Freedom of press means the freedom for publication of news in the newspapers and journals. When the reporters, journalists, editors, correspondents of a newspaper can publish their news and views for the interest of the people without fear or any threat from the govt or any person or any quarter, we can say that there is freedom of press.
Freedom prees is very essential to build a democratic society and a democratic country. A real democratic society always ensures the freedom of press. A regimented society does not allow freedom of press. Freedom of press is necessary to build a corruption free, accountable and transparent society. To establish harmony and peace, to ensure sustainable development, to protect the rights of people, to ensure social justice, to remove oppression, freedom of press can play a very vital role. Press is called the fourth pillar of the state. But the autocratic rulers, powerful business magnates, irresponsible bureaucrats, greedy capitalists are not ready to allow the freedom of press. They think that if the journalists publish the news of their uninterrupted exploitation and misdeeds, people will be conscious and raise their voice against them.
When the freedom of press is guaranteed by the constitutional law, an editor or a journalist or a reporter can express the true news fearlessly. But a journalist should never publish the baseless, false or fabricated news which may harm the sovereignty or security of a country or affect the interest and right of the people. The journalists are committed only to the people in general and to the country in particular. They are not accountable to any person, any organization, or any vested interest group or even any autocratic rulers.
When a citizen of a country becomes the victim of oppression, tyranny, exploitation or injustice, the concerned persons of the newspapers and journals may come forward to save him and ventilate all the information through newspapers in favour of these helpless victims. When the journalists enjoy freedom of press they can organise and mobilise public opinion against misuse of power of the rulers and misdeeds of administration. Thus only freedom of press can ensure a free and a real democratic society. So it is needless to say that to build a real democratic state, a happy, prosperous, peaceful and harmonious society freedom of press is a must.
