Freedom's Just Another Word
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A key principle for most media development practitioners is a fundamental belief in freedom of speech. When governments or groups or cultures curtail those freedoms, the very essence of an independent media is called to question.
However, in many countries so-called “blasphemy” laws have been enacted, ostensibly to promote tolerance between religions, but also in some cases to prevent critical comments about religious organizations or figures. A new report from Freedom House tackles this issue and how the law is enforced in seven countries: Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland. The report concludes that such laws “typically give rise to the violation, not the protection, of fundamental human rights.”
Regulated speech is not limited to religion. In several European countries, legislatures have struggled with criminalizing the denial of the holocaust. In the United States, some criticize any regulated speech as tantamount to political correctness, while others argue that hate speech can lead to violence. Certainly context matters. It would be easy to say that no speech should be regulated. With that in mind, however, tough choices must be made. Media outlets don’t publish every bit of information they come across. Facts must be verified. Statements of opinion are trickier. The audience should be taken into consideration – would they respond to a viewpoint different from their own? Or would the opinion not contribute anything of value to the debate?
Eleeza V. Agopian is a Program Officer at IREX
