Harassment of the media

Harassment of the press

Nature

Methods of harassment of the press include confiscation of articles, closure of press offices, censorship, injunctions and damages, imprisonment, trial, threats to journalistic immunity, police brutality, the compilation of political dossiers, general intimidation and in the case of foreign correspondents, deportation or banning entry. It constitutes a restriction on the freedom of information and expression, which may lead to ignorance, apathy, alienation and indoctrination, encourage subversive activities, or strengthen dictatorship and government control.

Incidence

Caught in a crossfire of deceit, red tape, ambition, censorship and logistics, truth is an early casualty anywhere news is actually taking place. A 1983 survey shows that a minority of the globe respects free speech. The rest of the world is 'gagged'. Most of the eastern European countries continue to imprison outspoken journalists, as do most countries in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia.

In 1992, news outlets were officially censored or closed, or editions confiscated, at least 189 times, a slight increase on 1991 (162 times). The distribution of incidents by country was as follows:

[Africa]

Angola (1), Cameroon (31), Cape Verde (1), Gambia (1), Ivory Coast (5), Kenya (5), Malawi (1), Nigeria (1), Rwanda (1), Sierra Leone (1), Sudan (2), Uganda (1), Zaire (4)

[America]

Dominican Republic (2), Peru (6), USA (1), Venezuela (8)

[Asia]

Bangladesh (2), China (2), India (21), Indonesia (5), Japan (1), Malaysia (4), Sri Lanka (2), Thailand (2), Macau (1)

[Pacific]

Solomon Islands (1)

[Europe]

Albania (1), Ireland (1), Turkmenistan (1), Turkey (12)

Claim

Harassment of the media is a grave threat to democracy and freedom of expression. Silencing journalists through intimidation, violence, or legal pressure undermines the public’s right to information and accountability. When the media is harassed, truth suffers, corruption flourishes, and society is left in the dark. We must urgently condemn and combat all forms of media harassment to protect the pillars of a free and just society. This problem cannot be ignored.