Propaganda or free press; the function of information in society

My greatest concerns when moving in Slovakia's society, is the level (and quality) of information people receive. A person somehow tends to adhere to certain habitual patterns, and the basis of his information-intake will determine to a great deal on his critical perception of information. Man is a social being, where the ability to communicate complex messages makes him differ from the rest of the living beings. Communication and information are the core of man's functioning - it creates society.

We all know from the past, how totalitarian regimes early recognised the necessity to channel news in order to direct the masses into whichever direction they wanted. Convincing the onlookers on what a massive popularity a speaker had from the audience, can make the onlooker sway into the camp of the said speaker and thus inducing an overall blindly following crowd. We saw it in Germany during the 1930s-1940s, the Soviet styled personal cults including those of Ho Chi Minh, Kim Il-Sung, Mao Ze-Dong or Fidel Castro. Some implicit pressure allowed.

What is apparent, though, that during totalitarian regimes, a small group of people - despite the risk of heavy repercussions - tend to spread information to reveal the flaws of the said regimes, since official journalists hardly wrote any relevant news. We all know the Samizdat, the clandestine self-publishers, who under danger dedicated much of their effort to get real news into the open.

Without becoming overly melo-dramatic, it can be argued that tendencies in Slovakia's society are becoming critical. It is a blatant irony, that under the umbrella of the EU, Slovakia has become dangerously backward as if still in the pre-1989 era. The fact, that we travel freely within the Schengen area, use Euros, receive satelite TV from all over the world, society is lulled into a dangerously complacent intoxication, naively believing it is a free country, while simultaneously, the three-and-a-half years of government led by Mr Fico has made Slovakia to plummet from place 76 to 127 of the corruption-ranking ladder (according to the World Economic Forum), where the judicial system has been systematically politically infiltrated and critical from within voices (at least those who dare to speak up) are ruthlessly silenced, even up to the police force, which is used as a political instrument to proclaim its support for the ruling party. The damage is not merely a temporary one - it has serious long-term repercussions.

Does this seem like a déjà-vu? Yes it does. Alarmingly close. The last straw, which could steer the broad public into a moderate direction would be a press, that would critically hold up a mirror, warn and inform on the spreading dangers. Yes there are a few individuals, but newspapers face severe financial fines from politicians who sue them to settle a personal score. Facing bankruptcy makes newspapers perhaps not always fully objective any longer - and to an extent, it can be understood. Furthermore, society is definitively not used to a critical press, and often enough, critical investigative articles are regarded with an air of dismay, as if it was a low-level tabloid sensation story.

Politics have damaged society quite severely, and the only critical eye has a tendency towards meek servility. True is, that professionalism of many reporters is often below an acceptable level. After all, whom to learn from? But if this basis is shaky already, then the future might be quite grim. Information is an essential tool, a powerful tool. The fact it is being misused should be fully realised and understood by all professionals involved and continuously be brought into the open. Wishing good luck to all those who are attempting this. They dearly need it, because society deserves it.

MS

ADDENDUM - while watching BBC News something struck me. Until January 2007, Slovakia had a BBC World Service frequency on the FM band. Admittedly, I was a grateful listener during my car-trips. Suddenly, without any forewarning, the channel was banned - allotted to a commercial broadcaster. Many experienced a brief period of being puzzled. The Ministry explained it, that the license was not extended, since the broadcast of the BBC was in a language which was not understood by the majority of (Slovak) listeners, and therefore it would not comply with requirements to extend the permission for transmission. Wasn't it a welcome channel for expats and even for those who would like to improve their English?

I have the feeling, the lame excuse given by the government, was just a another hidden censorship... in a 21st century EU country...