Freedom of The Press is Vital and Under-reporting is a Deficit

  • Printer friendly view
 Thursday, July 18, 2019 - 09:46 Leo Olivero

There are many countries where the press has no or very little freedom and, consequently, little or no power. Journalists are targets in many places. Several have been killed, maimed, detained or attacked in other ways while fulfilling their duties. 

There are many countries where the power of the press is strong thanks to those efforts and battles conducted in past decades resulting in the enhancement of press freedom. Thanks to this power of the media, corrupt governments have been brought down, potentially harmful legislation aborted; positive social causes advocated and much-needed change effected.

But at it’s basic positive ‘people have been told the truth’ when bold reporters and journalist ‘had the balls’ to write and publish a story of public and national interest!

Recent UK Freedom of Press Threats Quickly Quashed

How important is this, well it is vital. Just look at the avalanche of criticism that fell on the Metropolitan police in London last weekend after a senior officer from Scotland Yard threatened to prosecute the Mail on Sunday for publishing leaked cables written by former British ambassador Sir Kim Darroch.

The Darroch issue, created a freedom of the press row, which later erupted over the weekend because of this foolish Met Police Assistant Commissioner, said they were investigating alleged ‘criminal breaches of the Official Secrets Act’ and warned the media, notable the Mail, there could be committing an offence by publishing further details. The Assistant Commissioner adding, ‘I would advise all owners, editors and publishers of social and mainstream media not to publish leaked government documents that may already be in their possession, or which may be offered to them, and to turn them over to the police or give them back to their rightful owner, Her Majesty’s Government’.

Which is all a load of rubbish because the Mail on Sunday did publish the story on Sunday. As for the threats, practically all politicians, including the two candidates now fighting it out to become the next British Prime Minister, publicly hammered the Metropolitan Police.

A spokesperson for the National Union of Journalists also commented last weekend: “The leaks are clearly in the public interest and the police should not be threatening journalists.”

- MORE IN PANORAMA PRINT EDITION

18-07-19 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR