[Opinion] Inspection Is the Starting Point for Criticizing the Power

The reason why we look for famous museums is because we can gain superior educational effect by appreciating exhibitions that helps us to understand the aspect of one society.

Curator has professional insight and chooses things that explains the social character of the exhibitions and arranges them considering spectator’s sight and movement.

Curator decides where to put which exhibition.

Spectators decide which museum to visit.

The reason why we read good newspaper is not so different from the reason for searching famous museum.

We choose newspaper to satisfy desire for information that wants to know what is going on in the world every day.

Journalists who have the quality of an expert, select things that are worth reporting among every day issues and provide this to readers after reformation.

Readers should judge which newspaper to subscribe.

The museum would be in good condition as long as spectators visit that museum.

Like wise, the newspaper would not disappear as long as readers subscribe steadily with affection a particular newspaper.

However, it is shocking that one candidate contesting in major elections from the ruling party recently mentioned about closing Donga-A newspaper, requesting the owner to resign and stated to reform the structure of ownership.

Above all else, there is problem in simple thoughts that introducing staff ownership or limiting shares would change the tone of the press.

This speech can`t help causing the criticism that it denies the freedom of press ideology and ignores thoroughly the right of readers to choose newspapers.

If such emotions are flowing in the ruling party, it is difficult to deny tax inspection of press, which originates from political intention that is training criticizing press, despite affirmative excuse like achievement of the righteous tax.

For the ruling party to try and involve newspaper means that it considers political advantage, which can be acquainted with maximum propaganda by entire news management, rather than security of freedom of press.

The trial to involve presses by limiting shares, etc and declaring newspaper market as failure resulted in a fade-out.

Pointing out bad point of reader market in the situation that even ABC system hasn`t settled down was not reasonable and insistence that variety of opinion is being spoiled by major newspapers, at a time when visual variety of broadcasting has expanded utmost, couldn`t get persuasive power.

However, dispute of reformatting press last year gave big lesson to staff working in newspapers.

It made them realize how the press should put an effort in order to keep its freedom, which is gained by achieving democracy.

Politicians make an effort to recruit newspapers on their side regardless of the ruling party or the opposition; therefore, journalists should not have any deficiency in the law as well as in ethics in order to secure freedom.

There is enough reason for politics to consider newspaper as important despite unlimited competitive world due to introduction of new media.

In order to gain the power or maintain it, they need the capacity for mobilizing public opinion, which newspapers have.

Broadcasting that expanded its activity area at a high speed is also not able to surpass newspaper in the matter of forming public opinion.

As broadcasting, in character of media, is strong in entertainment, there is limitation to show the function of journalism that requests critical thought and deep perception.

Recently appeared Internet is also executing the function of journalism; however it has limitation that it has difficulty in verifying reliability and truth of the information.

Likewise, if we say that the main function of newspaper is forming public opinion, the base of existing newspaper is in readers who are subject of forming public opinion.

Therefore, newspaper is needed to provide information of good quality to readers without being fastened by political theory of the power or economical theory of owner or advertiser.

Educated readers want authoritative newspaper that can show sharp analysis of the issues.

To execute responsibility of a guard who watches the power following the tradition of criticism is the starting point of an authoritative newspaper.

Yun Yeong-Chul (Prof. in Yonsei Univ, Journalism)