The Role Of Free Press In A Democracy

If you don’t question the authority the authority will itself seize to exist, and in that lies the true essence of press in a country. In the 21^st century where political manipulation is large on the map and governments are always on the look out to socially and economically benefit themselves the role of press is no longer to broadcast a news story that took place in some alley of some city, or to not just tell the new policies of governments in plain black and white. It is fundamental for the press in today’s time to question. Question new policies, Question old statements and their new versions, Question old ideologies and current view points. The minute there is fear of press in any governments mind there is social progress in that nation.

In recent times where governments are out on the blocks to control media houses and force them to print puff pieces on the achievements of the regime, in an era where “finding the truth” is secondary to pleasing the Big brother on the throne it is absolutely necessary to remember the ethos of journalism; TELL THE TRUTH. The truth can be detrimental to peace in your own life, the truth can be hard to find, it can be impossible to report, it can even possibly just be a figment of your own imagination; however as soon as you uncover the truth the societal implication of that story will have waves touching the urban and rural population of the country and helping to create an aware mind out of the rock brain that now seldom exists due to propaganda minded news reporting by media houses on the payroll of ministries.

With the growing weapon of defamation cases on media houses that question the government, the media houses suffer under the cost and loss of resources and time that one goes through by fighting these defamation cases. The dilemma of economically successful press outlet and a media outlet reweaving the social fabric of a nation continues to grow, after allprofit as an incentive is candy for media outlets as well and not just capitalistic firms. How does one address this social conundrum of either making money or reporting hard hitting stories? This is where the involvement of the general public comes in, and how the society needs to work in coherence with the free press.

In any nation the government of the day is just a reflection of the people of that nation; although it is true that governments manipulate citizens beliefs through endless tricks-the most recent being social media- no government can tip the mindset of the majority in a certain direction it can only bring it out in the forefront, and this is where the role of citizens overlaps the role of free press. A reticent population and supporter of any government is equivalent to social terrorism and often seeing how brainwashed the citizens are the press starts to indulge in embedded journalism, where they run stories that the majority will watch thus increasing their trp’s. The press withers away the ability of the population to question those that govern them. In such a case the press needs to create doubt in peoples mind by examining the government’s decisions, because as long as the fire of doubt is stoked the bricks of progress will churn out. Doubt will transcend into question, questions will transform into action, and action into protest, and if history is to be a witness protest of a genuine nature always bares the fruit of social success; however the press needs to plant that seed, the doubt must originate from the press, and doubt can only take birth on the backhand of research. It is thus rudimentary for the press to analyse records of the government and comprehend them keeping social welfare as a stakeholder in mind.

The press can no longer just exist; it has to co-govern the nation as a vocal opposition. The press guards the soverginity of a nation, it upholds the constitution; however for that the press needs to be aware, unapologetic and morally right only then a democracy can breathe amongst this toxic air of fascist governance.

News can no longer be manufactured it has to be reported, and this is what the NATION WANTS TO KNOW.