SEPT 21 — I am currently in Manila for the on-campus component of my Masters in Journalism program at the Asian Centre for Journalism, Ateneo De Manila University. I was given this topic to lead a class discussion: State regulation or self-censorship? Which is more effective in limiting the contribution of a news media to the democratic process?

Let’s begin by talking about democracy and the press.

There’s an interesting quote from one of our readings. “Today, the Philippines is democratic, it has a free press, but remains trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of poverty and corruption. What good is freedom if close to one third of Filipino families continue to live below the poverty line?”

Let’s look at the other side of the world — the US, which is reputed to have the best model of free press. Like the Philippines, press freedom is enshrined in their respective constitutions. But the US owes so much money to China and the rest of the world that it is technically a bankrupt country. So what good is press freedom?

On the other hand, China, which has a state-regulated press like Malaysia, has emerged as a world economic dynamo. It is poised to overtake the US, assuming other things being equal.

The role of the press in China is development journalism. I was in China recently at the invitation of the Peoples’ Daily, China’s largest newspaper run by the Communist Party. It has a daily circulation of one million. Unashamedly, their role is to promote the “Chinese Dream” of bringing greater prosperity to China through a doctrine what they call “socialism with Chinese characteristics.”

The problem with development journalism anywhere is that sooner or later, it would be hijacked to become state-sponsored journalism.

Their neighbour, India, is also another economic dynamo but India has a vibrant and free press. The Times of India has a daily circulation of three million.

In Indonesia, the government has eased up control of the media after the fall of the Suharto regime. The press there is freer than in Malaysia or Singapore.

In Malaysia, the press has fallen from grace so has our economy.

Looking at this, the question is not about democracy or economic development but about what work and what the press is really all about. Freedom.

But freedom is not the same as free of regulation. The press in any system works in a regulatory environment. The constitution of a country defines the role of the press. In the Philippines, Article III Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that “no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press… The constitution promotes press freedom as a right of every Filipino.

In Malaysia press freedom is an implied right derived from Article 10 which guarantees freedom of speech and expression. This is the same for Singapore and Indonesia and many other countries. If we are serious about press freedom then we should amend our constitution by incorporating two words — press freedom — as part of the list of fundamental liberties.

Needless to say, the less controls the better for the press to operate in relative freedom and independence. The press operates under prior restraint. There are laws like privacy, defamation, obscenity, that defines how far the press can venture in terms of its public responsibility and accountability.

But some governments resort to gagging the press through press licensing and censorship like in Malaysia. Such state-control has given rise to a culture of self-censorship. There are actually no rules in self-censorship. It is a cultivated culture arising from fear of censorship. It is not a choice. Journalists working under a state control of the press sooner or later learn not to stray into “sensitive” topics. I do not condone self-censorship but there is a place for self-restraint when the situation requires it to minimise public harm. Here I have a choice. For instance, in a heightened standoff over race or religion issues, I would back off or tone down reports to give the situation a chance of cooling off for the public good.

The bottom line of this discussion is that freedom is the heart and soul of the human spirit. It cannot remain shackled in perpetuity by either state control or self censorship. Press freedom is a work-in-progress. We need to be patient. Journalists in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, have seen better days when press freedom returned to their land following the fall of illegitimate regimes.

My dream, my hope and my prayer is that our turn will come when the press shall be free. If not in this generation, then the next. But it will surely come. — mysinchew.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.