Why Journalism Matters

Isabelle Parker
Sep 28, 2022
6 min read

Updated: Oct 3, 2022

By Isabelle Parker

Journalism matters as it holds people in power accountable for their actions and decisions. A country cannot be truly free if the public isn’t aware of what is happening in the government. This can be seen in the direct correlation between the journalistic and overall freedom of countries. More prominent examples are Eritrea and Iran, but this is still relevant in first world countries, such as America. Journalism is the investigation and sharing of truth with society. They should be independent and unbiased, and not allow any third parties to alter their views. Journalists bring controversial issues to light, and are often censored for sharing the truth. Despite the dangers journalists face, the need for the press in society is more pertinent than ever.

Censorship is a big issue in Eritrea, as it is a totalitarian dictatorship, and is considered the world’s most censored country by The Committee to Protect Journalists. It ranked last on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index (RSF) 2022, and received a 3/100 on the 2022 Freedom Report, making it the least free country in the world. It received a 0/4 for the Free and Independent Media criteria. The government shut down all independent media outlets in 2001. The only media are controlled by the Ministry of Information, and must report the regime’s propaganda. Amnesty International claims that at least 10,000 people are being held in Eritrea for political reasons since President Isaias Afwerki came into power. Amnesty International’s Eritrea Researcher, Claire Beston, says that “The government has systematically used arbitrary arrest and detention without charge to crush all opposition, to silence all dissent, and to punish anyone who refuses to comply with the repressive restrictions it places on people's lives”. 16 journalists have been imprisoned without any trial or contact with family or lawyers for over two decades, making them the longest known case of journalist imprisonment in the world. One of these journalists is Dawit Isaak, a Swedish- Eritrean journalist who worked for Eritrea’s first independent magazine, Setit. He was imprisoned when the government shut down all independent media in 2001, as Setit published a letter calling for democratic reform signed by 15 members of Afwerki’s government.

Isaak’s current condition and location are unknown, though unconfirmed reports surfaced in 2008 claiming that he became seriously ill after being transferred to a maximum security prison, and was admitted to hospital. Time says that he is likely being held in the Eiraeiro Prison Camp. The BBC states that these prisons are said to have atrocious conditions and widespread torture. Former detainee from a Barentu detention centre describes the 50°C temperature, and recalls that “A boy, about 17 years old, was about to die. We were not permitted to speak, but we banged the door. They [the guards] told us they would kill all of us if we did not stop shouting. We couldn't do anything to help him”. The drastic actions that the Eritrean Government takes to silence journalists and the media suggests a deep insecurity and secrecy within the government. This extremely censored country emphasises the need for journalists to bring to light government corruption.

In 2022, Iran ranked 178/180 on the RSF 2022, and received a 14/100 on the 2022 Freedom Report, which is still considered ‘Not Free’. It received 0/4 for the Free and Independent Media category, as newspapers, magazines and television programs are heavily censored and told by authorities what topics to cover and how to cover them. Satellite dishes are banned, and police often raid private homes to confiscate them. Foreign sites are filtered, and authorities have been known to threaten the families of Iranian journalists working outside the country. The RSF reported that journalists received at least 42 threats or summons by authorities after the candidate registration period ended. This suggests that the government wants to control journalists and the media, and are hiding things from the public that they don’t want the press to discover. Several journalists have been detained or imprisoned due to claims of false news or propaganda, and allegations have surfaced that four Iranians intended to kidnap foreign journalist Masih Alinejad and return her to the country. The Human Rights Foundation describes Masih Alinejad is an Iranian journalist and activist who protests Iran’s mandatory hijab law. Alinejad claims that her 70 year-old mother was interrogated by Revolutionary Guards about her activities, and Alinejad herself was told in Iran that she would be jailed, lashed and killed if she criticised the country. She believes that being a journalist is about speaking out about unfair laws and governments, and claims that “My main focus was criticizing the [members of the parliament] and politicians inside Iran.” She says about leaving her country that, “I thought, I have to get out of here to be loud again. And that’s why I’m here.” Alinejad has received many threats due to her journalism, but continues to share her story and campaign for Iranian rights. The benefits of press freedom can be seen in Iranian politics and its repressive authorities.

While Eritrea and Iran are more obvious examples of censorship, it is still an issue in less conspicuous countries, such as the United States of America. This mostly comes through social media, with the increased banning of online accounts, but can also occur in more extreme cases. One example of this is the Julian Assange case. Assange is an Australian editor, publisher and activist who founded WikiLeaks, a site that publishes news leaks and classified information, in 2006. In 2010, the site came to international attention when U.S. Army documents were published after being provided by intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. The leaks contained around 250,000 classified documents, as well as controversial videos and reports of the U.S.’s occupation of Iran which sparked international outrage. The U.S. then requested Assange’s extradition from the U.K., launching a criminal investigation into WikiLeaks and accusing Assange of hacking into the Army database. Assange took asylum in2012 at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London until 2019, when he was arrested by U.K. police. He was charged with one count of computer hacking and intrusion, as well as 17 counts for gathering, solicitating and publishing U.S. military documents. He was accused of helping Manning obtain the classified documents. If Assange is extradited from the U.K., he could face up to 175 years in prison under the Espionage Act. If he is charged with the less serious charge of computer invasion, he could receive up to five years in jail. This case has caused uproar among citizens protesting the right of free speech, and Amnesty International says that the effect Assange’s extradition would have on investigative journalists and publishers would be “immediate and severe”. Another controversial case is Edward Snowden’s leak of Nation Security Agency (NSA) documents. He chose to share documents from the NSA knowing that he would face consequences, but wanted to reveal secrets within the government, saying he hoped it would “trigger [debates] among citizens around the globe about what kind of world we want to live in.” After disclosing the documents, which contained information about several surveillance programs, Snowden flew to Hong Kong, as he knew the country valued free speech and would resist the U.S. government. He felt that he “had an obligation as a human being to help free people from oppression”, which inspired him to fight in the Iraq war. He was discharged from the Special Forces, however, and began working with the NSA, and then the CIA. After working in Geneva with the CIA, Snowden said that “Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I realised that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good.” This prompted his decision, as he felt that the government had no right to keep these things from the public. Snowden says that “harming people isn’t my goal. Transparency is.” Despite knowing that the CIA and NSA would be looking for him, Snowden says that “I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong”. This case reveals that the government is keeping things from the public, and raises questions about free speech, and what topics have a right to be shared. In addition to leaked documents, media bias has also caused controversy in America. 90% of the media in the U.S. is owned by six major companies: Disney, News-Corp, GE, Viacom, CBS and AT&T. These companies are influenced by public opinion, and transfer this influence onto the media they run, according to Pathfinder. This makes for potentially biased news. Media ownership has raised concerns about bias, and Julian Assange and Edward Snowden have brought the topics of privacy and censorship into the public eye, and have inspired many debates regarding them.

The importance of journalism in the world is exhibited by the censorship of countries. Eritrea’s reputation as the world’s most censored country, as well as Iran’s imprisonment of journalists, are prominent examples of censorship. The American government’s leaked documents reveal how widespread the issue is, even in countries where citizens don’t expect it. The press is necessary to keep political leaders accountable for their actions. The need for journalism is evidenced by the extreme censorship in countries across the globe, and the effects that this has upon citizens and the government.