Another Killer of Press Freedom
We always thought that tyranny or dictatorship form of government is the sole culprit that kills freedom of expression for it results into extra-judicial killings of journalists and writers but known patron of arts and culture in the Philippines which have authored the law that has created the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), that is, Senator Edgardo Angara, poor and bad economy also kills press freedom.
He stated this on his speech at the Communication Expo 2011 in Boracay Philippines recently,s aying it is because poor economic status of the country makes broadcasting and publishing hard and difficult because financially poor people according to him, will not opt to buy either published materials like newspaper or spent time buying bad news on TV but would rather work extra more hours to have more money for their essential needs to cope with the decreasing buying power of every monetary value or whatever bill or coins they may have in their pockets.
“The free economy — where demand and availability dictate price, especially of oil, and with it, newsprint, ink and electricity — is killing freedom of expression. It is killing free expression far more effectively than tyranny ever could… The greatest threat to press freedom and freedom of expression is economics….”
With what is going on the current poor and retarding economic status of the Philippines under the Aquino government because of Aquino administration under spending and suspension of economic projects that will suppose to boost the economy of the Philippines, according to Senator Edgardo Angara, the traditional press has been affected by it; production and distribution cost of printed materials become costly and people with less money or people without extra money will not be able to afford a budget for it.
“Today, our economy’s growth has slowed from a little over seven to a under four percent. The situation for media and other traditional forms of communication will only worsen as the cost barrier to press freedom — the wall of production and distribution costs around free and effective communication — rises ever higher.”
But he added that the “new economy” created by the world wide web or by the internet,have somewhat salvage traditional press freedom from banckruptcy due to poor and bad economy just like what happen to The New York Times he said,despite of the poor economy the Philippines have now on the administration of PNoy.
“But the new economy has also provided the greatest means of liberation….technology has opened a new frontier of communication where the material cost is minimal compared with the intellectual and imaginative demands. One needs more mind, memory and imagination to communicate effectively through the web than on the printed page..”
But in my opinion, credibility of the publishing company and their printed products also plays big role on killing one’s freedom of expression through printed mediums aside from tyrannical government and poor retarding economy. For who will buy one’s printed products or printed materials like newspaper if the buying public do not trust and believe anymore one’s printed materials?
Whatever the situation may be, in my own opinion, credibility kills more also press freedom than having a poor economy for people buy something if they trust and believe on it; whatever it cost, if they trust and believe it, they will still buy it.
If people believes on your product, though one’s country have poor economic status and though you raise or increase the cost or prize of your printed materials or any product you are selling to the public, people will still patronize and buy your product because of your credibility to them or because of their trust and faith in your product. Whatever happens, if they still have trust and faith on your printed materials, surely poor economy cannot kill your press freedom.
Furthermore, not only credibility but also people’s thirst for credible and sound information and knowledge makes your publishing company going strong despite of poor economy. But if they don’t believe and trust your printed materials and people are not inclined to sound information and knowledge, though you may be on a strong economy, it will still kill your press freedom and lead your publishing company into bankruptcy.
