Freedom of the press and Related Topics

Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)—Article 19 states that "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers".

Freedom of speech

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Principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction.

Orator at Speakers' Corner in London, 1974

Permanent Free Speech Wall in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.

Members of Westboro Baptist Church (pictured in 2006) have been specifically banned from entering Canada for hate speech.

Countries with laws against Holocaust denial

The Free Speech Flag was created during the AACS encryption key controversy as "a symbol to show support for personal freedoms".

Title page of Index Librorum Prohibitorum, or List of Prohibited Books, (Venice, 1564)

In Panegyricae orationes septem (1596), Henric van Cuyck, a Dutch Bishop, defended the need for censorship and argued that Johannes Gutenberg's printing press had resulted in a world infected by "pernicious lies"—so van Cuyck singled out the Talmud and the Qur'an, and the writings of Martin Luther, Jean Calvin and Erasmus of Rotterdam.

First page of John Milton's 1644 edition of Areopagitica, in which he argued forcefully against the Licensing Order of 1643

This 1688 edition of Jacobus de Voragine's Golden Legend (1260) was censored according to the Index Librorum Expurgatorum of 1707, which listed the specific passages of books already in circulation that required censorship

George Orwell statue at the headquarters of the BBC. A defence of free speech in an open society, the wall behind the statue is inscribed with the words "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear", words from George Orwell's proposed preface to Animal Farm (1945).

An "unexpurgated" edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover (1959)

One of the world's first freedom of the press acts was introduced in Sweden in 1766 (Swedish Freedom of the Press Act), mainly due to the classical liberal member of parliament and Ostrobothnian priest Anders Chydenius.

Press Freedom Index

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The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders since 2002 based upon the organisation's own assessment of the countries' press freedom records in the previous year.

A person casts their vote in the second round of the 2007 French presidential election.

Democracy

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Form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choose governing officials to do so ("representative democracy").

Democracy's de facto status in the world as of 2020, according to Democracy Index by The Economist

Democracy's de jure status in the world as of 2020; only Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Brunei, Afghanistan, and the Vatican do not claim to be a democracy.

Nineteenth-century painting by Philipp Foltz depicting the Athenian politician Pericles delivering his famous funeral oration in front of the Assembly.

John Locke expanded on Thomas Hobbes's social contract theory and developed the concept of natural rights, the right to private property and the principle of consent of the governed. His ideas form the ideological basis of liberal democracies today.

Statue of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens, in front of the Austrian Parliament Building. Athena has been used as an international symbol of freedom and democracy since at least the late eighteenth century.

The establishment of universal male suffrage in France in 1848 was an important milestone in the history of democracy.

The number of nations 1800–2003 scoring 8 or higher on Polity IV scale, another widely used measure of democracy

Corazon Aquino taking the Oath of Office, becoming the first female president in Asia

Meeting of the Grand Committee of the Parliament of Finland in 2008.

Countries autocratizing (red) or democratizing (blue) substantially and significantly (2010–2020). Countries in grey are substantially unchanged.

designated "electoral democracies" in Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2021 survey, covering the year 2020.

A Landsgemeinde (in 2009) of the canton of Glarus, an example of direct democracy in Switzerland

In Switzerland, without needing to register, every citizen receives ballot papers and information brochures for each vote (and can send it back by post). Switzerland has a direct democracy system and votes (and elections) are organised about four times a year; here, to Berne's citizen in November 2008 about 5 national, 2 cantonal, 4 municipal referendums, and 2 elections (government and parliament of the City of Berne) to take care of at the same time.

Queen Elizabeth II, a constitutional monarch

Banner in Hong Kong asking for democracy, August 2019

In some countries, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and internet democracy are considered important to ensure that voters are well informed, enabling them to vote according to their own interests.

Journalist

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Individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio or pictures, processes them to a news-worthy form and disseminates it to the public.

Jamal Khashoggi, killed inside Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018

A program director sets the task for TV journalists, 1998.

A reporter interviews a man in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, 2009.

Journalist interviews a cosplayer, 2012.

A reporter interviewing Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London, 2014

Official tastes the water of a new well in front of journalists in Mogadishu, Somalia, 2014.

Cameraman and journalist who interviews a person in Austria

Journalists sometimes expose themselves to danger, particularly when reporting in areas of armed conflict or in states that do not respect the freedom of the press.

Finland

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Nordic country in Northern Europe.

