Essay on Business Communication: Freedom of Speech and Expression

This essay examines the concept of freedom of expression within the context of business communication, referencing Article 19(1)(a) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It emphasizes the right to express opinions and seek information, highlighting both the positive aspects, such as enabling access to rights and accountability, and the potential for misuse. The essay discusses how this right can be used to challenge governmental actions but also how it can be misinterpreted or used to harm others. It concludes that while freedom of expression is crucial, it is not absolute and can be restricted to protect public interest or prevent defamation. The essay underscores the importance of balancing individual expression with the responsibilities that come with it.

Running Head: Business Communication
Business Communication

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“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom
to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
The above mentioned statement is given under the article 19(1) (a) of the Article found in part III
of United Nations Constitution , Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It should be noted that
every human being has nature and desires to do things and seek information about things in the
environment. Thus, the above mentioned rights talks about the rights and responsibility of one
individual to other to provide the equal right of information and initiate activities which they
want to perform in the environment. A man in the environment is free to do activities which they
desire to do, but such activities should not harm the interest of any other person present in the
environment. It should be noted that the right given under this article is good for the people
prevailing in the environment but can also be misused by people in order to succeed in their cruel
intentions (Freeman 2017).
Talking about the scope of this right, it should be noted that this right gives opportunity to all
citizens to attain the right to freedom of speech and expression. Freedom of speech and
expression refers to the right to express one’s own feelings and opinions freely without facing
any restrictions. This right helps a person in attaining self-fulfillment, discover truths, participate
in decision-making, oppose to notions which they do not like and lastly form their own beliefs
and communicate freely and openly. With the changing environment, the mind of people is also
changing their way of thinking and expressing things. So, also with positive aspects there are
many negative ways to use this freedom of expression. Initially talking about the positive aspects
it should be noted that this right helps people in acknowledging their rights which can access and
use them as well (O'Reilly 2016). People living in remote area do not have the knowledge about
their rights and duties which they possess, so this right will provide them the opportunity to
access information about their right and responsibilities of societies towards them. Further, this
right also holds accountability in front of the democratic government as with the help of this
right, a person can easily question the government about their future goals and activities. So,
basically this right of freedom of expression is the basic right which helps a person in living their
life easily (Joseph 2016).

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Criticizing the event, it should be noted that there are many ways in which this right can be
misused by people present in the environment. Like, a person under the right to freedom of
expression can seek information from the governmental for the future actions which they are
going to initiate can hamper the future activities of the government (Spring 2014). A person
attain such information can be a friend of alien company which can negatively affect the interest
of the country also. Further, it should also be noted that people also misinterpret the right which
is given to them under this section; they believe that they can express anything irrespective of the
harm which other person can get with their expression (Buergenthal, Shelton, Stewart, and
Vazquez 2017). But it should be noted that no right is absolute as every right has a corresponding
duty. Thus, right to speech for a person can be restricted if their aim is to defame the name of any
person or organization. Also, this right can be restricted from a person under public interest
order, as if anything disturbs public tranquility or public peace then the government has the right
to issue public order against it (Lupu 2015). Thus, in the limelight of above mentioned events it
should be noted that the right of freedom and expression is an important which should be availed
by every person irrespective of their country, religion or sex. This right gives the opportunity to
people to speak freely and express in their wishful manner. But this right also restricts the
activities of people if they are initiated against the decency and morality of any other person or
artificial body.

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References
Buergenthal, T., Shelton, D., Stewart, D. and Vazquez, C., 2017. International human rights in a
nutshell. West Academic.
Freeman, M., 2017. Human rights. John Wiley & Sons.
Joseph, S., 2016. Civil and political rights. In International Human Rights Law (pp. 105-122).
Routledge.
Lupu, Y., 2015. Legislative veto players and the effects of international human rights
agreements. American Journal of Political Science, 59(3), pp.578-594.
O'Reilly, A., 2016. In Defence of Offence: Freedom of Expression, Offensive Speech, and the
Approach of the European Court of Human Rights. Trinity CL Rev., 19, p.234.
Spring, J., 2014. Globalization and educational rights: An intercivilizational analysis.
Routledge.