Freedom of the press

Media - Out of the borders

A precious privilege that no one can give up

by Yusuf Taşkıran

Freedom of the press, which is based on the Declaration of Human Rights, is an indispensable part of the freedom of information for people. The most important feature of the press is that it must present news and information to the public in an accurate and impartial manner. A journalist who receives the news by using the freedom of the press and informs the public should also make news by taking into account social benefits. Where there is no freedom of the press, other freedoms cannot be mentioned. The first regulation on this issue is found in the American Constitution. Thomas Jefferson, the former President of the United States of America, who was also a jurist, said: “I prefer a press without a government to a government without a press.”

“ Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this freedom includes the right not to be harassed for his opinions and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas by any means and regardless of frontiers.”

Article 19 of the Declaration of Human Rights

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It is observed that pressures on the press increase from time to time all over the world. The pressures faced by journalists in conveying information accurately means that the most fundamental right to convey and receive news is violated. It can be explained with examples from history that freedom of the press in particular has been subjected to the impositions of regimes such as fascism in the past, and in the early 20th century, these were tried to be suppressed in different ways, with some restrictions and coercion. In fascist Nazi Germany, the press was seen as a tool serving the government. It is possible to give examples from the history of the press facing certain restrictions by states. In Mussolini’s Italy or Hitler’s Germany, the Press Chambers, of which journalists were obliged to be members in order to put pressure on journalists, completely abolished freedom of the press.

Factors restricting and affecting freedom of the press

Censorship is one of the most important practices that adversely affect freedom of the press. Censorship is a practice that prevents the free transmission of news and attempts to regulate and manipulate it. Apart from censorship, other factors affecting the freedom to receive and transmit news are the lack of union security, the inability of newspaper employees to freely express their opinions, the lack of personal security, the monopolization of the press and commercial relations with the state.

One of the biggest problems limiting press freedom today is the monopolization of the media. According to available statistics, media freedom has been deteriorating worldwide in recent years. Pressures on the media are increasing both in developed societies and in authoritarian states. Another concept that exists to protect and sustain freedom of the press is press ethics. It is important that no one imposes the rules to be followed by a free press on the press. The intervention of forces outside the press, the most important of which are political powers. External interference by forces outside the press will lead to the emergence of wrong practices.The press should determine its own code of ethics and apply it independently. States should not interfere with the freedom of the press and should support the press to ensure its own control in line with its own principles.

2022 World Press Freedom Index

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Freedom of the press today

According to the 2022 press freedom report, Norway, Denmark and Sweden rank first in terms of countries with a free press, while China, Myanmar, Turkmenistan, Iran and North Korea are among the 28 countries with very poor press freedom. In addition, Russia, which invaded Ukraine, draws attention among the unfree countries with its censorship during the war. According to the press freedom report, Greece ranks last among European countries. The report takes into account the number of imprisoned journalists, the number of journalists who have been kidnapped, physically attacked or exiled, and the relationship between the media and governments in each country. Nowadays, governments are searching for various ways to control the media. They find new methods to destroy fair and honest journalism.They use their financial power to prevent people from accessing accurate news through laws that are incompatible with human rights and freedoms. The new media of the imperialist order presents the events to the peoples of the world by distorting the facts in line with their own interests.

Freedom of the press includes the right of the people to receive news, to be informed and to learn the truth. If the people cannot receive news, learn about events accurately or if the revelation of events is prevented by the government, then there is no freedom of the press in that country.

“Freedom of the press is a precious privilege that no country can forego.”- Mahatma Gandhi

Journalists and media workers affected by press freedom

The individual’s right to express his/her thoughts, censorship, self-censorship, inequality in justice and violations of rights should not be forgotten. It is not possible to talk not only about freedom of the press but also about fundamental rights and freedoms in countries where there are still about 500 journalists in prisons and the number of unemployed journalists is growing like an avalanche. Turkey, China and Egypt account for more than half of all journalists imprisoned in the world.

The intensity of repression varies from country to country, but the aim is always the same: To prevent the press from fulfilling its role as a check on power. If the facts cannot be reported or the basic concept of truth is watered down, political leaders can do as they please without being responsible for the consequences. Even in the world’s most effective democracies, large segments of the population no longer receive unbiased news and information. This is due to the authoritarian environments created, such as the imprisonment of journalists and restrictions on media independence. Among these methods, government-sponsored privatized media are an obstacle to honest journalists. The aim is to ensure that the press serves those in power, not the people.

Rapidly advancing information and communication technologies have had a profound impact on democracy worldwide. The media, which had been subjected to censorship and surveillance by the world’s authoritarian regimes, began to use new platforms for the free dissemination of news. In recent years, they have extended their influence beyond their borders to silence critics, overthrow democratic governments and reshape international norms and institutions to serve their interests.

The ability of journalists to report freely on matters of public interest is a very important indicator of democracy. A free press can inform citizens about the successes or failures of their leaders, communicate the needs and aspirations of the people to government bodies and provide a platform for the open exchange of information and ideas. When media freedom is restricted, these vital functions are impaired.