Getting the story out can be a dangerous enterprise. Journalists throughout the world go about their profession in a climate of repression and coercion, often risking their lives in the effort to inform, to get out a compelling video, the narrative, the testimony, the tweet. In some parts of the world, governments and radical groups make it their highest priority to prevent the spread of information and deny citizens the basic right to know.
“Only one in every seven people live in a country with a free press”, stated Freedom House’s review of the state of the press for 2014, adding that “global press freedom has fallen to its lowest levels over a decade”. Threats to journalists come in a myriad of ways: censorship, imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, self-censorship, banishment, violence, disappearance, legal restrictions, denying access to resources and revenue, slowing down bandwidth, curtailing access to internet and communication tools. Protecting reporters and crews, in dangerous areas is a challenge for news organizations. Many have lost their lives.
UNESCO’s report “World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development” points to elements useful in evaluating the subject at hand. “Freedom” is used in reference to legal guarantees and rights of access; “pluralism” refers to expanding access of media and distribution; “independence” measures pressures, whether commercial or political, and “safety”.
Fresh in our minds are the beheadings in Syria of two American journalists—James Foley and Steven Sotloff—at the hands of the terrorist group calling itself Islamic State. The appalling murders are a reminder of the challenge to protect those who are sent to the field. The data from Syria comes from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists: Of the 227 journalists killed since 2011, one third have died in Syria; 80 have been kidnapped, 20 are still missing, and 71 have been killed reporting on the conflict. Most are Syrians. CPJ’s Deputy Director Robert Mahoney believes that the increase in risk is due to new technology that makes it easier to gather information “bypassing traditional gatekeepers” and, of course, the terrorist groups that seek money or propaganda scores. In the article “Journalist Beheadings in Syria Re-Ignite Debate Over Risk and Safety of Freelancers”, Mahoney quotes a photographer who worked with James Foley: “Once you are kidnapped in Syria it’s a completely black hole”, or another journalist who has faced danger: “The fact that we are now walking ATMs has changed the whole dimension of it”.
In conflict areas, using media to disseminate propaganda is a well-known tactic. A recent article in the Journal for Democracy, “The Maidan and Beyond”, points to the high penetration of Russian television in the South and East regions of Ukraine: “Such levels of exposure to Russian propaganda help explain the public mood and the outbursts of separatism…Defined by the disinformation that it regularly puts out, Russian television, is an instrument of strong separatist tendencies”. A CPJ fact-finding mission to Ukraine in July revealed the role of the “Russian propaganda machine” and “independent media being obliterated by the Kremlin” in the conflict zones and Crimea. Dmitry Kiselev, the Director of Russia Today, offered an official view in an interview with Ria Novosti: “Information wars have become standard practice and the main type of warfare…In the past an attack was preceded with firepower, now its replaced with information flow.” Additionally the conflict in the Ukraine has resulted in dramatic increases in harassment, detention, and abduction of journalists. The Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe numerous such cases, amongst them the killing of six members of the media in the eastern region.
There are governments that view control of the press as a necessity for survival and use it for benefit. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif has been a presence in U.S. media speaking freely on a number of issues. Yet, Mr. Zarif has not explained why Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian has been imprisoned in Iran since July. Key Iranian government figures have taken to social media to deliver their message, tools that are not readily available to the public. The UN Secretary General’s Report on Human Rights in Iran states that the promises made by President Hassan Rouhani to improve freedom of the press have not come to fruition. “Journalists are frequently summoned or detained and face harassment by security forces”, noting harsh prison sentences and suspension of newspapers for “anti-government propaganda” and cooperation with foreign media. The Supreme Council of CyberSpace, the Organized Crime Surveillance Center, and the Revolutionary Guards are tasked with controlling the internet, which the government finds necessary to “avoid cyberattacks and protect morals”. Instagram has been blocked. The UN report also points out that in May 2014 the Committee to Detect Illegal Items banned the messaging application Whatsapp.
The Chinese government’s war on press freedoms is well known. Clamping down on “unauthorized criticism” is amongst the elements of the recently revised media law that took effect this year. Journalists cannot work outside their region or outside their field of expertise. China ranks 175 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders 2014 rankings. There is disagreement as to how many people actually work in official censor related jobs; some say tens of thousands, some hundreds of thousands. The principal outlet is the Central Propaganda Department of the Communist Party, which provides instructions on content. Arrests and harassment are common. Newspaper reporter Liu Hu was released after a one year of detention having been accused of spreading false rumors. Reporters Without Borders has also condemned the imprisonment of Dong Rubin for his coverage of corruption.
As online tools and social tools ease access to information and have become avenues for reporting news, some governments take note. The Turkish parliament gave the government authority to bloc sites without a court order. Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has stated that there is no internet censorship in the country. Nevertheless advocates believe that the regulation contravenes press freedoms and thousands of sites besides Twitter and Youtube have been blocked. Online portals critical of the government have been censored; meanwhile, President Erdoğan has indicated intentions to increase involvement of the intelligence service in media surveillance.
