The freedom of the press has been made into the limelight after the White House closes the news agency Associated Press after the President’s attendance in the news conferences.
This is one of the many major actions taken by the second Trump administration against the press, which is coming as the State Department of Confirm, it will correct the current press subscription, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Nashed independent media initiative in countries. No free press.
But what is the relationship with the freedom of the press and press of the US government, it is a woman, the reality is that some nations have “good” in maintaining a safe and independent environment to operate media.
What is press freedom?
John Steel, a journalism researcher at UK’s Derby University, said, “Press Freedom is not easy, and it is really an election concept, contests an election.” “It is a public voice about the historicallal, allows access to the systems of power and allows to create the surow that democracy allows the public to reach the decision -making process.”
The 19th-century English philosopher Jeremy Bentham discouraged it as a “protection against Misrule”, the view that an independent press usually exists to catch governments, but in the eyes of people, private institutions are-natural.
Journalism-centered civil society groups have their own execution of freedom.
Reporters Sans Frontier (RSF, without borders reporters) says that it is “the ability of journalists, as individuals and collectives, to choose news in public interest in independent and absence from political, economic, legal and social intervention, Physical and mental protection to produce and broadcasts to produce and broadcast them in absence.
Jodi Ginsburg, Chief Executive Officer of the US-based committee, resonated that feeling for the protection of journalists (CPJ).
“Press freedom must have access to an independent and pluralist media [with] Guinsburg told DW that people are capable of reporting their communities and the news and information in their country.
In fact, independent media must be free from external influence, to report a special version of the news as pressure from the government to report. “Pluralist” media means choice – Availability of many independent and reliable media sources of which one can get information.
RSF annually published Press freedom index They work against journalists and monitor against politics, legal, economic, sociological and security structure.
In 2024, it was found that the press independence fell globally compared to the level of 2023, with only eight countries – mainly in northern Europe – the “good” press is being agreed to the freedom situation.
But even the leading world of Nordic nations is not right.
“No country is immune for pressures against journalists and we need to always be vigilant and focused,” Ana Bawik, the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) advocated the DW.
What is the freedom of the press?
The threats of physical violence are not just pressures in front of journalists.
In the first six months of 2024, European Union members and candidates were 12% of attacks against the press in the states. A quarter were caused by sensorship, and a third for oral attacks, including intimidation and threats, according to A Media freedom and rapid response reports.
Hence online attacks are prominent.
“We have really seen an increase in online types of attacks and pressures: a lot of spuofing, smear campaign,” said Bawik.
“Depending on the group of journalists that are goals, for example, women, these are common dangers that combine some kind of indecent language speech and pressure against their family members.”
In America, Press Foundation’s non-Muslim data It was shown that the press on the press reported since 2017 in 2024 was the third most attacks.
2024 was a record year for the death of a journalist globally
Journalists reporting from struggle areas are at high risk.
There was a record year for the deaths of 2024 journalist, which is 2021, according to continuous 2021. CPJ data.
“Last year we saw a 22% increase in killings in 2023 and it was largely operated by Israel-Gaja, which was responsible for 85 of the death of journalists and media employees in 2024,” Ginsburg said. “All those deaths were at the hands of the Israeli army. Most of the people killed were Palestinians.”
In the areas of conflict, journalists are citizens and do not have legitimate goals.
“It is really important that the people engaged in conflict recognize it, and those who promote and support press freedom blames their comrades to fail to the safety of journalists,” Ginsburg Said.
Journalists have moved upwards since 2000.
CPJ found that 361 journalists were imprisoned in early December 2024. All known journalists from China, Israel and occupied Palestinian regions, Myanmar, Belarus and Russia are more than half of the prisoners. Most jail journalists are accused of anti -state violations.
US President considers the enemy a press
Increasing report of political security for journalist security and increasing danger reports that cause self-sensor to journalist or avoids public interest reporting and investigation worldwide.
“Attacks on journalists, campaigns against journalists have created a cool effect, where there are only very few journalists who continue to report independently,” Ginsburg said.
This also makes it difficult to find out small reforms in press freedom. While deaths and arrests may decline, this may be due to forced effects of real or inherent danger to suppress security.
The search chilling effects recently have bee lakes in the US.
Donald Trump’s long -standing sharpness towards traditional media is no secret. He first pointed to the press as a “enemy of the people” and for the press pack at the rally of 2024 campaign and said that he “not brain … so” so much “if a wooden killer had to be shot through them. Reach (Trump was a victim of two prior murder attempts).
But the President has flexed his muscles through legal action against journalists and press with several cases against the media company.
Ginsburg said that Thesis had jointly jointly had a deep impact jointly with its ban on the Associated Press to refuse to refer to the Gulf of Mexico “where news agencies and organizations cover some things Will not choose to do those who punish Bing. “
What can be done to protect the press freedom?
Ginsburg said that autocrats want to suppress free and independent presses to restrict information flow.
“Freedom of information, of which press freedom is clearly a part, [essential] For our freedom and everyone’s freedom, “he said.
Press may require legal and regulatory security measures to protect freedom. For example, the European Union introduced the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) as a step towards protecting media rights.
Bavcic separated the EMFA as a “good basic” to protect the rights of the journalist, but warned that it needs to be implemented by the member states, including people with problematic history of press freedom.
Bavik said, “EMFA cannot cover everything, all kinds of issues that are facing journalists. To have a real good implementation on the ground, there is a need to be a strong institute,” Bavik said.
Self-regulation, where journalists and media companies follow the principles of journalism and moral conduct, so help in making baking in the institute, Steel said. A public who sees the value in being an independent and free media can add a layer of security for those in the area.
“There are no theoretical or philosophers or even historical accounts of freedom that do not come with some provisions,” Steel said. “in a sense, [the press] Some parameters need to be followed to allow it to be really meaningful. And this is why journalists talk about morality and moral codes and follow the standards, as it allows them to do the space fair and equally justice. ,
Edited by: Carla Blekar