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TEHRAN, June 10- Western countries speak of the need for democracy and free speech around the world while restricting citizens’ access to information and silencing the messengers.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -Western countries speak of the need for democracy and free speech around the world while restricting citizens’ access to information and silencing the messengers.
Nowadays the media is a form of education for many, especially when it comes to understanding politics. Therefore, people believe what they see and hear even if it’s only half the truth. I have always stated that the media is the fourth branch of government because it moves public opinion and every day we see more proof of that. US society, as well as British society, has made choices about which kinds of speech to permit and which to forbid in an attempt to silence discussion on specific topics.
In 2010 Hillary Clinton cited President Obama during her speech stating that “the more freely information flows, the stronger societies become”. She then went on to say that “information networks are helping people discover new facts and making governments more accountable.”
What she didn’t expect was that information networks such as WikiLeaks would uncover incriminating information that not only compromised her credibility but also that of many others. First Amendment to the US constitution guarantees the rights of free expression and action that are fundamental to democratic government. These rights include freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech.
The First Amendment prohibits Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely. The First Amendment should be able to protect a right to publish information on unlawful government programs especially when the existence of a particular program is a matter of significant public concern. Because of the Espionage Act, there’s no way for third party to “lawfully” acquire classified national security information that they are unauthorized to possess.
Julian Assange and his organization WikiLeaks have provoked controversy over the years with the release of compromising emails that shed light, and confirmed speculation from many, on government officials conspiring against its own citizens.
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a speech delivered on April 13 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, insisted that disclosures about what the CIA and intelligence community are doing is a threat to the safety of Americans. He then went on to address WikiLeaks stating "We can no longer allow Assange and his colleagues the latitude to use free speech values against us." What exactly was Pompeo referring to when he said"against us”.
On the contrary, thanks to WikiLeaks, Americans are now better informed. The continuous actions taken against Assange is by default proof that many are afraid and scared as to what yet remains to be exposed. In suggesting that Americans’ right to free speech depends on whether or not the topic is aligned with the government's agenda and interests, Pompeo, like many lawmakers, have been waiting for the day in which they can openly control what constitutes "real news" as opposed to, what President Trump calls, "fake news".
Source:RT
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