26 Nov. - 2 Dec. 1998
Issue No.405
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 26 Nov. - 2 Dec. 1998 Issue No.405 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Pressed to the limit
I have followed the extraordinary crisis pitting the press again members of the People's Assembly in the past few days. This is simply part of free democratic practice: in England, the Palace complains of what the tabloids write; in the US, the White House takes exception. All this does not mean that the press is always right, of course: sometimes it oversteps its bounds. Any criticism must be objective, and avoid degenerating into personal slander. Journalists who neglect matters of public interest and focus solely on attacking individuals only harm their profession itself. What is of concern is the way holders of public office behave, and discussions must be restricted to this point. That is what freedom really means, since freedom is a responsibility before being anything else.
Democracy is always subject to various trends and cultural restrictions in every society. In England, if a member of Parliament cries out: "Shame!", this is a serious issue, while in Italy or Turkey, parliamentarians have been known to beat each other over the head with chairs, or even to shoot at each other. If journalists here sometimes seem too outspoken, it is because they need to let off steam. We must always remember that, by definition, journalists must be role models, and that this obligation forces them to remain always disciplined and objective. If, however, criteria get out of control in parliament, they must not do so in the press.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
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