Finland on a medieval map, which is part of the Carta marina (1539)

Reconstruction of Stone Age dwelling from Kierikki, Oulu

Stone Age bear head gavel found in Paltamo, Kainuu.

An ancient Finnish man's outfit according to the findings of the Tuukkala Cemetery in Mikkeli, interpretation of 1889. The cemetery dates from the late 13th century to the early 15th century.

The Swedish Empire following the Treaty of Roskilde of 1658.
Dark green: Sweden proper, as represented in the Riksdag of the Estates. Other greens: Swedish dominions and possessions

Now lying within Helsinki, Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of an inhabited 18th-century sea fortress built on six islands. It is one of Finland's most popular tourist attractions.

Pioneers in Karelia (1900) by Pekka Halonen

White firing squad executing Red soldiers after the Battle of Länkipohja (1918)

Finnish military leader and statesman C. G. E. Mannerheim as general officer leading the White Victory Parade at the end of the Finnish Civil War in Helsinki, 1918

J. K. Paasikivi and P. E. Svinhufvud, both at the time future presidents of the Republic of Finland, discuss the Finnish monarchy project in 1918.

Finnish troops raise a flag on the cairn in April 1945 at the close of the World War II in Finland

Areas ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union after World War II. The Porkkala land lease was returned to Finland in 1956.

Urho Kekkonen, the eighth president of Finland (1956–1982)

Finland joined the European Union in 1995 and signed the Lisbon Treaty in 2007.

There are some 187,888 lakes in Finland larger than 500 square metres and 75,818 islands of over 0,5 km2 area, leading to the denomination "the land of a thousand lakes". Picture of Lake Pielinen in North Karelia.

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is Finland's national animal. It is also the largest carnivore in Finland.

Köppen climate classification types of Finland

The Parliament of Finland's main building along Mannerheimintie in Töölö, Helsinki

The Session Hall of the Parliament of Finland

Martti Ahtisaari receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008

Finnish Leopard 2A4 tank Ps 273–106 in a combat demonstration at Comprehensive security exhibition 2015 in Tampere.

Sisu Nasu NA-110 tracked transport vehicle of the Finnish Army. Most conscripts receive training for warfare in winter, and transport vehicles such as this give mobility in heavy snow.

People gathering at the Senate Square, Helsinki, right before the 2011 Helsinki Pride parade started.

Angry Birds Land, a theme park in the Särkänniemi amusement park, in Tampere, Pirkanmaa; the mobile phone game Angry Birds, developed in Finland, has become a commercial hit both domestically and internationally.

A treemap representing the exports of Finland in 2017

The two existing units of the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. On the far left is a visualization of a third unit, which, when completed, will become Finland's fifth commercial nuclear reactor.

The Oasis of the Seas was built at the Perno shipyard in Turku.

Flags of the Nordic countries from left to right: Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark

Medieval old town in Porvoo is one of the most popular tourist destinations in summers for those who are fascinated by the old look.

The historical Tavastia Castle (or Häme Castle) in Hämeenlinna, Tavastia Proper is located close to the Lake Vanajavesi.

The Evangelical Lutheran Helsinki Cathedral

The Meilahti Tower Hospital, part of the Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH) in Töölö, Helsinki

Development of life expectancy in Finland

Helsinki Central Library Oodi was chosen as the best new public library in the world in 2019

Pupils at the school of Torvinen in Sodankylä, Finland, in the 1920s

Auditorium in Aalto University's main building, designed by Alvar Aalto

The library of the University of Eastern Finland in Snellmania, the Kuopio campus of the university

The sauna is strongly associated with Finnish culture

Mikael Agricola (1510–1557), Bishop of Turku, a prominent Lutheran Protestant reformer and the father of the Finnish written language

Akseli Gallen-Kallela, The Defense of the Sampo, 1896, Turku Art Museum

The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) was a significant figure in the history of classical music.

The Finnish filmmakers Edvin Laine and Matti Kassila in 1955

Linus Torvalds, the Finnish software engineer best known for creating the popular open-source kernel Linux

Karelian pasty (karjalanpiirakka) is a traditional Finnish dish made from a thin rye crust with a filling of rice. Butter, often mixed with boiled egg (egg butter or munavoi), is spread over the hot pastries before eating.

Paavo Nurmi lights the 1952 Summer Olympics flame

Finland's men's national ice hockey team is ranked as one of the best in the world. The team has won four world championships (1995, 2011, 2019 and 2022) and one Olympic gold medal (2022)

Kankkunen on the Laajavuori stage of the 2010 Rally Finland

Finland has been ranked above average among the world's countries in democracy, press freedom, and human development.

