Benefits of having a free press

The free press in the UK is particularly important due to government control. If the media are free to write about government, they can report on the performance of government, and the populace can learn information necessary to form opinions about government. Certain stories may get to the public domain that would otherwise not be able to with government censorship and control without the free press, for example the recent story of Priti Patel would have the potential to be covered up, creating a more corrupt government. Media freedom is essentially a limit on government power. If the media aren’t free, then government has a significant power over individuals that it does not need to have. Media freedom allows a range of ideas to be shared and tested. If a given world view is suppressed, it will not be debated. The range of ideas presented in a free media broadens the experience of consumers of media. 
Lack of a free press can lead to a corrupt government and censorship of the media, which is seen in places such as North Korea where Kim Jon-Un dictates and controls the country along with the media.