WORLD PRESS FREEDOM Day is celebrated every year on May 3, an observance which began three decades ago at a UNESCO conference in Namibia in 1991. According to UNESCO, the day serves “as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.” On the occasion this year, Pope Francis urged the media ‘to help in efforts to strengthen the common good.’ The pope had earlier observed that “freedom of the press and expression is an important index of the health of a country.”
While addressing members of the Foreign Press Association of Italy at the Vatican two years ago, the pope had urged journalists “to work according to truth and justice, so that communication is truly an instrument for building, not for destroying; for meeting, not for clashing; for dialoguing, not for monologuing; for orienting, not for disorienting; for understanding, not for misunderstanding; for walking in peace, not for sowing hatred; for giving a voice to those who have no voice, not for being a megaphone to those who shout louder.”
The press, in principle is revered as the Fourth Estate of the state. But, around the world the powers that be have always found the press a thorn in the flesh. This reality of stifling of freedom of the press led to the establishment of Press Freedom Day in 1991. But the scope and meaning of press freedom have undergone sweeping changes over the past 30 years. When the day was first observed, mass communication was limited to print, television and radio.
Over the past three decades, the advancement in communication technologies and the arrival of smartphones in particular have challenged the traditional role of the press. The press is no longer the sole source of news. With the possibilities of social networking platforms, ordinary media consumers suddenly began to enjoy the taste of freedom of expression. The concepts of the press and media communication have undergone a radical transformation. Literally, anyone could don the mantle of a journalist.
Together with all the advantages that new media brings n, there is also a great risk of disinformation and the spread of hate on social media platforms. This provides the perfect excuse for governments to keep the media under check to avoid unpleasant criticisms and to prevent hostile public opinion.
In his message for journalists on the Press Freedom Day in 2019, Pope Francis appealed: “We need journalists who are on the side of victims, on the side of those who are persecuted, on the side of who is excluded, cast aside, discriminated against.” These are segments of the society who have no voice and the press should be free to exercise its sacred responsibility to be the voice of the voiceless. Freedom of expression must be responsibly exercised to voice out the plight of the poor, the refugees and migrants, the abused and the oppressed.
Faced with hostile media on issues of sexual scandals and financial misappropriations, the Church itself has been under constant public scrutiny. But the pope appreciated the watchdog role of the media and urged the journalists to move on with courage: “The Church holds you in esteem, also when you put your finger in a wound, even if the wound is in the Church community.” jose, cmf
