Freedom of Speech and Democratic Values in the Digital Epoch: A Critical Perspective on the Post-totalitarian Media Culture

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter analyzes the report of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the World Press Freedom Index in relation to the cultural values in different societies. Its main statement is that the political and social processes in a given country are predetermined by the cultural values deeply rooted in the collective consciousness. The research demonstrates that there is a special interrelation between cultural values and freedom of speech. Highly individualized societies are placed on the top of the ranking in the World Press Freedom Index, while more collectivistic cultures take lower places. Also, the paper claims that the ranking of the Reporters Without Borders may show the current situation in the press but it should not be applied to other media and forms of speech, such as the digital media or the social protests. Bulgaria is an example of a country where the press is influenced by political and business interests. Simultaneously, if there is a pressure exercised on the traditional media, there is practically no regulation in the digital ones, where during the pandemic of COVID-19, fake news, rumors, and conspiracy theories have been widely spread. This fact proves that the freedom of speech is a result of the existing cultural values and that a balance should be achieved between the individual freedoms and rights, on the one hand, and the media regulation and media education, on the other.KeywordsFreedom of speechDemocratic valuesTraditional mediaDigital mediaPost-totalitarianism