Freedom of Press

Freedom of Press

A significant characteristic of a democratic country is the presence of Freedom of the Press. It is regarded as one of the four pillars of democracy. Right to information is a human right.

Also, freedom of speech is a fundamental right of citizens of a democratic country (United Nations 2021). The press does the work to assure the right to information and freedom of speech remains effective in human society.

Press draws its power of freedom from the accountability of the government to the people of a country. Non – existence of freedom of the press is a clear indication of the absence of democracy in a country.

People are not able to get or find every information that is relevant to themselves (Britannica 2021. Differentiating false information from a true one is difficult.

People cannot reach out to the actual source from where genuine information can be gathered. The press plays this role for people and provides them with true information.

This role of the press is significant in maintaining democracy and minimize corruption in a country. However, to allow the press to carry its task successfully, freedom should be given to the organizations, groups, or individuals engaged in the work of the press.

Suppose the press is restricted to gathering information essay structure from any possible source (Newsmediauk.org 2021). In that case, people will not be able to receive the information they need to know as citizens of a democratic country. This would mean freedom of the press is required to keep the democratic system in balance in a country.

The responsibility of the press is to keep track of the activities of the bureaucrats and the government of a country. The press updates the people of the country about the actions taken by the government. People of a country trust the press to disseminate information after conducting the verification of facts presented through a piece of information. Therefore, the press has an immense influence on the people, thereby impacting them.

It is the press through which people make their voice reach the government and raise any concerns against any decision taken by the authorities. Press provides strength to the voice of the public. If the press in a country can conduct its activities without any barrier and with complete liberty, then people's freedom in terms of speech and expression would be ensured.

Therefore, freedom of the press must prevail all the time in a democratic country. Only then, the well-being of the citizen of the country can be maximized.

The press is present in various forms, and they are print media and electronic media. Newspapers belong to the print media type of press. On the other hand, Television news channels belong to electronic media. Print media is the earliest form of modern-day press. Millions of international, national and regional newspapers are there in the world that deliver information worldwide to people residing in a certain place in a certain country.

However, not every press organization covers all the area and gather all available information available in the world. One of the reasons behind the formation of so many press organizations globally is their limitation to collect information.

The limitation is due to the presence of technological, climatic, political, social and geographical barriers. Hence, every country in the world has its own press organizations that majorly cover the news related to the country and make people aware of the country's present situation. It is believed that freedom of the press will only prevail if a free exchange of opinions and information is there in a country.

Freedom of the press is so important that all the countries in the world observe and celebrate 3^rd May as World Press Freedom Day every year (UNESCO 2021). The day was suggested by UNESCO. According to UNESCO, freedom of the press means discussion about all the concerned individuals or groups that are part of the socio-economic part of the world.

No person, be it public or the prime minister of a country, is out of the purview of the press. However, one must be aware of the fact that freedom of the press does not imply the freedom of the press organization that is electronic and print media.

In specific freedom of the press is the freedom given to every citizen of a democratic country such that they can share opinions vocally or in writing (UNESCO 2021). No external entities like the government, religious bodies and any group of any form must not be allowed to interfere in the works of the press. This would help a country to ascertain the freedom of the press.

The print media and the electronic media should be the last to decide what to publish in the newspaper or being telecast on the TV (WAN-IFRA 2021). This power of freedom would also buy essay let the press organizations function neutrally and truthfully.

The effective and efficient functioning of a country is largely dependent on the freedom of the press. This is because the free functioning of the people of a country is only possible when there is freedom of the press in a democratic country.

The government of a country can act towards improving the well-being of its people only if there is freedom of the press as it lowers the possibility of corruption (American Civil Liberties Union 2021). The press not only restricts the government from taking adverse decisions but also creates awareness among the people to refrain from committing any illegal activities. Freedom of the press was first constituted by Sweden. The country passed the cat called the Freedom of the Press Act, and it was enacted in 1766.

The government that has the authoritarian power in a democratic country should protect the freedom of the press from any external influence. Along with that, print and electronic media organizations that carry the work of the press in a country should be encouraged (Freedom House 2021). They need to publish and telecast news and information that enhances the functionality of a country.

Reference

American Civil Liberties Union. 2021. "Freedom Of The Press". American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/freedom-press.

Britannica. 2021. "A Brief History Of Press Freedom". Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/250-years-of-press-freedom.

Freedom House. 2021. "Media Freedom". Freedom House. https://freedomhouse.org/issues/media-freedom.

Newsmediauk.org. 2021. "Press Freedom - Journalists And Freedom Of Speech". Newsmediauk.Org. http://www.newsmediauk.org/current-topics/press-freedom.

UNESCO. 2021. "Press Freedom On All Platforms". UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/themes/press-freedom-all-platforms.

UNESCO. 2021. "World Press Freedom Conference 2021 - Register For Virtual Participation". UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldpressfreedomday/2021/registration.

United Nations. 2021. "World Press Freedom Day - EN | United Nations". United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/observances/press-freedom-day.

WAN-IFRA. 2021. "Press Freedom - WAN-IFRA". WAN-IFRA. https://wan-ifra.org/about-us/press-freedom/.