The development of the new coronary virus epidemic in China has risen sharply.In the early morning of January 23, Wuhan officially closed the city. On January 24, eight Hubei cities announced the city.This is the first time after the construction of the mainland in 1949, showing the grim of the epidemic prevention and control situation.
The public opinion on the Internet is full of public opinion, including all walks of life, including national official media, questioned the relevant government departments of Wuhan and Hubei. During the initial stage of the epidemic, the citizens who did not publish real information in time and even punished the dissemination of the epidemic information (rumors) and suppressed them.Related media reports, misleading the government and the public at the higher level, missed the best time to prevent and control the epidemic prevention and control.
This major social public crisis once again triggered a strong appeal of the government's timely public information about the government's timely public affairs.The author believes that: preventing the social crisis, it is necessary to publish relevant information in a timely manner, and also need to ensure the freedom of speech of the public and the media's freedom of the media. The latter not only ensures that the public understands the relevant information in a timely manner, but also forced the government's information to disclose.
Observing the public crisis in mainland China, local governments often conceal their efforts in the early days of the crisis. The fundamental goal is to maintain their own image and achievements, but they always use the brands such as maintaining social stability and preventing social panic.
Of course, the reason for such a reason is that the consequences are also serious.In the early stage of social disasters such as important epidemic, if the relevant information can be made in time, it will promote the public to take necessary preventive measures in time to prevent the further spread of disasters.Even if you bring some nervousness or panic to the public, he will not cause severe secondary disasters.Closed information can lead to the absence of prevention, causing the expansion of disasters or even out of control.In the end, the panic and social instability may be far beyond the beginning and cause secondary disasters.
The best way to prevent the government from concealing information based on its own interests and triggering social crisis is to ensure the freedom of speech of the people and the media's freedom of the media in accordance with the requirements of modern society.The freedom of speech and press can not only ensure that the public understands the information needed to prevent social crisis in time, but also ensure the role of public opinion supervision, and forcing the government to realize the openness and transparency of information.
The first is to effectively protect the freedom of speech.
Mainland China often calls on the public not to believe in rumors.It has become a common stability maintenance work in the government, especially in social public events.But the reality is that many of the blows and denying rumors often finally become a far -reaching prophecy.In the early days of the new crown pneumonia, the Wuhan police handled eight citizens who spread the epidemic information information, which was a typical case.
When discussing these wrong cases, many people focus on the rumors that they are finally confirmed that they are not rumors, but facts, at least some facts.In fact, the core issue here is not the authenticity or accuracy of the rumor itself, but how to understand the freedom of speech of the people.
The freedom of speech of the people is the basic human rights of modern society.It should include the freedom of the public's spread of public information.
Even if the final information is confirmed to be inaccurate or false, as long as the responsibility of (the responsibility for the proof is lies in the accusation), the information disseminator is based on subjective maliciousness and objectively cause substantial social harm (not difficulty to measure social adverse effects)The government should not take any punishment measures for the reasons for rumors and rumors.
The verification of authenticity and accuracy of information is the duty of the government rather than the public.The government has the obligation to rumor, and its rumors must also be based on an accurate and comprehensive basis, but there is no power to crack down on rumors and rumors.This should be the basic rules of modern rule of law society and should be reflected in appropriate forms in relevant laws and regulations.
The second is to ensure the freedom of the media.
Media's news report freedom is the expansion and extension of the freedom of speech of the people, and it should be effectively protected.All the basic criteria for ensuring the freedom of personal speech should be applied to news reporting freedom of the media at the same time.To prevent social panic and maintaining social stability, it should not constitute a reason to restrict and interfere with journalists.
In today's society where the Internet is highly developed and blooms from the media everywhere, it can be said that everyone is self -media, and the boundaries between individuals and media are becoming more and more blurred, and they do not have to distinguish them accurately.The government should guarantee to the greatest extent for individuals, media and self -media rather than restricting their freedom of speech.Relevant departments' behaviors that are randomly sealed, deleted, and blocked network information are suspected of infringing the freedom of speech of the people, and should be limited by laws and regulations.
The freedom of speech is guaranteed, and the media of the media has been guaranteed. Even if the government wants to conceal the relevant information of social public affairs, it cannot hide it.Moreover, the government's deliberate concealment behavior will be revealed and criticized by the people and the media.In short, freedom of speech and press is not only the right of the public and the media, but also an effective means to prevent social crisis.
(The author is a professor of economics in mainland China)