The Ecuadoran Communications Law is a tool used to pressure news organizations. Four dailies were accused of not properly covering the visit this year of President Rafael Correa to Chile. The President can suppress freedom of information if a state of exemption is declared. Media organizations also can be asked to provide information about content if someone feels they are affected by a report. Mr. Correa’s hostility towards the media is prevalent in his public discourse. At one point he urged citizens to boycott the press. Fines have been imposed on media and journalists. As organizations grapple with legal proceedings, not just the content but its legal consequences that are analyzed. Self-censorship is ever present and investigative journalism is on the decline.
Dressed in uniform during a speech at the Military Academy, former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced in 2007 the closure of RCTV, accusing it of promoting a coup. In September 2014, President Nicolas Maduro accused independent and foreign media of “psychological terrorism” because of reports about deaths in a local hospital. Dozens of radio and publications have been closed, and arrests and harassment of journalists are routine. Print media has suffered from lack of paper, since the government puts a limit on the currency available to purchase supplies. Some publications have disappeared, while others have been reduced significantly. Online outlets complain that the government slows down internet speed and blocks access, in addition to DOS attacks where servers are jammed with fake users to make access difficult. Adding to this climate are the recent sale of newspapers and television stations in Venezuela, resulting in program cancellations and journalists either being fired or resigning, as the International Press Institute has pointed out. The government dismisses these reports. The Director of the National Telecommunications Commissions, William Castillo, calls it a “show” led by those who oppose the government.
As alarming as the situation is for many who report the news, governments and groups who target journalists are not entirely successful. Efforts to inform even in the most dangerous and difficult environments will continue. New technologies have increased the capacity to send and receive information. It is the public at large who suffer from lack of independent information or censorship, as press freedom is a key element for societies to flourish. Authoritarian governments see the free flow of information as a danger to their survival, a demonstration of the inherent weakness of their ideology and the power of those who no matter the circumstances continue to tell the story.
Clara Dominguez is the Director of the Latin America Division of the Voice of America. She holds a Masters Degree in Political Science from George Washington University and a Masers of Business Administration Degree from the University of Miami. The views are solely the author’s and this paper does not represent the views of the Voice of America or the government of the United States.
This article was originally published in the Diplomatic Courier's November/December 2014 print edition.
a global affairs media network
The War On Information: A Look at Efforts to Thwart Freedom of the Press
November 20, 2014
Getting the story out can be a dangerous enterprise. Journalists throughout the world go about their profession in a climate of repression and coercion, often risking their lives in the effort to inform, to get out a compelling video, the narrative, the testimony, the tweet. In some parts of the world, governments and radical groups make it their highest priority to prevent the spread of information and deny citizens the basic right to know.
“Only one in every seven people live in a country with a free press”, stated Freedom House’s review of the state of the press for 2014, adding that “global press freedom has fallen to its lowest levels over a decade”. Threats to journalists come in a myriad of ways: censorship, imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, self-censorship, banishment, violence, disappearance, legal restrictions, denying access to resources and revenue, slowing down bandwidth, curtailing access to internet and communication tools. Protecting reporters and crews, in dangerous areas is a challenge for news organizations. Many have lost their lives.
UNESCO’s report “World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development” points to elements useful in evaluating the subject at hand. “Freedom” is used in reference to legal guarantees and rights of access; “pluralism” refers to expanding access of media and distribution; “independence” measures pressures, whether commercial or political, and “safety”.
Fresh in our minds are the beheadings in Syria of two American journalists—James Foley and Steven Sotloff—at the hands of the terrorist group calling itself Islamic State. The appalling murders are a reminder of the challenge to protect those who are sent to the field. The data from Syria comes from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists: Of the 227 journalists killed since 2011, one third have died in Syria; 80 have been kidnapped, 20 are still missing, and 71 have been killed reporting on the conflict. Most are Syrians. CPJ’s Deputy Director Robert Mahoney believes that the increase in risk is due to new technology that makes it easier to gather information “bypassing traditional gatekeepers” and, of course, the terrorist groups that seek money or propaganda scores. In the article “Journalist Beheadings in Syria Re-Ignite Debate Over Risk and Safety of Freelancers”, Mahoney quotes a photographer who worked with James Foley: “Once you are kidnapped in Syria it’s a completely black hole”, or another journalist who has faced danger: “The fact that we are now walking ATMs has changed the whole dimension of it”.
