×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Join Thousands of Readers
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

In contest between the Press and government, freedom wins

Vocalize Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Vocalize

When journalists took to the streets in protest of their freedom, demanding an end to harassment by state agents. [Boniface Kendo, Standard]

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, said thus: "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate to prefer the latter." Simply put, Jefferson trusted the Fourth Estate more than the government to run the affairs of a country.

So, the question is, a pissing contest between the press and the government, who wins? Against the chagrin of any regime, experience has it that the media, on whose side the citizens are mostly aligned, wins.

Premium Article

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Fact-first reporting that puts you at the heart of the newsroom. Subscribe for full access.
Continue Reading  →
What you get
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimised reading
  • Weekly newsletters & digests
Pay via
M - PESA
VISA
Airtel Money
Secure Payments Kenya's most trusted newsroom since 1902
Sports
Starlets climb FIFA rankings after impressive show
Volleyball and Handball
GSU coach Tarus ponders how to disperse rivals at continental event
Sports
Organisers promise a special Eldoret City race on Sunday
Sports
Patel and Kipkorir defy the odds to win Coast Junior Open