A person who cannot express his opinion or thoughts will surely be miserable. It is more like an act of dishonoring someone by taking his/her right of expression away. Therefore, when talking about human rights, freedom of speech is the most significant.

However, the digital world is facing a problem with governmental censorship and societal standards. The female community suffers due to misogynistic attitudes that won’t allow them to have an opinion. Freedom of speech is related to various aspects of communication and plays a role in shaping a country

Freedom of Speech From a Historical Point of View

Even during ancient times, the right to express your thoughts faced several challenges as people had very biased opinions. If we talk about Athens, only people belonging to a democratic assembly were allowed to make decisions without considering the rights of their people. However, times changed when the Greek philosopher Socrates stressed the importance of freedom of speech. He made a lot of controversial dialogues that shaped the thoughts of people in power.

The Romans practiced civil rights, allowing people to express their opinions. It would be unfair if we do not discuss legends like John Locke and Voltaire, who were free speech advocates, and their movement attracted many people. This is why these ideas inspired official documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the US Bill of Rights, making freedom of speech a fundamental right.

Historical moments that shaped the freedom of expression

History holds quite a few examples of how basic rights were challenged, and people lived in vulnerable circumstances. We can use Tiberius and Nero as an example of how they silenced people in order to keep ruling the Roman empire.

Even during World War 1, certain acts like the sedition act of 1918 and the Espionage Act of 1917 were used to limit people from raising their voices against the war. These citizens suffered from so many atrocities, and the rulers made sure that their voices were never heard.

However, not all hope was lost when Martin Luther King Jr. utilized the First Amendment for the sake of his people, and he justified how freedom of speech is critical to mankind.

So, from history alone, we can take many examples of how the right to express opinions was challenged, whereas several court cases fought hard to protect this fundamental right of humans.

Freedom of Speech in The Digital Age

In today’s world, the internet’s changes in our lives are immense. It has completely modified the way we communicate with each other and the way we share our thoughts. So many new applications are being launched daily for people to use such platforms to converse.

Therefore, these apps provide space for freedom of speech without being interrupted. This makes humans capable of voicing their thoughts and breaking boundaries set by societal standards. Nevertheless, this free access to online portals has also caused some issues; multiple people get verbally harassed or blackmailed, and there is an invasion of privacy, which leaves people helpless. This is why it is of high importance that people maintain a safe balance between their private and social lives, or else the challenges will only grow bigger.

Misinformation and online censorship

Social media is a hub for false information; with all the benefits that it provides, it is also full of hate speech and scams. Now, this has become a significant issue because even though every human deserves freedom of speech, they cannot be allowed to use it for spreading false rumors. This right should also not be practiced to harm others verbally. There has to be a moderator on every platform limiting people from using hate speech or provoking violence.

This raises the need for online censorship, which will make sure that people with authority can remove harmful substances from the internet. There should be efficient solutions for problems concerning misinformation so it does not harm people.

How Does Journalism and Media Play a Role in Freedom of Speech

Most people get their information from the media, whether about the weather or politics. More significantly, news channels and other related platforms are effective in uncovering hidden truths and making investigations about national and international issues. This sort of information is essential since it empowers people to have their own opinions about politics and other social issues instead of blindly following a leader.

Helping people raise their voices

When there is a political or international argument among people, they need a platform to inform the leaders about how they are destroying society. This is where the media comes into play; it provides people with a place to voice their ideas, which will be published on television and in the newspapers. Viewers can also evaluate what is displayed on such platforms and make an opinion as to what is right and what is misleading

Conducting investigations and debunking myths

Media is the only space that can make investigations due to the vast resources that it possesses.  So, it makes reports, asks questions about the legitimacy of documents and exposes conditions where human rights are being totally abused. This can help hold people accountable for their actions and demand a change in leaders.

Organizations Promoting Freedom of Speech

Human rights need governmental and non-governmental organizations to advocate their importance. These platforms play considerable roles in promoting the need for fundamental rights.

Reporters Without Borders:

Remember how we discussed the role of media in freedom of speech, similarly, to ensure that the media is not oppressed, RSF is dedicated to defending and promoting the freedom of the press. Not only that, but they also advocate for the safety of reporters so they can continue their jobs without any death threats.

American Civil Liberties Union

The ACLU promotes public education and litigation to protect freedom of speech. This organization fights for several constitutional rights, and the right to expression is also one of them.

PEN International

They work for abused writers who were harassed and imprisoned for reporting on sensitive issues. Being a literary and human rights organization, it serves to campaign for reporters and honor them with their fundamental rights.

Global Voices

It is not an organization, but it is worth mentioning here. This is a community of journalists, activists and bloggers from every corner of the earth, and it provides a platform for sensitive issues that are often silenced in mainstream media.

Bottom Line on Freedom of Speech and Expression

Our history proves how a simple right to speak up can be challenged and how devastating it can be for societies. Whenever mankind was silenced, it only

exacerbated the ongoing problems, making conflicts rise among communities. This is why letting people have their opinions is essential, which lays the foundations for a healthy community.

Even if we talk about how significantly media plays its role in spreading information, it is mainly misused and censored by leaders who do not want citizens to know about the atrocities. There is a need for moderators who can let reporters investigate such matters.

Still, many organizations are fighting against stereotypes and empowering people to speak up about what they like and dislike, ultimately enabling them to grow as a society.