Press must be free to report the news

The recent case filed against the editor of The Daily Star together with two staff for publishing a photograph of a poster circulated by the banned group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which calls upon the armed forces to topple the government, is regrettable.

It would have been better had the case not been accepted, as it is manifestly clear that the newspaper’s intent was merely to inform the public and to highlight the irresponsible and unlawful nature of the poster, not to endorse its content or to create unrest.

The relevant section of the penal code makes clear that, to be actionable, publication must be done with the intent or likelihood of causing public mischief, and the context of the photograph’s publication, including the accompanying text, demonstrates that such intent was absent.

Now that the court has taken cognisance of the matter, we would hope that the issue will be dealt with swiftly and that the unfairly impugned newsmen are exonerated as a matter of course, following the inquiry that has been ordered.

Such cases serve only to chill the freedom of the press and stand in the way of the media’s duty and responsibility to inform the public. While journalistic irresponsibility must be avoided at all costs, this was not such a case, and to suggest that it was does the newspaper in question a grave disservice.

The authorities must be able to distinguish between news published with the best of intentions and that published to try to stir up trouble, because, if they begin to confuse the two, then media will not be able to report on important news that the public needs to know.

The ultimate loser will not be just the press, but the entire citizenry, who will remain unaware of information they have a right and a need to know.