Today it includes not only the rights of the proprietor, the editor and the reporters, but also the right of the public to know. As such Freedom of Press is not just a few journalists' right to make profit through the newspaper industry or a few journalists' right to seek privileges but is the collective right of the community itself. In this sense, Press freedom is a unique right vastly different form other individual rights. Since it implies exercise of public power, it carries with it greater accountability and self-restraint. Press is often described as the conscience-keeper of a given community, it holds out a mirror to the society.
People depend on it or news and information on which they make their decisions and choices.
Press in a very real sense is the trustee of the public conscience. It is the link between the people and their Government. Therefore, one can argue that the Constitutional guarantee of the Freedom of the Press is not so much for members of the Press as it Is for benefit of the people. The problem in such a situation is how to determine whether the newspaper in question has abused its freedom to disentitile itself of the privileges under the Constitution. The threat to Press Freedom arise not only form Government but from a variety of sources including those who control information flow and those who operate on behalf of sectarian lobbies.