Read up on two journalists who have been silenced by the government. Discuss the reason for the silence and evaluate whether the silence is appropriate.
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1. Rewcastle Brown
Rewcastle Brown is a British journalist and the founder and editor of the website Sarawak Report. Most of its reporting has focused on deforestation and corruption. With the aim that the public should know the truth, she created a blog, which became Malaysia's go-to news outlet for information that the government was trying to suppress and whistleblowers wanted to get out.
She reported on how investigators probing the debt-laden 1MDB discovered that some US$700m allegedly made its way into Najib’s personal bank accounts through the website. Sarawak Report was blocked after two weeks. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission confirmed that it had blocked Sarawak Report for reporting on what it called “unverified content” until an official investigation into 1MDB is completed. According to the statement, it is said that the content could threaten national stability, public order and economic stability.
In my opinion, I am upset to know that Rewcastle Brown, a journalist who strives to reveal the truth has been silenced. The role of the journalists is to act as a watchdog in order to collect information about the wrongdoings of people in power and deliver it to the public therefore the public can understand what happens in society and stop wrongdoings as soon as possible. However, the people in power misused the power to limit the media.
2. Lamees Dhaif
Lamees Dhaif is a well-known columnist and journalist in Bahrain. Dhaif has worked for a few newspapers in Bahrain, for example, Akhbar Al-Khaleej, Sadaa Al Isbou’a, Al-Qabas, Al-Afaaq and Al-Waqt. She began her professional career in 2005 and first reported on radical Islamists, followed by widespread government corruption.
Dhaif wrote a series of articles in Al-Waqt entitled "Shameful Case - The time for silence is over", which revealed corruption in the judiciary of Bahrain. The articles included criticisms of the judicial authorities. She was then summoned to the Public Prosecutor's Office on charges brought by the Supreme Judiciary Council deputy. She faced charges under Article 216 of the Penal Code, which states that those who "publicly insulting the National Council" and confronted a risk of imprisonment if found guilty.
In my opinion, it was a sad phenomenon that the journalists are silenced once they reveal anything that the government would not like the public to know. The public has the right to know what has been done by the government while journalists play a central role in fostering a society based on the open discussion of facts and the pursuit of the truth. Press freedom and the rights of journalists should be protected.
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