By: UCJUI
Fourth estate of the realm; watchdog; mirror of society;
voice of the people; bulwark of democracy. Over the years, these various words
and phrases have been used to characterize the importance and indispensability
of the press. The rise of democratic ideals, institutions, and systems made it
extremely imperative that a functional press exist, as the press is one of the
subtle but pertinent institutions that actually make democracy what it is.
The importance of the press is simply hinged on the critical
resource that it works with, which is information. Information is a pivotal
resource whose presence or absence is enough to cause serious effects on the
functionality of society. Information given by the press is not solitary. It
has ripple effects. It enables the receivers to make informed decisions that
shape how they partake in society and, consequently, in society itself.
In a similar fashion to the grandiose discussions of the
nature of man, the universe, and man’s place in the universe, this resource
helps the masses to understand who they are, the world they are in, and most
importantly, what they should be doing in the world. This is why various
leaderships, which here is simply a flowery language for regimes and
dictatorships, put a premium on controlling the press because it gives access
to controlling the actions of the people.
This is a logic that George Orwell understood and employed
in his tale-telling in both 1984 and Animal Farm, with the latter simply being
a satirical representation of the mechanics of the actual world. Controlling
information can equal controlling the decisions that people will make because
such decisions are simply shaped by the information obtained. This is why in
the Orwellian world of both Manor’s Farm and the dystopian city of Airstrip
One, the major enabler of authoritarianism is “press control”.
Unfortunately, this is a situation that transcends the
imaginative world of stories and the borders of time. This one will be present
as long as people exist and one, we have experienced as Nigerians. The various
military stints experienced by the nation have proven the aversiveness of
control extremists to the existence of a free press. The death of Dele Giwa and
other journalists, which occurred under extremely suspicious conditions, still
rings clearly. The narrative in civilian leadership has not been extremely
different, as various means —which include economic leverage, intimidation,
censorship, and others are being used to choke the voice of the people.
A free press ensures that the people are in control, thereby
mitigating the tendencies of democratic backsliding, but when it is
compromised, the will of the people can be subject to the whims of power
absconders. A free press aids in every stage of the democratic process, from
the selection of leaders to the checking of such leaders and the evaluation of
leaders.
Beyond these, the press creates a platform to interact with
varying viewpoints and new information which contributes to a holistic
perspective that would better influence decision-making by the people.
In the words of Walter Cronkite, “Freedom of the press is
not just important to democracy; it is democracy”. Following the end of World
War II, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was published by the
United Nations, and Article 19 of that document further cemented the importance
of freedom of expression, which is the basic principle underlying the freedom
of the press.
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any
media and regardless of frontiers,” the article reads.
World Press Freedom Day, marked on May 3, was initiated by
the United Nations to bring to the fore the importance of a free press in a
properly functioning democracy, and as providence would have it, this is a
reminder that is well due in the world, Nigeria, and the University of Ibadan.
The supposedly intellectual nature of universities often
drives the notion that idealism would be a major force in common practices.
However, the just-concluded session at the University of Ibadan says otherwise.
When Dr Bayo Ajala and his peers established the Union of
Campus Journalists University of Ibadan (UCJUI) in 1987, they did so because
they saw the importance of the press in ensuring a properly functioning
university community. However, decades later, freedom of the press in this
“intellectual arena” is being threatened.
There were various instances in the last Student Union
election that indicated the resistance of certain bodies to factual reporting.
Campus journalists simply carrying out due diligence were threatened, harassed,
verbally abused, and physically assaulted. In an arena which should pride
itself on the ideals of democracy, this is a breach of the very essence of its
functioning.
In the spirit of press freedom, this is a timely reminder of
the importance of this democratic tenet. The university management, student
leaders, and student politicians need to acknowledge this tenet and work by its
principles. The truth should not be subdued, whether or not it is in favour.
The people should know, and after they know, they can execute whatever
corresponding action is required. Suppressing and censoring facts and opinions
is simply suppressing the development of a well-functioning society.
However, this permutation does not leave members of the
Fourth Estate out of the mix. In fact, it confirms that they have a whole lot
of responsibility in ensuring a properly functioning society. In the words of
Malcolm X, “The media is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power
to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power.
Because they control the minds of the masses”.
Although it can be argued that this quote seems reductionist
and an oversimplification, the above statement holds water despite it not being
a full representation of a free press. A free press does not control the minds
of the masses; it empowers the masses with relevant information so they can
make their own choices. This marks a free press from a democratically
backsliding one.
Press organizations must be careful enough to ensure that
they are not controlling the minds of the masses but rather empowering them to
make the right choices. Agenda-setting and gatekeeping are tools that should
not be deployed for self-serving reasons but for the right societal causes. We
must try as much as possible to practice ethical and factual journalism.
Political, leadership, and governmental authorities are
saddled with responsibilities of ensuring a free press. Limiting freedom of the
press will not achieve anything good. A free press might not be perfect, but a
controlled one is nothing but destructive.
“A free press can, of course, be both good and bad, but,
most certainly, without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad.” –
Albert Camus
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