Freedom is an oft-used word. You hear it day in and day out. In fact whatever is happening in the world today is in the name of freedom. But is it really freedom in the true sense of the word? Take for instance freedom of the press or the media in general. Is the present media really free? One often hears about the media being stifled in the East, but what about the West? Quite honestly it’s the same all over the world. The events of the past month have more than proved this. Whether the events were right or wrong is beside the point, the point is the presentation of news and events as they take place. What proves that people think that the media is not free is when I was receiving mails every single day from many friends in the US asking for news of events they were hearing about. They all said that even though their media is full of news, and that “watching CNN has become a national sport”, they still felt what they were hearing was inadequate. They felt that what they heard was one side of the story. Where was the other? They just wanted the truth. Now where can one get the truth?
From newspapers, magazines, radio, television with its “live” coverage, or the Internet? Is that the truth? Many heard a discussion of experts on TV discussing various events. One expert admitted that most “live” coverage is not actually “live” — but is shown from different angles or different places that haven’t been shown before. This expert said that this was done when something is not to be shown or when they have nothing to show, but still want the public to know what they wish them to know!
Now when this is openly admitted on a TV channel being watched all over the world, what is one expected to believe? As for the Internet, many of those following the news there must have noticed something. Many of the sites that gave “the other side,” or were neutral began disappearing one by one. Where did they go? And why?
Again the whole thing is too obvious — someone wanted the world to know only what they believed the world should know and nothing more. Is this freedom? Where does one find the real news? Most of it is filtered by word of mouth, starting with those who have actually seen it — not officials but the general public. But here again there are flaws. By the time the news reaches you, the “word of mouth” isn’t the original “word of mouth,” because as it moves, words keep changing and so do meanings. Again a lack of the real news.
There is another sad aspect of the media. People in the East often complain of Western dominance of the press. This is true but it is sad when these very Eastern people write things against their own interests in the Western press. Now when this is done, can one really complain about what the West may or may not do?
All said and done, one fact emerged from recent events. All the people, whether from East or West, want to keep themselves aware of what is going on. They are willing to go to many sources to find out what is actually happening. They have all realized that the “media is all manipulated” (quote from an American). The willingness of people to seek the truth should be taken seriously by those in authority. The need of the hour is real freedom, not freedom defined by those in power or those wishing to be in power. People are not fools; they know what they want and how to get it. It is much better for all concerned to give them what they want before they try to seize what is denied.
