At The Root Of Democracy: Free Flow Of Information

Arlington TX

14 March, 2022

7:41 PM

Description

By Kelley Shannon, Fort Worth Report March 14, 2022 As Ukrainians fight and die for democracy, Russia is arresting its own citizens who are protesting the war and threatening prison for journalists who report the truth. The attempt to crush a democratic government and stop the flow of information comes as American news organizations and transparency advocates observe Sunshine Week from March 13-19, a time for highlighting government openness and a free press. Certainly, let's commemorate the freedom of information we enjoy – and constantly strive to improve – in the United States. But it's imperative to contrast it with what's happening around the world and understand how devastating it is when a government allows only its own tightly controlled version of events to trickle out. Earlier this month, Vladimir Putin's government changed its domestic media laws to make it a crime to distribute what it deemed to be "false news" about the war. Doing so could mean up to 15 years behind bars. Many news organizations pulled journalists out of the country or shut their operations; the government also cut off access to major social media sites, the Neiman Journalism Lab reported in its thorough rundown on the severe restrictions. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.