The Foreign Service Journal, June 2011

12 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 1 1 The Battle for Press Freedom 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, imprison- ment, intimidation and killings. That is the chilling finding of Attacks on the Press , a yearly survey released on Feb. 15 by the Committee to Protect Jour- nalists ( www.cpj.org ). This comprehensive guide to inter- national press freedom, with thorough analyses by the CPJ’s regional experts of the key factors that obstruct a free press, includes a special feature detail- ing some measures governments around the world are using more often to curb journalists from doing their jobs. These include Internet surveil- lance, malicious software and the elim- ination of news sites from the Internet. The CPJ found that a halfhearted, inconsistent approach to defending press freedom plagues institutions like the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the Organiza- tion for Security and Cooperation in Europe, among others. “While valiant special rapporteurs at various institu- tions battle anti-media violence, their efforts are stymied by a halting politi- cal will to guarantee press freedom,” notes CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. With a preface by Al-Jazeera Eng- lish-language anchor Riz Khan, the re- port offers an overview of media con- ditions in more than 100 countries, along with data on the 44 journalists killed and 145 imprisoned last year. Here are the main regional trends. Africa: A rise in investigative report- ing has led governments in the region to crack down on journalists, particu- larly those tracking the provision of basic services and the use of public money. From Cameroon to South Africa, authorities are moving aggres- sively to unmask confidential news sources, criminalize possession of gov- ernment documents, and retaliate against probing journalists — all while governments across the continent, under pressure from donor countries, pledge more transparency and ac- countability. Americas: Decades after democra- tization took hold in the region, cen- sorship caused by government repress- ion, judicial interference and intimida- tion from criminal groups is again on the rise. In some countries, a climate of impunity perpetuates a cycle of vio- lence and self-censorship. In others, governments abuse state resources to silence critical reporting, and powerful figures routinely utilize politicized courts to override constitutional guar- antees 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 en- trenched, even as local journalists test the daily guidelines flowing from the Central Propaganda Department. Asian democracies like Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia appear inca- pable of reversing the impunity with which journalists are being killed, while Sri Lanka’s peace dividend never ma- terialized for journalists. Pakistan was the world’s deadliest country for jour- nalists in 2010. Europe and Central Asia: Newer and subtler forms of censorship are tak- ing hold across the region to counter the rise of electronic journalism, par- ticularly in Russia and the former So- viet republics. These include the targeted use of technological attacks and the untraceable disabling of inde- pendent mediaWeb sites. The physical violence already employed in several countries to harass and intimidate jour- nalists working in traditional media now extends to bloggers. Meanwhile, jour- nalists 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 coun- terterrorism 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, to limit cover- age and conceal controversial activities and flawed policies, authorities resort to threats, harassment and restrictions on individuals’ movements. — Steven Alan Honley, Editor C Y B E R N O T E S I t’s not just in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan where international affairs programs work for our national security. Cold War–era threats are being replaced by terrorism, pandemics, and weak and failing states. America’s national security today is dependent not only on the deterrence of a strong military force, but on increased investments in the full range of diplomatic, development and humanitarian tools. — Dan Glickman and Mark Green, “We Risk America’s Security If We Cut the International Affairs Budget,” April 14 , www.foxnews.com .