Freedom of expression should be guaranteed. Discuss Essay - 1

Freedom of expression should be guaranteed. Discuss - Essay Example OECD and African Development Bank (2012) point that freedom of expression includes the right for one to freely hold opinions without there being any interference as well as the innate right for individuals to be able to seek impart and receive ideas and information via the use of various media irrespective of the possible frontiers. Guaranteeing freedom of expression basically means that individuals are assured of this inalienable right without failure; in this regard freedom of expression should be guaranteed as it is essentially an inseparable element of democracy and the modern day free press. Freedom of expression generally aids society in exercising control over various state authorities as well as in maintenance of a system whereby the society is essentially self controlled as is dictated by the demands of democracy. Self controlled societies are responsible for making their own decisions and it is only possible for these societies to be able to do this if they are well informed and has in place and system that encourages open exchange of opinions via the various mass media. This essay will critically underscore some of the various reasons as to why freedom of expression in mass media should be guaranteed in relation to its importance in mass media. Guaranteed freedom of expression is an important contributor to the democratic belief that the government should necessarily be restrained by a system of various balances and checks. These checks and balances are designed to restrain it from corruption, tyranny and ineptitude (Human Rights Watch 2011). By utilizing the freedom of expression that is available to it, the press can be able to promote democracy by facilitating a free flow of information and providing important information to the public, which can in turn help the public in making crucial decisions affecting the state as it has the right to protest