Media Censorship and Freedom of Speech - Essay Example

Media Censorship Affiliation: Core ethical issue The core ethical value in this case of media censorship is curtailing of the freedom of speech of the journalists. By prohibiting them to tell the truth of what is happening with the claims over national security issues, the journalists are left without their freedom of expression which they are guaranteed by the constitution. This freedom of expression is what allows journalists to research on issues affecting the community in one way or another and air out the research results to the public (Lin, 2015). Research subject and topic This research will specifically focus on media censorship in Egypt. In 2011, Egypt had been facing numerous security issue of the leadership of the nation and the damage that was resultant of the chaos not to mention the number of deaths and injuries was numerous (Kirkpatrick, 2014). All this was being fuelled by the journalists in especially the print media who citing their freedom of expression in the constitution reported anything and everything leading to more fights (Aljazeera-America, 2015). The government censored the media preventing them from printing stories related to the leadership of the nation as this would cause further damages and deaths. This was an unwelcome decision by the Egypt media leading to debates (Chammah, 2011). What should be remembered is that even though this move harms the journalists, media censorship over security issues of a nation is more of a necessity than infringement of the media freedom of expression. The Potter Box Framework Facts The facts in this case are that the journalists; freedom of expression is being curtailed by the government through the media censorship. They are gaged not to report any news until the government ban on the media is uplifted which will happen once the security threats subside. On the other hand, there is the government which is trying to govern the people and restore peace and calm in the country but their efforts seem to be hitting dead end with the media perpetration of the crowd with leadership allegations and stories. It has to think about the larger society and not just the small community of journalists and their rights and gaging them is the best solution for the moment if peace and normalcy are to be restored in the country. Values Values refer to the available choices for the facts mentioned above. The values to be considered have to be moralistic based on Kantian theory of good or bad and objectivity being upheld in the ethical decisions (Kant & Pluhar, 2002). The journalists have to not only making their news sensational and selling them but have to consider minimizing harm through telling the truth, being accurate in their facts but above all consider the end not the means. According to Kantian’s theory, what matters the most is the end and hence all the values that will be applied good or bad should have that in mind. In this case, the end is to end the violence and seek the restoration of peace and tranquility in the nation. The journalists should have ensured that their stories are geared towards this and not the means of gaining money and attention by providing sensational stories some of which are not even fully based on facts acting only to fuel up the people with rage. The government censorship even though a bit drastic is aimed at ensuring the end is good and hence it does not matter what means it will use to ensure that (Sullivan, 2004). Principles In examination of the principles, what really need to be considered is the purpose being served by the media censorship? This will mean carrying out an examination of the good and the bad because according to Kantian, there are certain actions that are right and certain ones that are wrong. In all of these actions however, what need to be remembered is that the moral law should prevail and it is unconditionally binding to all the parties involved (Allison, 2012). What is being said in short is that the actions by the journalists and the government should be carefully examined and seeks to identify what is wrong and what is right. Moral law is then applied in this case to determine whether the media censorship served the wrong or the right. The other thing to be examined is whether the media censorship applies to all or is secluded to a certain group of journalists only. This will verify the motivation behind the implementation of the censorship and will enable the journalists to accept or reject the censorship on them. Loyalties The journalists who are subjected to the media censorship by the government need to think about where their loyalties lie. Most journalists are known to be resistant about accepting the censorship claiming they have freedom of expression and hence refuse to abide by the gag. These are the ones whose loyalty they need to question and think about. Do their loyalties lie in their government, in the public, their employer, colleagues or even their profession? It lies in all the mentioned above but the most loyalty is towards the public. If they have no public to relay information to then they cannot be in that profession at all. In this case, since they are trying to be loyal to the public by providing them with information, they should care about their welfare as well which at the moment leads to the security concern as the one being experienced in Egypt prior to the media gag on them. They should also seek to be loyal to themselves and their careers by following the rules of the government for whatever time it requires and once done, they can continue being the critical journalists they aim to be (Sullivan, 2004). Conclusion In conclusion, based on the moral and ethical arguments made according to the Kantian theory, it is obvious that the journalists need to abide to the media censorship from the government and especially where matters of security are concerned. As stated in the thesis, media censorship over security issues of a nation is more of a necessity than infringement of the media freedom of expression and hence the journalist should obey it no matter how much their freedom of expression is being curtailed. References Aljazeera-America. (2015, April 27). Stating security concerns, Egypt gags media. Aljazeera- America. Retrieved from http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/27/stating-security- concerns-egypt-gags-media.html Allison, H. (2012). Essays on Kant. New York: Oxford University Press. Chammah, M. (2011, December 13). The Springborg Affair: A Censorship Debacle Reflects Egypts Future. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maurice-chammah/egypt-media-censorship- spingborg_b_1146133.html Kant, I. & Pluhar, W. (2002). Critique of Practical Reason. New York: Hackett Publishing. Karlekar, K. & Marchant, E. (2008). Freedom of the Press 2007: A Global Survey of Media Independence. Washington DC: Freedom House. Kirkpatrick, D. (2014, October 1st). Egypt Seizes Newspapers to Censor an Article. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/world/middleeast/egypt-seizes-newspapers-to- censor-an-article.html?_r=0 Lin, L. (2015, April 3rd). China’s Censors Take Aim at a New Target: Japanese Cartoons. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/04/03/chinas-censors-take-aim-at-a-new-target- japanese-cartoons/ Sullivan, R. (2004). Radar Foundations for Imaging and Advanced Concepts. Massachusetts: Institution of Engineering and Technology. Read More