Balancing Freedom Of Speech and the Press

As we know, a democratic system of government grants citizens the right to openly share their opinions without fear, and the press, on the other hand, has the freedom to air out without censorship.

But it's a different case in countries where citizens fear those in higher authority, and democracy day is only celebrated but not practiced. Even with clear sets of laws that allow citizens the right to speak, these rights are disregarded and not protected.

Despite having freedom of speech, there should be restrictions that are harmful to human existence. Some words can be abusive, and it is right to impose limitations on them. To avoid a disorganized society, it is important to put restrictions on some speeches that don't have any meaningful contribution to human existence. When restriction of speech is in that area there is no offence but when it that the rich have the voice while the poor speak freely when those at the top feels they should should be highly prohibited.

Social media is a place where everyone has the right to express themselves without fear of sanction. This has contributed to an overflow of information, the widespread sending out of false information, and also allows both valid and invalid ooitns to be made and voices to be heard.

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But even with this freedom of speech, social media CEOs have taken into consideration implementing policies that restrict abusive comments and articles. It is necessary for everyone to respect others, no matter their right to express themselves. I still remember when Twitter, now X platform, deleted a tweet made by the Nigerin acting president that year This led the federal government to ban citizens from using the platform. That was a height where the government can make a decision overnight, not minding if it's in accordance with existing law or not. Which is what makes freedom of speech a bent structure in a democratic system like ours.

Everyone, both rich and poor, has that freedom of speech. Presidents, governors, and top politicians are not different from others and should note that freedom of speech is given to all, but it should not be abused. We need to be careful of what we say and put out on social media, as that can be an abuse of the freedom granted.

I love the way social media is designed, how it is programmed in a way it can predict what one wants to see based on what he or she has read before. At least with this, I'm able to read only things that are healthy and follow press handles that are trustworthy when it comes to dissemination of information.

When we speak of the press, censorship becomes a topic. The media are so scared that they allow prominent people to control the affairs of the media. The voices of these influential people make up the news, burying beneath them the voices of other masses from being heard.

Posted Using InLeo Alpha