Contest : Freedom of the Press, Voice of the People-Your Thoughts Matter

 

What role does the press play in society? Why is it important for a healthy democracy?

The press in any country plays a vital role in amplifying the voice of the people and highlighting government actions. It acts as an important watchdog, playing a key role in scrutinizing the functioning of the government and drawing attention to any alleged injustice or shortcomings committed by any state actor.

I am not saying we as a country are on top but our ranking is not that bad in press freedom compared to other countries. The major challenges to press freedom in India include the concentration of media in the hands of a few individuals or entities (i.e., corporate and political hijacking of media institutions).

Media ownership can lead to a lack of diversity of viewpoints, dominance of specific narratives or agendas, and a limitation of pluralism of expression, which can hinder the ability of journalists to report freely.

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Is social media a part of the press? Should freedom of expression be equally applicable there as well?

Until a few years ago, due to a lack of platforms and resources for expression, the opportunity to exercise the right to freedom of expression was limited and rare. Where could the public express itself? This right, this freedom of the common man, remained in vain.

There was no easily accessible platform for expressing the voice of the public, the interest of the public, the opinion of the public, the problem of the public, etc. TV, radio, and newspapers were out of the reach of the public, so the public was far from TV, radio, and newspapers.

Other people and other communication mediums raised their voices. The public was not able to express its views directly. Despite the strong desire for expression, the expression of the common man was dying.

Democracy was incomplete in the pain and groaning of expression. Freedom had no value in the absence of opportunity and platform. Which proved to be a big reason for the misery of the country and the people. Due to the voice of the people not reaching the top or outside, there was a pile of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, hunger, crime, corruption, and other problems.

The public remained sitting idle and mute. But today's social media network has worked to give the people the real freedom of expression. Social media has given freedom of expression to every user by opening the door of accumulated expression, providing a public platform for expression, and opening new channels of expression. Social media has made every person a journalist.

Today no one wants to remain untouched by its flow. Today the influence of social media has become such that the echo of a matter in a remote town can be heard in the corridors of power, the law comes into action, and a storm is created in politics.

Social media networks have emerged as such an easily accessible, easy, and quick medium of communication and expression that the number of people using the means connected to various networks has reached billions in the 21st century.

Social media provides the new channel of expression through social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, YouTube, LinkedIn, Peter Sate, MySpace, SoundClimate, and many more, giving users the ability and facility to quickly discuss, create, like, dislike, collaborate, form public opinion, run campaigns, mobilize, spread awareness, and share and refine information in the form of text, images, audio, and video.

Finally, I would like to say that social media has both advantages and disadvantages, and we can feel it.

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What would a society without press freedom look like? Can you imagine such a future?

The press should always be free and responsible, because it is the press that shapes public opinion, disseminates information, ensures accountability of the government and other powerful institutions, and helps educate and make the public aware.

In fact, the press plays the role of the true sentinel and watchdog of democracy. It is the press that promotes different ideas and viewpoints in a society and country, which helps the country and society to move forward on the path of development and progress. In fact, the press is the biggest tool for disseminating information.

It would not be wrong to say that a free press plays an important role in protecting democracy and promoting a transparent, strong, and accountable government. Today, along with strong political resolve, judicial determination is also very important to protect the freedom of the press.

In fact, freedom of the press means that it allows various journalists and media organizations to work without censorship or government interference.

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If you were a journalist, what topic would you write about and why?

As a part time journalist I always aim to measure the extent to which journalists, media organizations, and citizens are able to freely exercise their rights to gather, report, and access information, while also considering efforts by authorities to maintain this freedom.

I would focus specifically on press freedom and not assess the quality of journalism or broader human rights issues in the countries it evaluates.

My methodology would be:

To define press freedom as the ability of journalists, individually and collectively, to select, produce, and disseminate news in the public interest.

My emphasis would be on freedom from political, economic, legal, and social influences, as well as ensuring the safety of journalists, both physical and mental.

I shall keep the following five key indicators to assess my freedom as a journalist:

*Political context

*Legal framework

*Economic context

*Socio-cultural environment

*Security

That's all from me on this topic as an independent hobby journalist. I would like to extend my invitation to @sualeha @josepha and @memamun to show their views on this topic by @alfazmalek
Beneficiary @hindwhale