PressEthic

In Iraq, freedom of speech would appear to be nonexistent these days. An editorial in the New York Times said that laws in Iraq now forbid anyone from insulting the government. These journalists most certainly cannot carry out their duty as government watchdogs.

Surprisingly, the United States once had a similar law in place, the Sedition Act of 1918. This law made it a crime to defame or insult the government during times of war. The act was repealed in 1921, and has since been considered to go against the U.S. model of freedom of speech in the constitution.

This law in Iraq has brought on a whole new war, one pitted against journalists:

More than 130 journalists or other employees of news outlets have been killed in this war, most of them Iraqis. Some died accidentally, of course. But too many working journalists have clearly been targeted, some even brutally tortured to death, precisely because of what they were publishing. On one day last August, a newspaper editor and a prominent columnist were both shot to death by gunmen in different sections of Baghdad.

Lately, it seems like journalism has become an enemy, a form of warfare. Journalists have to make some tough decisions about whether to go out and fight on the frontlines. This completely discourages me, especially with my desire to report on wars and other crises going on overseas. We are no longer considered a trustworthy, objective friend, but an enemy to the governments we report on.

These reporters in Iraq are incredibly brave. They are not going to compromise their freedom of speech and duty to report the truth to save their lives. Shocking. This is a huge issue that the U.S. should be involved and aware of. I don't mean to sound biased, but how many journalists have to die to protect our rights before Bush takes notice? The editorial says:

President Bush has described today’s Iraq as a “young democracy.” He even boasted at one point that the advance of democratic institutions in Iraq is “setting an example” that others in the area would be “wise to follow.” But when it comes to one of the most basic tenets of democracy — freedom of speech and the press — Iraq is not setting an example that even the youngest of democracies would be wise to follow.

This makes me wonder whether democracy was "good example" to set. If it's costing these journalists their lives, I'm not exactly sure I want to pay that price. Can we realistically expect the same democratic principles to be upheld in a different country, a different context altogether?

This is one of those extremely tough ethical choices journalists have to make, like whether to protect your sources and risk going to jail. Do we let these journalists risk their lives to report the truth? Is it their own choice?