Jimmy Lai case shows press freedom is not a get-out-of-jail-free ticket
To ignore or condone the Jimmy Lais and Apple Dailies of the world is to encourage the hypocrisy and abuses seen in news reporting today
The rise of the internet and ever more channels of news delivery has enabled a global audience of news consumers, attuned to reports delivered from all around the world. This has turned the most successful news providers into some of the most powerful and influential communication tools of our time.
Such power and influence are not lost on political leaders and interest groups. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine a major news outlet not taking a side in politics or having behind it some powerful political figure. For the high-minded, this is, of course, a disappointing turn of events for the journalistic profession.
In one of the Spider-Man films, Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben tells him: “With great power comes great responsibility.” For those in the news business, any abuse of that power not only represents a denial of responsibility but also a betrayal of journalistic values. Sadly, such cases exist.
Ironically, it is what remains of people’s respect for journalism and the noble values of the fourth estate that have given some in the news business a sense of self-importance – and a false sense of security. Many believe the press can do no wrong; some even believe the media can behave with impunity.