Committee to Protect Journalists

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American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world.

CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.

Eritrea

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Country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara.

Deka Rock Art in Deka Arbaa, Debub region of Eritrea dated to 100,000 years ago

Pre-Axumite monolithic columns in Qohaito

Bronze oil lamp excavated at Matara, dating from the Kingdom of Dʿmt (first century BC or earlier)

Bahta Hagos was an important leader of the Eritrean resistance to foreign domination, specifically against northern Ethiopian and Italian colonialism.

Postcard of the Carabinieri sent from Italian Eritrea in 1907

Eritrean War of Independence against Ethiopia 1961–1991

President Isaias Afewerki with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, December 2002

The 23d ISCOE East Africa Conference in Asmara in 2019

Independence Day is one of the most important public holidays in Eritrea.

A map of Eritrea regions. 1.Northern Red Sea, 2.Anseba, 3.Gash-Barka, 4.Central (to right), 5.Southern, 6.Southern Red Sea

Steam train outside Asmara on the Eritrean Railway

A woman and a man in Barentu wearing traditional clothes

Building of regional administration in Asmara

Traditional Eritrean agudo/tukul huts in a village near Barentu

Tour of Eritrea cycling competition in Asmara, Eritrea.

Freedom of the press in Eritrea is extremely limited; the Press Freedom Index consistently ranks it as one of the least free countries.

The provisional head of state, Enrico De Nicola, signing the Constitution by virtue of Provision XVIII, on 27 December 1947.

Constitution of Italy

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Enacted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 December 1947, with 453 votes in favour and 62 against.

The groups of the Constituent Assembly: DC (207), PSI (115), PCI (104), UDN (41), FUQ (30), PRI (23), BNL (16), PdA (9), MIS (4) and others (7)

One of three original copies, now in the custody of Historical Archives of the President of the Republic.

The flag of Italy, one of the national symbols of Italy.

Statue of Italia turrita, the national personification of Italy.

The Emblem of Italy, with at the center the Stella d'Italia.

The Canto degli Italiani, the national anthem of Italy. Edition of 1860.

Palazzo Montecitorio, seat of the Chamber of Deputies.

Palazzo Madama, seat of the Senate of the Republic.

Swearing in of President Sergio Mattarella in front of a joint session of Parliament at Palazzo Montecitorio.

Quirinal Palace, official residence of the President of the Republic.

President Sandro Pertini in his office at the Quirinal Palace.

Palazzo Chigi, official residence of the President of the Council of Ministers.

Hall of the Council of Ministers within Palazzo Chigi.

Palace of Justice, seat of the Supreme Court of Cassation.

Provinces of Italy (grey borders), within Regions (solid borders).

Comuni of Italy (gray borders), within Regions (black borders).

Palazzo della Consulta, seat of the Constitutional Court.

Freedom of expression, press and religion are guaranteed in public places, except for those acts which are considered offensive by public morality.

John Milton

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English poet and intellectual who served as a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under its Council of State and later under Oliver Cromwell.

Blue plaque in Bread Street, London, where Milton was born

John Milton at age 10 by Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen. In Milton's Cottage, Chalfont St Giles.

Commemorative blue plaque 'John Milton lived here 1632–1638' at Berkyn Manor Farm, Horton, Berkshire

Title page of the 1644 edition of Areopagitica

The back of no 19 York Street (1848). In 1651, Milton moved into a "pretty garden-house" in Petty France, Westminster. He lived there until the Restoration. Later it became No. 19 York Street, belonged to Jeremy Bentham, was occupied successively by James Mill and William Hazlitt, and finally was demolished in 1877.

Milton Dictates the Lost Paradise to His Three Daughters, ca. 1826, by Eugène Delacroix

Title page of John Milton's 1644 edition of Areopagitica

Title page of a 1752–1761 edition of "The Poetical Works of John Milton with Notes of Various Authors by Thomas Newton" printed by J. & R. Tonson in the Strand

Frontispiece to Milton: A Poem in Two Books

Milton is commemorated in the temple of British Worthies, Stowe, Buckinghamshire

Writing in English, Latin, and Italian, he achieved international renown within his lifetime; his celebrated Areopagitica (1644), written in condemnation of pre-publication censorship, is among history's most influential and impassioned defences of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Constitution

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Aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.