“Will the editor-in-chief or the school president cancel my story?” As a staff reporter of The Argus, I had this question in mind when I wrote a story that criticizes the school. Not only I, but many other journalists probably have been faced with this fear.

Actually, journalists from all over the world can criticize the powerful when it is necessary because freedom of the press is guaranteed to us by law. If so, why do we worry as if there is no freedom of the press? A journalist for a small American newspaper mentioned his experience as a reporter for a major newspaper in Washington D.C. “I wrote an article, but my editor refused to publish it because he thought it might ‘offend’ a large corporation that spends a lot of money advertising in the paper,” he said. “So, the press is free under the law. But is it really free? I do not think so.”

The editor censored the journalist’s article. I always hoped nobody would censor my story. As I became the Editor-in-Chief of this magazine, however, I unfortunately went through the situations that I wanted to avoid. Do you want to know who censored The Argus? It was me!

When we published articles against the school’s actions, I wondered whether or not I should change some expressions that might make the school feel “uncomfortable” even though they did not ask me to do so. Of course we did not lose our passion for criticizing the university; looking back, I regret censoring myself.

George Orwell wrote, “Circus dogs jump when the trainer cracks his whip, but the really well-trained dog is the one that [acts] when there is no whip.” Self-censorship, as seen in my case, is far more effective than official censorship, as shown in the Washington journalist’s experience. The latter takes a trainer to let journalists follow his guideline. But with the former, the journalists act without the trainer’s guidance. Under this self-censorship, the reporters never write stories that “anger” their editors or media outlets. Then they think there is no censorship because the editor does not cancel the stories. Journalists seem free and they even believe they are free. But it is not true.

On May 9, the nation’s new president was elected after former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment. As you already know, most national press had not properly criticized the government before Park’s corruption scandal occurred. Did the government censor their articles? No. The press acted “when there was no whip.” From now on, the press must perform their basic role to watch those in power. The Argus will also strive to be really free. The well-trained dogs must not exist anymore.

Lee Jae-won
Editor-in-Chief