Freedom of Press Amidst Pandemic Dec 30th

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This moment of our lives has demonstrated how critical it is to have accurate, reliable, and timely information. Governments have a moral and legal obligation to be clear about their decisions and to protect people's lives. In times of global health emergencies, educating the public about the pandemic, guaranteeing that health data is accessible to all, and ensuring that healthcare professionals have access to up-to-date worldwide information about the disease is very important. Today, we will emphasize the significance of press and information freedom in times of worldwide crisis.

Last year, a record of 274 journalists were behind bars globally. This number comes from the Committee to Protect Journalists’ survey, surpassing the previous high of 272 in 2016. China, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia are the worst violators in the field. This is because these countries have authoritarian governments.

Freedom of expression is not an exclusive privilege for politicians or journalists. It is a basic and universal human right. In that sense, journalists are simply practicing every citizen's right to free speech in their daily work. The right of print and publishing electronic media (newspapers, magazines, books, television, radio, film, and websites) to report, release news and circulate opinion without being controlled by the government is called freedom of the press.

In a democratic society, a free press is crucial as it gives a platform for a diverse range of perspectives to be presented. Press is said to be the public's watchdog, activist, and protector on a national, regional, and local level. It seeks out and disseminates news, information, ideas, commentary, and opinion, as well as encouraging transparent and accountable governance. They serve as an educator, entertainer, and record keepers.

Yearly, the World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) assesses the state of press freedom in 180 countries and territories. This 2021, they found that the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the limitation of press freedom, the spreading of misinformation, and the increase of repression. Journalism, which is arguably the best vaccine against the virus of disinformation, is completely or severely blocked in about 73% of those nations evaluated. 

For the sixth year in a row, Norway is still in first place, followed by Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. This implies that the Nordic countries' approach to press freedom continues to be strong. China, Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Eritrea, which placed 180th, are at the bottom of the index. 

Students who have an interest in a journalism career may be excited by the prospect of reporting live in front of a camera, while others prefer to work in production behind the scenes. Journalism’s discipline and introduction to the many methods used to convey information and news to a large audience are the foundation courses for an aspiring student. They will learn vital skills such as storytelling, reporting on sensitive themes, and journalism law and ethics.

News is a sort of communication that keeps us up to date on current events, issues, and people in the world. It serves as a tool to empower those who are informed. As a result, journalism's goal is to equip citizens with the information they need to make the best decisions possible about their lives, communities, societies, and governments.