Nazish, from Pakistan, talks about the importance of the freedom of the press with regard to America's press and how she perceives it.
In America, the capacity to a free press is protected by the Constitution of the United States, yet no freedom is completely protected. Given its initial history as a worldwide advocate of freedom of speech, the United States frequently obtains subpar ratings whenever it relates to media freedom. In 2019 on the World Press Freedom Index, the United States dropped to 48th out of 180 countries.
In my opinion, a free press is crucial since it plays a large role in educating readers and viewers about crucial political processes and activities.
First off, some may believe that the press tries to damage others', specifically politicians, reputations. But, these press smears (when the press tries to damage one's reputation) are as ancient as the country itself. Washington famously snarled at "notorious wordsmiths" that chronicled his presidency. However, our democratic predecessors understood that whenever the press scrutinizes the operations of the department, the country gains. Media outlets uncover fraud and cover-ups, manipulations and falsehoods, unlawful conduct and illegal conduct, holding public officials and agencies responsible, whether that's a conservative town in Ireland or the state legislature in Chicago.
A free press energizes and informs the country's population by disseminating information and creating discussion. If the public is enlightened, freedom would be a "short-lived treasure," because freedom would be so easy to obtain, as George Washington famously observed. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, media freedom is crucial to the interests of the nation.
The First Amendment in the American constitution is among the most important pronouncements in social justice existence. It states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” That is, with very few exceptions, we, the public, can voice whatever we believe. As a result, the press has the freedom to voice whatever they believe.
One of the most vital components of democracy is freedom of the press. A government cannot thrive without even free media. In reality, the media is an excellent vehicle for communicating the facts to individuals. As a result, it is the obligation of the press to keep an eye out for children's welfare, for example. The press monitors our rights. The press keeps a close eye on people in power to guarantee that they do not abuse it. The press speaks out when a societal evil lurks. Thus, freedom of the press is necessary.
"If privileges are taken away from the media, the unheard will be silenced."
We rely on the press to gather, analyze, and spread information that influences our judgments. If the press is not allowed to freely distribute information, the public would be in darkness. If privileges are taken away from the media, the unheard will be silenced.
Furthermore, we have seen how press suppression is a little short of tyranny. Whenever the public demands press restrictions, it is evident that they are attempting to conceal something. As a result, people will be duped into believing that there's nothing wrong with the administration.
When no outlet exists to tell the facts, the state will achieve ultimate authority. In summary, press freedom is critical to the proper operation of democracies. It is critical for individuals to be aware about what is going on in the country. One has to be able to criticize or comment on the administration.
*Prompt taken from the New York Times list of argumentative topics.