Democracy relies on a free and responsible press
By: Abdelaziz Karraky
Free press is seen today as one of the finest types of freedom of expression, and as an inseparable element of true democracy. Free press conveys news to citizens, and enables them to build positions about all core issues concerning public affairs management; therefore, it is an indispensable tool for all communities, especially those undergoing a democratic transition, and promoting human rights.
This led the international community to dedicate a day to world press freedom, on May 3, every year. However, the Maghreb region is currently experiencing a significant disparity in this area. The press is often subject to harassment that varies from one country to another, and to several sanctions, including death, imprisonment, exile, and other types of suffering that journalists endure in the region. As a matter of fact, press freedom expands or narrows down depending on the political circumstances, and the nature of the political regime in place. So what are the required cornerstones for the promotion of a free press in the Maghreb region?
Firstly: Promoting the values of freedom, and the genuine recognition of the independence of individuals. This can be achieved through the adoption of a legislation that provides real guarantees for individuals against both individual and collective tyranny; this measure requires from society to rehabilitate individuals through socialization, and enable them to exercise their freedoms with some degree of responsibility.
Secondly: Establishing a legal arsenal that recognizes the right of access to information of various types, and regulates it on the basis of exact rules that are subject to good governance, and which allow journalists to sue any departments or authorities that block out information that might cause journalists any sort of a professional obstruction. This aims to help journalists avoid some of the skids that might be caused by the scarcity of information or spread of rumors, and to protect them from falling under the mercy of some bodies that make of information a weapon when needed.
Thirdly: Creating an independent and impartial judiciary that assists those who feel that their private lives, or any of their freedoms, were violated, whether by the press, or any other body; as well as establishing a specialized judiciary in misdemeanors related to the press. Journalists can also resort to this judiciary if they suffer from harassment related to the exercise of their functions. Apart from this judiciary, no other authority should be allowed to intervene or restrict the practice of journalism.
Fourthly: Creating a moral charter to govern the journalistic practice, because when the requirements to practice journalism in safe conditions are not respected, journalists might be subject to temptations of various kinds; if they accept these temptations, they’d be slipping off the right path. Therefore, it is crucial to adopt particular ethics that sanctify the profession and consider it a mechanism in the hands of the community through which corrupt dictators can be exposed.
Many people get annoyed from the practice of press, but they should realize, as Alexis de Tocqueville said in his book “Democracy in America”, that the press does less harm than it eliminates.
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Your Comments
commentsAnonymous About over 2 years ago
I liked your article for one reason, being that it gives the right to journalists to resort to the court if they suffer from something that affects the exercise of their profession. You actually think that such a thing is possible in the Arab Maghreb countries, and that the judiciary may rule that a certain organization should enable a journalist to get an information, as it happened in the United States with Associated Press that had filed a lawsuit in order to obtain information on Guantanamo, and the rule of the judiciary was on its side. There is nothing to lose with wishful thinking, so let’s wait for time to judge whether that is possible.
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Anonymous About over 2 years ago
Mr. Professor, the issue of press freedom in poor or developing countries is very tricky, and requires a huge deal of caution and foresight. Press freedom in those countries must be linked to total freedom from all dependence, mainly political. In order to judge whether the press is free in a particular country, we must take into account its political stability and the role of its political parties (PP) within the government and society. Some media are created by PPs that have a certain weight in society and in the political scene; therefore, this kind of press can enjoy unconditional freedom compared to others that are neutral or have a limited spread. Even with the establishment of a legal arsenal as you suggested, there may be some violations and abuses. Regarding access to information, let’s not forget that as there are rights, there are obligations. In some cases, access to information is limited or prohibited for reasons of national security on the internal or external levels, or for professional confidentiality in certain sectors, public or private institutions, or professions; this is legitimate in terms of their laws and regulations. As you can see, this issue is very sensitive, and citizens are the ones who are losing in all cases, as everything becomes blurry to them, and the truth is lost in such environments. Maya.
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Anonymous About over 2 years ago
I really admired your theoretical analysis. However, this is not always the case in practice, because the reality of the Maghreb countries is a bit complex. I think that as long as good governance is not prevailing in the management of public affairs, the press will remain fragile, and it will often deal with groups that monopolize wealth and power; this goes hand in hand with a lack of transparency, while the latter is really necessary for a free press. Denis KRAMER.
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Anonymous About over 2 years ago
I often follow debates about the ethics of journalism. Actually, this sounds like some kind of unparalleled absurdity to me. Is it normal that people need a moral charter while there are already effective legal provisions in place? I think that claiming a moral charter means that journalists are looking for a status that puts them above the law. Some journalists go as far as saying that the rules they are subject to must be established by them. I don’t know, can this stand up to something called the State of law and institutions? Therefore, law is the only holy charter that should be above everyone without any exception. El-Mekki El-Bidaoui.
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Anonymous About over 2 years ago
Exercising freedom is the real problem that Arab societies are suffering from. If societies had performed their roles perfectly in the process of socialization, we wouldn’t have reached this level of vulnerability in terms of exercising freedoms in general, and this requires the accountability of society. Journalists are first and foremost citizens from a specific environment, and they have been raised in a society that has a specific vision about freedom; this grows with them, and rules their behaviors and practices. Very few people actually have the ability to review themselves on an ongoing basis, as an essential tool to exercise freedom. I am confident that many of the problems facing the Maghreb societies are linked with the freedom’s representations which eventually govern behaviors and actions. The relationship with the law, on the other hand, also stands out in this vision; in a society that cannot regulate the exercise of freedoms, individuals feel the unbridled desire to gain authority so that they can bypass laws, so people compete in looking for mechanisms that allow them to not submit to the law, and this in itself is a real dilemma, as people start to feel that freedom and power lie in not submitting to the law, while responsible freedom requires that individuals submit to the law as a mechanism to regulate freedoms, and here lies the dilemma.
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Anonymous About over 2 years ago
Good evening, I do not know what you are talking about. Do you call the press we have in the Maghreb a press? Can it be compared to the press in developed countries where it is subject to training and professionalism; whereas for us it’s just a bunch of journalists who are earning a living from what international and national news agencies are producing, while lacking entirely in creativity, and not working hard on finding news? That is free and independent press. As for what we have, it’s a pre-press phase, so let’s wait for tomorrow as it may bring us a free, independent, impartial and responsible press. Al-Maati Bomenjel.
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