"We can be sure that a top priority of the Founding Fathers of America was protecting each citizen_Ñés freedom of speech. After all, the very first amendment made to the Constitution was designed specifically to protect this fundamental right. As President George Washington so wisely stated, _ÑÒIf the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter._Ñù It is clear that our nation_Ñés first president understood the importance of having the freedom of speech and its capacity to embolden and define the very character of a nation. I suspect that if President Washington lived today in this age of the internet and social media, he would agree that the importance of protecting this freedom is even greater now than it was in his time. Upholding the freedom of speech, though, requires that responsibility and restraint be practiced by the government, the people, and the individual.
In 1988, the Human Rights Act was passed. It protects all of us, young and old, rich and poor. In the Human Rights Act it protects the right to liberty and freedom. In this it says, ”You have the right to be free and the State can only imprison you with very good reason, such as a crime.” Therefore freedom is designated and recognized around the world as a human right. In the Declaration of Independence it gives the well-known phrase, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The phrase gives a couple of examples of the “unalienable rights” which the Declaration says have been given to all human beings by their Creator, and which governments are created to protect.
1.0 INTRODUCTION In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), freedom of speech falls under the Article 19 which is the freedom of opinion and expression. It protects one’s freedom ‘to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers’ (The United Nations, 1948). Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) adds that the freedom of expression could be ‘either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice’. Besides being an individual’s fundamental liberty of expression, Santa Clara University School of Law Professor Russell W. Galloway (1991) states that free speech is the ‘matrix of all other freedoms’. Galloway explains that free speech is the underlying foundation of a democratic government and allows discussions on important issues and provides access to information which develops an informed society and encourages the prevailing of truth.
In the society of today, discussion on the topic of freedom of speech is at a forefront. The question on whether there are any limitations on the freedom of speech is one which causes a constant battle between “right and wrong” within the media and with public institutions. The argument that there are no limitations to expression is one which bears a lot of support from not just the liberalist area of society, but also quite often draws a lot of support from the conservative part too, as it is something that allows both sides to express their opinions. The importance of expressing ones opinions is something that the philosopher and economist John Stuart Mill believes is a fundamental part of human liberty. It is certainly true that there are always more than one way of looking at a situation, and finding truth within a situation can only be found if there are no limitations to people’s freedom of expressing their opinions on the said situation.
For better or worse, we are inextricably linked to the media. We are now living a media culture and its influence is becoming very pervasive (Mohd Hamdan Adnan 2003) There is one law in Malaysia that protects media freedom, Article 10 of the Constitution. It also notes that there are limits to this freedom, and these limits are, generally, defined by the Government. Media freedom is defined the freedom of communicating and expressing through media including various electronic media and published materials. Freedom of the press is essential to democracy, but like other freedoms, it may also complicate the governing process.
2. Constitutional Guarantee as to Freedom of Speech/Expression i. The Constitution of Pakistan upholds the fundamentals for a vibrant democracy and guarantees freedom of expression and the basic premise for media freedom. It is pleasantly surprising that the Constitution of Pakistan also provides Freedom of Speech/Expression under Article 19 as provided in the UDHR under its Article 19 which reads as follows: “Article: 19 Freedom of speech, etc. Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, [commission of] or incitement to an offence.” “ [Article: 19-A.
Today, public policies have become the object of discussions and disagreements all around the world. The importance of the freedom of speech policy is crucial. This public policy unites different nations in order to prevent wars and conflicts that the humanity faces in the recent years more often and often. The relevance of the public policies and their analysis is highly significant in the today 's world, so let’s talk about this public policy more detailed. The “Freedom of speech” is the right to share any information, thoughts or ideas without the risk of been persecuted and punished by the government.
SUBJECT AREA OF STUDY: IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH LEADNG TO THE NATIONAL DISHARMONY? CENTRE NAME: DECCAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL CENTRE NUMBER: IN725 CANDIDATE NAME: M.S.Aprameya CANDIDATE NUMBER: 0043 Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It reinforces all other human rights, allowing society to develop and progress. The ability to express our opinion and speak freely is essential to bring about change in society. Freedom of speech protects everyone from all walks of life to think and express themselves freely.
Ethics is all about how to deal with your life, how you perform in your life. Your ethics is a replication of your personality, your upbringing, your background both family and professionally. When talking about media ethics, it is about how to form and present the news, what should be the language, how to uphold the balance, how to respect the secrecy of others, how to keep the content unique and etc. Unfortunately, in Pakistan some so called and self-proclaimed reporters, who, instead of being role models, are trying to abolish the real appearance of media. That days are gone when reporters were only involved in handling news or helping hidden agendas, but now the media is into inflaming violence against opponents or other groups.
An excessive amount of intercession of media in everything involves concern. Media can be considered as “Watch dog" of political majority rules system. Through the ages, the accentuation of media on news has disguised. Media nowadays, tries to eye the news ,which could help them to offer the data that is accumulated around the world, so they could clear a method for achievement and notoriety of their particular channels. Fm radios, papers, data found on net and TV are the mass medias that serve to diminish the correspondence crevice between the gathering of people, watchers and the media world.