Free press and democracy
Is a free press necessary in a democracy ?_ _
The press is the Fourth power after the legislative, executive and judicial. Indeed, the power of the press is associated to the fundamentalprinciples of democracy that’s to say the freedom of expression and freedom of opinion. The Press Law was born on 29 july 1881, it is accompanied by a movement that will be called “the IntellectualRevolution”. The desire of people to express themselves freely wouldn’t have been possible without a fully free press. The power of the press has managed to reach such importance as freedom of expression, afundamental right of a democracy is at stake/which is games.
Firstly we will begin to analyze the power of press and the influence of the media in the democratic countries. Then we will explain why themedia can to be dangerous for the democracy.
In fact, the press is crucial for the democracy because it involves the First amendment of the United States Constitution
« Congress shall make no lawrespecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and topetition the Government for a redress of grievances »
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights dating from 1789.
The aims of the press are to protect the public interest, inform people andespecially to forge public opinion. The press must be objective and unbiassed. It must remain independent, autonomous and legitimate to be a quality paper.
But some media (the gutter press or tabloids)want to hit the headlines with sensational news so the reliability of informations is controversial. The informations are subjectives and spectaculars in order to wood readers. It contribute to generatenegative emotions rather than thinking constructively. The media can influence the readership as currently with the case of Frédéric Mitterrand. The press expose by the right to know but maybe…