Press freedom is one of the corner-stones of democracy. The key
to press freedom is the institutionalized commitment of government
to permit the flow of ideas without prior or post influence or control
by officials of the state. The hallmark of such an independent flow is
diversity of news and information. This pluralism of ideas, including
dissent from official policies, is fundamental. There is no single ‘truth’.
Through the ages, however, the nobility, religious leaders and secular
officials have insisted otherwise. Today, in an increasingly complex
world, proclaimers of a single truth in politics, economics, science
or commerce are destined to be deputed by other authorities and, as
the 1980s showed, by events. Right conclusions are more likely to be
gathered out of the multitude of tongues than through any kind of
authoritative selection.