Freedom Of The Press Internationally

Freedom of the press is the freedom/ability to communicate through various mediums including but not limited to electronic media and published materials. Restrictions on media often tend to be an early indicator that governments intend to destroy other democratic institutions. The right is also protected under the UN's Declaration of Human Rights. This BuzzFeed will look at several countries and the way they manage the freedom of the press.

North Korea

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Media within North Korea is among the most tightly controlled in the world, and is subject to approval under the North Korean government. North Korea's economic hardships or famines are not reported to the domestic audience, and they are instead informed of technological advances. Every aspect of media is twisted, changed, censored and controlled by the government, and is moulded to fit the government’s interests. In Reporters Without Borders 2013-14 report, they classified North Korea's press freedom as the second worst out of 179 countries in the rankings, only above Eritrea.

France

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In France, many newspapers rely on government subsidies and defence contractors control large portions of print and broadcast media. The president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, and his close allies control a large amount of the media. With the government allied with all of these large media corporations, it would be quite easy for government interference and censorship to take place.

Germany

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Currently, Germany ranks 14th on the Press Freedom Index, making them the highest ranked country for the simulation regarding the freedom of the press within their country. In addition, their television market is one of the most competitive in Europe, with more than 90 percent of households having either cable or satellite television. There are nine regional public-service broadcasters, ZDF, and two national public radio stations. All are managed by independent bodies.

Greece

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Greece has plunged more than 50 places in the press freedom index in the space of just five years. In June 2012, the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, gained roughly 20 seats in Greece’s parliament, due to scepticism of the European Union and growing hostility towards foreigners. However, Golden Dawn’s leaders and supporters openly target journalists.

Venezuela

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Article 57 of Venezuela’s 1999 constitution guarantees freedom of expression and prohibits censorship of any kind. However, in 2005 laws were modified regarding defamation, and when it is directed at the president it can result in a prison term of up to 30 months. The Resorte Law, amended in 2010, contains vague restrictions that can be used to severely limit freedom of expression. The law bans content that could “incite or promote hatred,” “foment citizens’ anxiety or alter public order,” “disrespect authorities,” “encourage assassination,” or “constitute war propaganda.”

Saudi Arabia

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Saudi Arabia has one of the most tightly controlled media environments in the world. Article 39 of the Basic Law of 1992 does not guarantee freedom of the press, and it actually allows authorities to exercise broad powers to prevent any act that may lead to disunity or sedition. In April 2011, when uprisings regarding democracy were becoming more prevalent throughout the Middle East, Saudi Arabia issued a decree banning the reporting of news that contradicts Sharia law.

Iran

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More than 40 newspapers and other publications have been forced to close for various lengths of time since 2009. In 2012, many journalists were threatened, arrested, subjected to unfair trials, and imprisoned, especially as the parliamentary elections approached in March of that year.

Brazil

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The Google Transparency report showed that Brazil was second only to the US with the most government requests to remove online content. In addition, hundreds of politicians throughout the country are either directors or partners in roughly 300 media companies, most of them radio and television stations. With all of these politicians holding powerful roles in media, some of government censorship can and does occur. The country ranks 111th on the Press Freedom Index.

United Kingdom

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The media environment in the UK is open, and freedom of the press is existent. However, some laws weaken the effectiveness of the media. The press can be required to turn over reporting materials to the police under the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act. This happened several times during the 2011 London riots.

Nigeria

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The 1999 constitution guarantees freedom of expression and of the press. That has not been truly upheld in the past, and even today. However, in recent years, federal courts have attempted to extend legal protections for journalists. For example, in October 2012, a high court awarded Desmond Utomwen, a journalist, 100 million naira ($638,000). They found the police guilty for violating his human rights as they detained him, while he attempted to cover a peaceful protest.

Egypt

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Even after its democratic revolution, Egypt’s different governments have tried to control the media and have adopted abusive tactics against journalists. As of October 3rd, at least nine journalists have been killed in connection with their work, more than 50 have been injured and more than 200 have been arrested. No investigations have been held to punish those responsible.

Russia

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Although the constitution provides for freedom of the press, politicians and government officials frequently abuse their power on the few remaining independent journalists who criticize the government. In addition, a criminal code amendment that came into effect in November 2012 authorized the creation of a federal register of blacklisted websites. The decision has resulted in the blocking of thousands of websites. Russia is currently 148th on the Press Freedom Index.

Israel

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Israel, for the most part, enjoys a free, open media with freedom of the press being protected in the constitution. However, the media continue to gain threats of libel suits. In 2011, journalist Raviv Druker of Channel 10 revealed an investigation of alleged corruption involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Shortly after the report appeared, Netanyahu and his wife initiated a $700,000 libel suit against Channel 10.

Colombia

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In Colombia, abuse against journalists remains a great concern. In 2013, Édison Alberto Molina, a journalist, was murdered for motives related to their work. Molina frequently denounced local government corruption on his call-in program and had received several threats in the months leading up to the attack.

Works Cited

"2014 World Press Freedom Index." RSF.org. Reporters Without Borders. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.

Bennhold, Katrin. "A Feud over Press Freedom Boils over in France." The New York Times. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.

"Freedom of the Press." Freedom House. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.

Gur, Haviv. "Israel Downgraded in Press Freedom Report." The Times of Israel. 1 May 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.

"North Korea's Tightly Controlled Media." BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation, 19 Dec. 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.