In conflict areas, using media to disseminate propaganda is a well-known tactic. A recent article in the Journal for Democracy, “The Maidan and Beyond”, points to the high penetration of Russian television in the South and East regions of Ukraine: “Such levels of exposure to Russian propaganda help explain the public mood and the outbursts of separatism…Defined by the disinformation that it regularly puts out, Russian television, is an instrument of strong separatist tendencies”. A CPJ fact-finding mission to Ukraine in July revealed the role of the “Russian propaganda machine” and “independent media being obliterated by the Kremlin” in the conflict zones and Crimea. Dmitry Kiselev, the Director of Russia Today, offered an official view in an interview with Ria Novosti: “Information wars have become standard practice and the main type of warfare…In the past an attack was preceded with firepower, now its replaced with information flow.” Additionally the conflict in the Ukraine has resulted in dramatic increases in harassment, detention, and abduction of journalists. The Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe numerous such cases, amongst them the killing of six members of the media in the eastern region.
There are governments that view control of the press as a necessity for survival and use it for benefit. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif has been a presence in U.S. media speaking freely on a number of issues. Yet, Mr. Zarif has not explained why Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian has been imprisoned in Iran since July. Key Iranian government figures have taken to social media to deliver their message, tools that are not readily available to the public. The UN Secretary General’s Report on Human Rights in Iran states that the promises made by President Hassan Rouhani to improve freedom of the press have not come to fruition. “Journalists are frequently summoned or detained and face harassment by security forces”, noting harsh prison sentences and suspension of newspapers for “anti-government propaganda” and cooperation with foreign media. The Supreme Council of CyberSpace, the Organized Crime Surveillance Center, and the Revolutionary Guards are tasked with controlling the internet, which the government finds necessary to “avoid cyberattacks and protect morals”. Instagram has been blocked. The UN report also points out that in May 2014 the Committee to Detect Illegal Items banned the messaging application Whatsapp.
The Chinese government’s war on press freedoms is well known. Clamping down on “unauthorized criticism” is amongst the elements of the recently revised media law that took effect this year. Journalists cannot work outside their region or outside their field of expertise. China ranks 175 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders 2014 rankings. There is disagreement as to how many people actually work in official censor related jobs; some say tens of thousands, some hundreds of thousands. The principal outlet is the Central Propaganda Department of the Communist Party, which provides instructions on content. Arrests and harassment are common. Newspaper reporter Liu Hu was released after a one year of detention having been accused of spreading false rumors. Reporters Without Borders has also condemned the imprisonment of Dong Rubin for his coverage of corruption.
As online tools and social tools ease access to information and have become avenues for reporting news, some governments take note. The Turkish parliament gave the government authority to bloc sites without a court order. Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has stated that there is no internet censorship in the country. Nevertheless advocates believe that the regulation contravenes press freedoms and thousands of sites besides Twitter and Youtube have been blocked. Online portals critical of the government have been censored; meanwhile, President Erdoğan has indicated intentions to increase involvement of the intelligence service in media surveillance.
The Ecuadoran Communications Law is a tool used to pressure news organizations. Four dailies were accused of not properly covering the visit this year of President Rafael Correa to Chile. The President can suppress freedom of information if a state of exemption is declared. Media organizations also can be asked to provide information about content if someone feels they are affected by a report. Mr. Correa’s hostility towards the media is prevalent in his public discourse. At one point he urged citizens to boycott the press. Fines have been imposed on media and journalists. As organizations grapple with legal proceedings, not just the content but its legal consequences that are analyzed. Self-censorship is ever present and investigative journalism is on the decline.
Dressed in uniform during a speech at the Military Academy, former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced in 2007 the closure of RCTV, accusing it of promoting a coup. In September 2014, President Nicolas Maduro accused independent and foreign media of “psychological terrorism” because of reports about deaths in a local hospital. Dozens of radio and publications have been closed, and arrests and harassment of journalists are routine. Print media has suffered from lack of paper, since the government puts a limit on the currency available to purchase supplies. Some publications have disappeared, while others have been reduced significantly. Online outlets complain that the government slows down internet speed and blocks access, in addition to DOS attacks where servers are jammed with fake users to make access difficult. Adding to this climate are the recent sale of newspapers and television stations in Venezuela, resulting in program cancellations and journalists either being fired or resigning, as the International Press Institute has pointed out. The government dismisses these reports. The Director of the National Telecommunications Commissions, William Castillo, calls it a “show” led by those who oppose the government.
As alarming as the situation is for many who report the news, governments and groups who target journalists are not entirely successful. Efforts to inform even in the most dangerous and difficult environments will continue. New technologies have increased the capacity to send and receive information. It is the public at large who suffer from lack of independent information or censorship, as press freedom is a key element for societies to flourish. Authoritarian governments see the free flow of information as a danger to their survival, a demonstration of the inherent weakness of their ideology and the power of those who no matter the circumstances continue to tell the story.
Clara Dominguez is the Director of the Latin America Division of the Voice of America. She holds a Masters Degree in Political Science from George Washington University and a Masers of Business Administration Degree from the University of Miami. The views are solely the author’s and this paper does not represent the views of the Voice of America or the government of the United States.
This article was originally published in the Diplomatic Courier's November/December 2014 print edition.
