Freedom of the Press, a Paradise Lost?

the AZEL PERSPECTIVE Commentary on Cuba's Future, U.S. Foreign Policy & Individual Freedoms - Issue 214

Freedom of the Press, a Paradise Lost? Share Tweet Forward

John Milton, poet and polemical man of letters, is best known for his 1667 poem Paradise Lost. But, it is Milton’s Areopagitica (1644) that stands out as history’s most heartfelt and influential defense of freedom of speech and of the press. Milton’s influence is evident in the U.S. Constitution, and Supreme Court Justices have cited Areopagitica in several decisions supporting free speech. Milton was ahead of his time in developing the arguments that would later be used by free press advocates. In Areopagitica he recognized that threatening censorship prior to publication would have an unsettling effect on free expression, and would interfere with the pursuit of truth. He argued forcefully against an ordinance which required authors to have a government approved license prior to publishing their works. He called “the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, the liberty above all liberties.” Fast forward nearly 400 years to the state of freedom of the press in our times. Yearly, The World Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders, evaluates the state of journalism in 180 territories. Its latest 2019 report, shows that only 8 percent of the countries evaluated can be classified as having  a “good” press freedom situation, followed by 16  percent “satisfactory,” 37 percent “problematic,”  29 percent “difficult,” and 11 percent in a “very serious situation.” Only 24 percent of the countries qualify as good or satisfactory - a decline of two percentage points from 2018. Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, and Switzerland, take the top five spots, with the United States falling three places to 48thplace. In the Americas, Jamaica rates highest, and Cuba rates lowest at number 169. Another report, The Freedom of the Press report compiled by Freedom House, reveals a similar pattern.  Only 13 percent of the world’s population enjoys a free press, and global press freedom has declined to its lowest point in 13 years. It is no surprise that authoritarian- totalitarian regimes like Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, and others continue having complete, or near complete, control over their domestic media. What is most troubling is that politicians in democratic countries are shaping news coverage by undermining traditional media outlets. Common techniques include exerting influence over public broadcasters and raising the profile of government friendly private media outlets. For example, Viktor Orbán’s government in Hungary, and Aleksandar Vučić’s administration in Serbia have consolidated media ownership in the hands of their cronies. In Hungary, nearly 80 percent of the media are owned by allies of the government.  This ensures media support for the government and the smear of perceived opponents. In the U.S., President Trump’s war with the media is well known. Here are the attitudes of other democratically elected leaders cited by Freedom House: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, president of Turkey: “Know your place…shameless militant women disguised as journalists.” Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa: “I have argued with [the media] that they were never elected, we were elected and we can claim that we represent the people.” Roberto Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia: “Some of you [journalists] are dirty, anti-Slovak prostitutes.” Jaroslaw Kaczyński, who served as Prime Minister of Poland, claimed that Poland’s largest newspaper was “against the very notion of the nation.” Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, has used his Facebook page to attack high-profile investigative journalists and has been accused of colluding with media owners to shape favorable coverage. Philippines President Rodrigo Duarte has voiced insults and death threats against journalists. This is not a list of the usual suspects when it comes to press restrictions. These are democratically elected leaders that have concluded that their citizens are not capable of using reason to distinguish good journalism from bad journalism. An essential belief of democracy is that when people argue openly with each other, good arguments will prevail.  As John Milton argued, we must have unlimited access to the ideas of our fellow citizens in “a free and open encounter.” To remain viable, democracies must promote a marketplace of ideas, insuring that freedom of the press does not become democracies’ paradise lost. Please let us know if you  this article. We welcome your feedback. Abrazos,  Lily & José  (click on the name to email Lily or Jose) José Azel, Ph.D. José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a 13 year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan - the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere. He is currently dedicated to the in-depth analyses of Cuba's economic, social and political state, with a keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba strategies. Formerly, a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) at the University of Miami, Jose Azel has published extensively on Cuba related topics. In 2012 and 2015, Dr. Azel testified in the U.S. Congress on U.S.-Cuba Policy, and U.S. National Security.  He is a frequent speaker and commentator on these and related topics on local, national and international media.  He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration and a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the University of Miami. José along with his wife Lily are avid skiers and adventure travelers.  In recent years they have climbed Grand Teton in Wyoming, trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Machu Pichu in Peru.  They have also hiked in Tibet and in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest Base Camp. They cycled St. James Way (El Camino de Santiago de Compostela) and cycled alongside the Danube from Germany to Hungary. They have scuba dived in the Bay Islands off the Honduran coast and in the Galapagos Islands. Their adventurers are normally dedicated to raise funds for causes that are dear to them.  Watch Joe & Lily summit Kilimanjaro. Books by Dr. José Azel "Liberty for beginners is much more than what the title promises. It is eighty themes touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone that wishes to understand why countries do, or do not progress, will find in this book the best explanations. If it was in my power, this work would be required reading for all college and university students, and I would recommend its reading to politicians, journalists, and policymakers. With this book Azel accomplishes what was achieved in France by Frédéric Bastiat, and in the United States by Henry Hazlitt: brings together common sense with intelligent observation, and academic substance. Stupendous" Carlos Alberto Montaner Buy Now "Libertad para novatos es mucho más de lo que promete el título. Son ochenta temas tocados con la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquier adulto que desee saber por qué progresan o se estancan los pueblos aquí encontrará las mejores explicaciones. Si estuviera en mis manos, esta obra sería lectura obligatoria de todos los estudiantes, tanto de bachillerato como universitarios, pero, además, se la recomendaría a todos los políticos y periodistas, a todos los policy makers. Azel logra con este libro lo que Frédéric Bastiat consiguiera en Francia y Henry Hazlitt en Estados Unidos: aunar el sentido común, la observación inteligente y la enjundia académica. Estupendo." Carlos Alberto Montaner Compre Aqui In Reflections on Freedom, José Azel brings together a collection of his columns published in prestigious newspapers.  Each article reveals his heartfelt and personal awareness of the importance of freedom in our lives.  They are his reflections after nearly sixty years of living and learning as a Cuban outside Cuba. In what has become his stylistic trademark, Professor Azel brilliantly introduces complex topics in brief journalistic articles. Buy Now En Reflexiones sobre la libertad José Azel reúne una colección de sus columnas publicadas en prestigiosos periódicos. Cada artículo revela su percepción sincera y personal de la importancia de la libertad en nuestras vidas. Son sus reflexiones después de casi sesenta años viviendo y aprendiendo como cubano fuera de Cuba.  En lo que ha resultado ser característica distintiva de sus artículos, el Profesor Azel introduce con brillantez complejos temas en  breves artículos de carácter periodístico. Compre Aqui Mañana in Cuba is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future. Buy now Pedazos y Vacíos is a collection of poems written in by Dr. Azel in his youth. Poems are in Spanish. Buy now

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