World Press Freedom in an age of remoteness

CANBERRA, Australia, Apr 29 (IPS) – 3 May is World Press Freedom Day. This is part of a series of IPS features and opinion editorials focused on media freedom globally.Edmund Burke called the press the fourth estate, the fourth pillar of democracy, with an oversight role on the remaining three pillars – the legislature, executive and the judiciary. In an ideal world, this fourth estate would have unimpeded access to the other three pillars so that the citizenry could be kept informed at all times. This freedom was conceived to be so sacrosanct that many countries have included it as a fundamental right, e.g., the US Constitution enshrined it as the very first amendment.

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