The story The Emperor and his New Clothes.
Inegrity in Journalism Is Crutal for Healty Society
The story The Emperor and his New Clothes. Hans Christian Andersen
In spite of the cheering of the crowd, the child pointed out, in innocence, “The Emperor is naked.”
Is it true? Yes.
Is it provocative? Yes
Is it offensive? Yes
Is it critical? Yes.
Journalists are like this child who in innocence communicate a fact and truth to make the world a better place. When are protecting freedom and justice, will it offend? Yes. Will it be provocative? Yes.
Will it be painful? Yes, it is just as when the surgeon diagnoses a patient with cancer and then advises a painful treatment.
Freedom of expression gives a platform for debate and critical thinking. Without it there is no accountability. The result is that you will have one dominant narrative which is not allowed to be questioned and which is not based on truth, facts or common sense.
When you control the tongue you control the whole body
Two examples
1) Blasphemy law in Islam is choking freedom worldwide.
If I say, ‘I do not believe in Muhammed as a prophet of God,’ then I am accused of blasphemy. It is ridiculous because if I believe that Muhammed is a prophet of God then I would have been a Muslim, but I am not. Likewise if I do not accept Sharia law I am also accused of blasphemy. The murder of Theo Van Gogh and Charlie Hebdo, as well as honour killing, are examples of the application of blasphemy law in Islam.
2) The midwife story
The midwife telling the parents “wow, you have girl,” or “wow, you have a boy.” I hope this will not be criminalised in the OSCE countries in the future
Challenges
Journalists face numerous challenges by state and non-state actors:
Blackmail, harassment, imprisonment and death threats, all with the aim to silence them. The purchase of big newspapers by the state or state supporters, and the laying off of good journalists are further challenge.
This is why it is very important to protect Freedom of Expression on the internet as it is currently the only public platform free from the influence of the State.
Without Freedom of Speech, People are controlled:
When the Media is controlled, people are controlled. Because when you only feed the public the information you want, and stop them from questioning or accessing alternative narratives; you control them. It becomes propaganda.
Truth is never afraid of being challenged or questioned.
Therefore, critical thinking and freedom of expression are crucial for development, growth and knowledge. It is key for accountability and the well-being of the community.
We would like to remember some heroes of Freedom Of Expression
Here is a list of journalists who were murdered by non-state actors:
Veronica Guerin murdered 1996 in Ireland
Theo Van Gogh murdered 2004 in the Netherlands
Hrant Dink murdered 2007 in Turkey
Marie Colvin murdered 2012 in Syria
Camilla Lepage murdered 2014 in the Central African Republic
Charlie Hebdo murdered 2015 in France
Avjit Roy and a number of other Bangladeshi bloggers was murdered 2015 in Bangladesh.
“Never, for the sake of peace and quiet, deny your own experience or convictions.” -Dag Hammarskjöld.
Journalism without ingrity is distractive.
The Plot in the Story
Two swindlers arrive at the capital city of an emperor who spends lavishly on clothing at the expense of state matters. Posing as weavers, they offer to supply him with magnificent clothes that are invisible to those who are stupid or incompetent. The emperor hires them, and they set up looms and go to work. A succession of officials, and then the emperor himself, visit them to check their progress. Each sees that the looms are empty but pretends otherwise to avoid being thought a fool. Finally, the weavers report that the emperor’s suit is finished. They mime dressing him and he sets off in a procession before the whole city. The townsfolk uncomfortably go along with the pretense, not wanting to appear inept or stupid, until a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all. The people then realize that everyone has been fooled. Although startled, the emperor continues the procession, walking more proudly than ever.
