Freedom of the press

Freedom of the press, or freedom of the media, is the core idea that people have a right to communicate and express themselves through various channels—like print, electronic media, and published works—without government interference. This means there should be little to no censorship or prior approval from authorities, and this right is often written into laws or constitutions. Laws protecting freedom of speech usually cover the press as well, treating spoken and published expression equally, and many nations also safeguard scientific freedom.

Governments can still restrict press freedom in certain areas, such as classified information, state secrets, punishment for libel, copyright violations, privacy breaches, or court orders. When press freedom is weak, authorities may demand pre-publication approval or penalize the distribution of material that criticizes the government or specific political views. In places with high transparency, "sunshine laws" or freedom of information laws give citizens broad access to government records.

Historically, freedom of the press was formally established in Great Britain when the Licensing of the Press Act expired in 1695. Sweden became the first country to legally protect press freedom with its Freedom of the Press Act in 1766, though it wasn't added to the constitution because of opposition from the nobility. The United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and share information and ideas through any media, regardless of borders.

Regarding self-publishing, freedom of the press isn't about being free from outside interference like government or religious groups; it's about authors having the right to get their work published by others. As journalist A. J. Liebling put it, "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." This means the printer or publisher has sole control over what they choose to publish, including the right to refuse anything for any reason. If an author can't voluntarily agree with a publisher, they must turn to self-publishing.

Beyond legal definitions, several non-governmental organizations use different criteria to assess press freedom worldwide. Some create subjective rankings, while others rely on quantitative data. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) looks at the number of journalists killed, expelled, or harassed, whether the state controls TV and radio, the presence of censorship and self-censorship, media independence, and difficulties foreign reporters face. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) tracks journalists killed or imprisoned for their work, using journalistic methods like independent research and fact-finding, and shares information through the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a network of over 119 organizations. CPJ also monitors impunity in journalist murders, applying strict criteria to verify each case. Freedom House studies each country's political and economic environment to see if dependencies limit press freedom in practice. Panels of experts score countries on a 100-point scale based on political, economic, legal, and safety conditions for journalists, then classify them as having a free, partly free, or not free press.

Each year, CPJ compiles a list of all working journalists killed in relation to their jobs, with profiles and an annual census of incarcerated journalists as of December 1. In 2017, a record 262 journalists were jailed, with Turkey, China, and Egypt accounting for more than half. A 2019 CPJ special report found about 25 journalists were murdered on duty that year, the lowest since 2002, when at least 21 were killed. Meanwhile, RSF reported 49 killings in 2019, the lowest since 2003, when almost 36 died. Leading press watchdogs remain concerned about ongoing dangers, noting that the drop in murders coincided with global attention on impunity, especially after the assassinations of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 and Maltese blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017. RSF also publishes an annual subjective Press Freedom Index ranking countries.