CPJ: Institutions lagging in defence of press freedom

Report - International

16 February 2011

Global institutions lagging in defence of press freedom, says CPJ

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - New York, February 15, 2011 - Global and regional
institutions with a responsibility to guard press freedom are largely
failing to fulfill their mandate as journalists worldwide continue to
face threats, imprisonment, intimidation, and killings, according to
Attacks on the Press, a yearly survey released today by the Committee to
Protect Journalists.

"While international law guarantees the right to free expression,
journalists cannot count on a robust defense of those rights," said CPJ
Executive Director Joel Simon. "The recent unprecedented repression and
persecution of journalists in Egypt, for example, provides an important
opportunity for global and regional institutions to speak and act
forcefully in defense of a free press."

Attacks on the Press is the world's most comprehensive guide to
international press freedom, with thorough analyses of the key factors
that obstruct a free press by CPJ's regional experts. It includes a
special feature on the invisible nature of online attacks meant to curb
journalists, including online surveillance, malicious software, and the
elimination of news sites from the Internet.

CPJ found that a halfhearted, inconsistent approach to defending press
freedom plagues institutions like the United Nations, the Organization
of American States, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, among others. "While valiant special rapporteurs at various
institutions battle anti-media violence, their efforts are stymied by a
halting political will to guarantee press freedom," said Simon.

With a preface by Al-Jazeera English anchor Riz Khan, the book provides
an overview of media conditions in more than 100 countries along with
data on journalists killed (44) and imprisoned (145) in 2010. Regional
trends identified by CPJ include:

Africa:
A rise in investigative journalism has led governments in the region to
crack down on journalists, particularly those reporting on the provision
of basic services and the use of public money. From Cameroon to South
Africa, authorities are moving aggressively to unmask confidential news
sources, criminalize possession of government documents, and retaliate
against probing journalists - all while governments across the
continent, under pressure from donor countries, are pledging more
transparency and accountability.

Americas:
Decades since democratization took hold in the region, a rise in
censorship can be seen throughout Latin America, caused by government
repression, judicial interference, and intimidation from criminal
groups. In some countries, a climate of impunity perpetuates a cycle of
violence and self-censorship. In others, governments abuse state
resources to silence critical reporting, and powerful figures routinely
utilize politicized courts to override constitutional guarantees of free
expression.

Asia:
With a mixture of violence and official repression, censorship in Asia
takes many forms. China's anti-media policies are becoming ever more
entrenched, even as local journalists test the daily guidelines flowing
from the Central Propaganda Department. Asian democracies like Thailand,
the Philippines, and Indonesia appear incapable of reversing the
impunity with which journalists are being killed, while Sri Lanka's
peace dividend never materialized for journalists. Pakistan was the
world's deadliest country for journalists in 2010.

Europe and Central Asia:
Newer and subtler forms of censorship are taking hold across the region
to counter the rise of electronic journalism, particularly in Russia and
the former Soviet republics. These include the targeted use of
technological attacks and the untraceable disabling of independent media
websites. The physical violence already employed in several countries
to harass and intimidate journalists working in traditional media now
extends to bloggers. Meanwhile, journalists face restrictions and
potential punishment from defamation laws and anti-extremism statutes.

Middle East and North Africa:
Throughout the region, governments are conflating critical coverage of
counterterrorism with terrorism itself, claiming national security
grounds to suppress news and views considered unfavorable. From Egypt to
Turkey, sweeping national security legislation has been enacted,
criminalizing the coverage of terrorism and politically sensitive
topics. Iran leads the region in its abuse of anti-state charges, and
from Sudan to Bahrain, authorities resort to threats, harassment, and
restriction of movement to limit coverage and conceal controversial
activities and flawed policies.

ENDS

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