provide. Therefore the better alternative is to enhance the existing universal journalistic rules and provide strict measures on self-regulation. The goal of strengthening media self-regulations, especially in the developing world with known autocratic rules, should be to provide protection for members of the journalistic profession as well as media outlets. Most importantly, they should be accountable to the public. It is quite difficult to reconcile press freedom with accountability particularly in places or countries with legislated media rules. Media ownership in particular could become a source of media censorship in order to protect the interest the owners. This is where accountability fails in favor of some political or even financial gains. Similarly, journalists who are not under the jurisdiction of certain self-governing rules of the journalistic profession, could also be another source of censorship or non-disclosure of facts in order to protect his benefactors. Therefore it would be preferable to craft the rules or even to enhance the ethical standards of journalists and the press with utmost independence particularly from the pressures of some lawmakers with known vested interests. Is there such a thing as free press? Free press thrives only in places where self-regulations by both journalists and the press are strong and their members are dedicated to their respective professions and causes. In some developing countries with history of autocratic rules, there is barely press freedom to speak of. This is mainly due to the absence or weak self-regulation in the practice of journalism. It is also possible, the political environment in the country is one that is conducive to abuse of press freedom by certain people with business and political interests. Media is a very powerful tool for some people who know how to use it in the pursuit of their business or political interests. In governments where there is free press with liberal media rules, business and political leaders have capitalized on this liberality. How is citizen journalism changing the definition of press freedom? Citizen journalists, more often referred to as bloggers, have not just changed the definition of press freedom but it has radically challenged the limits of the universal freedom of the press. The advent of social media (Facebook and Twitter in particular) has given just about anyone who wants to be heard (or seen), the platform to say his piece?for free. In social media, one has to agree only on certain house rules that prohibits certain acts such as plagiarism, pornography, etc. Many of today's citizen journalists who are former technocrats are doing their part in shaping public opinion on issues that matters to everyone in his circle of friends or in a society where he belongs. In recent years, citizen journalism has evolved in so many ways. It has empowered non-journalists to express their views on almost all issues that matter to society based on facts or perceptions. Citizen journalists have gained popular acceptance through the years as part of the journalistic profession. Some have impressive background in journalism and mass communications but many of the budding citizen journalists have only their keyboards to hit and their minds to speak up. Citizen Journalists should not be regarded as a threat to the career of a seasoned journalist who took up years of academic journalistic pursuit in order to become a polished professional journalist.

Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/336493

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