Commentary

Increasingly, confident democratic governments and communities that believe in the strength of their institutions do not see the need for the media to be restrained by excessive regulation.  It may seem strange, but it is part of the media’s role to question government and criticize the way parliament conducts its business in order to provide accountability and assist parliament in adapting to the needs to the community.  The strength of a democracy is reflected in the tolerance shown by those in power to criticism or alternate views.  For parliament to seek to undermine the media or complain about criticism leveled against it is not a sign of a strong institution; instead parliament should heed the criticism leveled at it from an independent media to see whether the substance of the criticism can be applied when making future decisions.  As such parliament should provide the legal framework and contribute to the development of an enabling environment that will ensure that a free media flourishes. 

This trend away from strict regulation toward greater freedom has resulted in many countries reassessing the legislative environment in which the media operates, dispensing with outdated and archaic laws that were traditionally used to suppress an independent media and the free flow of information.  Coupled with this has been a move to greater self-regulation of the media and the creation of media councils or similar institutions in lieu of legislative restrictions and regulation.