Why do you have freedom of press?

Answer 1

That is a good question. And what is 'freedom of the press' anyway. The reason a government should affirm freedom of the press is to enable the free flow of ideas. In a democracy the authority to govern comes from the people. The people need to be able to freely access information and put information out for others to consume.

Freedom of the press means freedom in all aspects of society, government, culture, art, science everywhere. A government that is under the authority of the people cannot suppress ideas in any area of human endeavor.

It has been observed that freedom of the press belongs to who ever owns the press. But anyone, in a free society can buy a press or the use of a press because there is always someone who would sell you access to a press.

In the age of the internet everyone with a computer and an Internet hook-up can become an instant publisher.

A government that is afraid of criticism does not have much confidence in their own policies. And maybe with enough criticism they will change their policies. A government that wants to silence the press is a government that wants to do things the way it wants and not necessarily the way the people want.