IN 1849, a renowned French author Jean-Baptiste Alphonse crafted an adage in his epigram which reflected the fact that superficial transformations often hide underlying stability or recurring patterns. It suggests that despite dramatic, superficial shifts, core human behaviors, power structures, and systemic issues frequently remain unchanged. He stated: “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”. In English, this is expressed as “The more things change, the more they stay the same”. The global theme for World Press Freedom Day 2026 is “Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development, and Security.” This could not have been more ironic. Just last week, this same government cancelled a Global Conference on Human Rights which was supposed to...