Whistle-blowing must go on

Today marks the 45th anniversary of Newspapers Day, which was founded on Apr. 7, 1896 on the occasion of the publication of the first private newspaper in Korea, the Tongnip Shinmun (The Independent). Nearly one century has elapsed since pressdom observed its own birthday. However, now, we meet this auspicious day with mixed feelings. This is because we have to recall the foregone past and to precisely grasp the dismal realities in order to prepare ourselves for the future. The Kim Dae-Jung government, established through a power transfer from the ruling camp to the opposition party for the first time in the nation`s political history, has moved from a ``government of the people`` to a strong or iron-fisted one three years after its inauguration. This means that the Kim administration has concentrated its endeavors on maintaining its grip on power rather than promoting the people`s welfare. It is quite natural that the party in power is attempting to retain its power through the presidential election.

Nevertheless, there is no denying that the people`s welfare is the top policy priority. The extension of governance should be the outcome of good politics. Any attempts to maintain power through collusion among the regional parties or factions should be stopped. If politics aimed at coordinating conflicting interests between the regions and classes and integrating and enhancing the popular energies are overwhelmed by the political ambition of clinging to the helm of government, it is destined to deepen social complications and antagonism. Disappointingly, our society for now is under pressure to choose between reforms and anti-reforms, conservatism and progressivism, our side and your side, and divisional options or absolute right or wrong.

The same is true with the situation in the mass media. Newspapers are classified as pro- and anti-government papers by the government, broadcasting stations are attacking newspapers, some newspapers are criticizing others. Under the pretext of news media reform, the Kim government is persistently and cunningly threatening freedom of the press with the discordance between its words and deeds. Any totalitarian idea to infringe upon the freedom of the press and any undemocratic maneuvers to control the press are no more than a camouflaged campaign against the mass media under the name of reform. In particular, in a democratic nation, it is absolutely intolerable for the administration to block the flow of public opinion and regulate criticism. History proves that any governments that attempted or maneuvered to suppress freedom of the press faced the stringent judgments of the sovereign people.

The media`s imperative function of criticizing those in power should not be restricted under any circumstances. Whistle-blowing by the press on the government`s wrongdoing can never be silenced. Marking Newspapers Day, we would like to renew our resolution in this regard.