Freedom of the Press
Freedom of the press means the freedom for publication of news in the newspapers and journals. It is the most important wheel of democracy. When the reporters, journalists, editors, correspondents of a newspaper can publish their news and views for the interest of the people without fear or any threat from the govt or any person or any quarter, we can say that there is freedom of the press. Freedom of the press is very essential to build a democratic society and a democratic country. Without a free press, a democracy cannot exist. A real democratic society always ensures the freedom of the press. A regimented society does not allow freedom of the press. Freedom of the press is necessary to build a corruption-free, accountable, and transparent society. In fact, the press is a great medium that conveys the truth to people. However, it cannot function fully if the press is not free. To establish harmony and peace, to ensure sustainable development, to protect the rights of people, to ensure social justice, to remove oppression, freedom of the press can play a very vital role. Press is called the fourth pillar of the state.
But the autocratic rulers, powerful business magnates, irresponsible bureaucrats, greedy capitalists are not ready to allow the freedom of the press. They think that if the journalists publish the news of their uninterrupted exploitation and misdeeds, people will be conscious and raise their voices against them. The press watches those in power to ensure they do not misuse it. In order to do this, freedom of the press is required.
The press has been given the responsibility of checking and balancing the administration and the government. When the freedom of the press is guaranteed by the constitutional law, an editor or a journalist or a reporter can express the true news fearlessly. Whenever there is a social evil lurking or corruption and oppression happens, the press is the first one to raise a voice. But a journalist should never publish the baseless, false, or fabricated news which may harm the sovereignty or security of a country or affect the interest and right of the people. They need to be vigilant and honest. Media has a powerful role to play in any form of government, whether democratic or totalitarian. The journalists are committed only to the people in general and to the country in particular. The information they distribute helps in shaping the views of the public. They are not accountable to any person, any organization, or any vested interest group or even any autocratic rulers.
When a citizen of a country becomes the victim of oppression, tyranny, exploitation, or injustice, the concerned persons of the newspapers and journals may come forward to save him and ventilate all the information through newspapers in favor of these helpless victims. If the press won’t have the liberty to do all this, the people will be in the dark. When the journalists enjoy the freedom of the press they can organize and mobilize public opinion against the misuse of the power of the rulers and misdeeds of administration. Thus only freedom of the press can ensure a free and real democratic society.
There are four pillars that support a working democracy – the executive, legislature, judiciary, and press. Freedom of the Press is important for people to be socially aware of happenings in the world. So it is needless to say that to build a real democratic state, a happy, prosperous, peaceful, and harmonious society free of the press is a must. One must have the power to criticize the government; it will keep the administration on their toes to do better for the country.
