The ability of journalists to report freely on matters of public interest is a crucial indicator of democracy. A free press can inform citizens of their leaders’ successes or failures, convey the people’s needs and desires to government bodies, and provide a platform for the open exchange of information and ideas. When media freedom is restricted, these vital functions break down, leading to poor decision-making and harmful outcomes for leaders and citizens alike.

Why is it important?

The press provides the platform for a multiplicity of voices to be heard. At national, regional and local level, it is the public’s watchdog, activist and guardian as well as educator, entertainer and contemporary chronicler. Press freedom is an essential pillar to any democracy. As the eyes and ears of the public, journalists must be able to report upon matters of public interest without fear of arrest or other forms of interference.

Freedom of expression, media freedom and safety of journalists

Free, independent and pluralistic media based on freedom of information and expression is a core element of any functioning democracy. Freedom of the media is in fact essential for the protection of all other human rights. Instances of torture, discrimination, corruption or misuse of power many times have come to light because of the work of investigative journalists. Making the facts known to the public is often the first, essential step to start redressing human rights violations and hold governments accountable.

Worrying signals of repression and violations of media freedom can be observed in a number of European states. Different forms of control and pressure over the variety and content of media hamper their independence and pluralism. Cases of journalists who are deprived of their liberty because of their work continue to occur. Cases of harassment, intimidation, violence – and even murder – have been documented.

The term media freedom extends the traditional idea of the freedom of the press to electronic media, such as radio, television, and the Internet. The term acknowledges that the media in modern societies consist of more than print sources. Media freedom is generally held to be necessary for democratic societies. Individuals generally cannot get sufficient information on their own to make informed decisions on public matters, so they rely on media to provide information. In addition, the media are an outlet for public discussion and opinion and generally fulfil the functions of seeking truth, educating the public, and serving as a watchdog over government.

Free media help ensure that the democratic principle of publicity—sometimes referred to as transparency—is satisfied. Publicity refers to making information about the operations of government public and provides the opportunity for public debate and scrutiny of matters of public concern. Many think that this function of the media prevents and corrects abuses of power. Conversely, the media provide information about citizen opinion and concerns to political leaders and others in power. Media freedom, and its protection of the principles of publicity, can be curtailed both by excessive government control and regulation and by market forces and practices. Other influences that can reduce the effectiveness of media are increases in elite or private modes of communication that evade public scrutiny, the reduced literacy of consumers of media, and lack of access to media for use by the public.

A Brief History of Press Freedom

Media freedom implies media responsibility and accountability. If free media are going to fulfil their vital functions, then the public needs assurance that the media are seeking the truth and acting to guard the public interest. Government regulations on media seek to ensure that media act within the parameters of public interest. However, many argue that all or many government regulations interfere with media freedom and violate the public’s right to choose and own media sources. On the other hand, government regulations may be necessary to control corporate media outlets that dominate the public’s access to information.

New forms of media, particularly the Internet, create more issues in media freedom. Many think that these new, unregulated outlets for public discussion are democratizing public access to media and increasing participation in public debate. Others worry that unregulated channels of communication not subject to editorial review will increase false information and potentially skew public opinion. Further, many new forms of media are international in character and beyond the control of any one political society.