The Right To Blog

According to theStar Online, freedom of speech is the freedom to express your opinion/mind in the right manner so as not to infringe on the rights of others for peace, respect and basic human rights. In other words, we need to think before we voice out our opinion so that it is done in a peaceful manner and with respect for others.

Journalist and author Antony Loewenstein released his new book named, The Blogging Revolution in 2008, which examines the power of blogging in six different countries - Iran, Cuba, China, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt.

Image 1. (Amazon.com)

Censorship of the Web is growing and is now done on every continent. Traditional 'predators of press freedom' - Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Libya, the Maldives, Nepal, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam - all censor the internet now. In 2003, only China, Vietnam and the Maldives had imprisoned cyber-dissidents. Now more countries do (WorldPress.org, 2006).

I have to say, in Malaysia, I feel the 'freedom of speech' restrictions when I blog. I am blogging at risk of confrontation, imprisonment, and other personal risk. And I do believe, in Malaysia, blogging doesn't give us the right to say anything, any time, in any way, without repercussions. We may have freedom of speech, but not freedom after speech.

In London's BBC (2006), it welcomed the new internet craze in an article titled, "Why we are all journalists now," goes on and explaining the blossoming of citizen journalism stands as one of the Internet's most exciting developments. With millions of bloggers, tens of millions of internet posters, and hundred millions of readers, online sources have radically reshaped the way we access our daily news (WorldPress.org, 2006)

Image 2. (Google Images)

London BBC (2006) also said, while mainstream news organisations initially expressed doubt about the news value of online sources such as blogs, whoever launched their blogs are frequently maintained by some of their most distinctive voices.

Image 3. (Google Images)

Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and Internet bullies shouldn't use the law to stifle legitimate free expression. Like all journalists and publishers, bloggers sometimes publish information that other people don't want published. For example, publish something that someone consider defamatory. However, the same law sometimes doesn't apply on blogger and reporter because the blogger may not have the benefit of training or resources to help them determine whether what they're doing is legal (Electronic Fronter Foundation, 2009).

Both bloggers and journalist are benefiting from having blogs, as Mathew Ingram said, "... the blogging process and publishing style and ethic are applicable to virtually every kind of reporter or journalist." (Technorati, 2009).

Reference:

theStar Online 2008, Are Malaysians ready for freedom of speech?
Accessed 8 November, 2009
http://blog.thestar.com.my/permalink.asp?id=18812

Media Report 2008, The Blogging Revolution
Accessed 9 November, 2009
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2351985.htm

WorldPress.org 2006, Blogs and Freedom of Speech
Accessed 9 November, 2009
http://www.worldpress.org/2373.cfm

Electronic Frontier Foundation 2009, Blogger's Legal Guide
Accessed 9 November, 2009
http://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal

Technorati.com 2009, Mathew Ingram Interview: SOTB 2009
Accessed 9 November, 2009
http://technorati.com/blogging/article/mathew-ingram-interview-sotb-2009/