‘Praise Freedom’ is the new Press FreedomIn the era of Alternative Facts, who needs the truth?Press freedom was a fundamental pillar of modern civilisation.
Nearly all countries, save the communist bloc and the dictatorial regimes, ensured special protection for the media in their constitutions.
There used to be a competition of sorts to highlight media freedoms in developing countries to gain respectability in the international fora.
Jailing a newsperson was quite rare and closing down a media outlet was even more so. Sadly, not anymore.
In the age of populism, ultra-nationalism, rising authoritarianism, post-truth and the emergence of leaders who can commit no-wrong, there is a new incarnation of press freedom.
It is “praise freedom”—where the press is fully free but only to praise and the more the press can praise, the freer it is certified to be.
Any alternative view is fake news, conspiracy, anti-national, anti-progress and, in some instances, acts of treason.
In the fairy tale “Snow White”, in reply to the queen’s well-known question, the mirror replies, “My queen, you are the fairest in the land.”
Continue reading here:
https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/the-third-view/news/praise-freedom-the-new-press-freedom-1781332
