(Freedom House/IFEX) – According to “Press Freedom 1998”, Freedom House’s annual survey of press freedom, only 20 percent of the world’s population live in countries in which free press is promoted. This percentage is slightly lower than that of the previous year, though the number of serious violations against journalists has also dropped slightly from […]
(Freedom House/IFEX) – According to “Press Freedom 1998”, Freedom House’s
annual survey of press freedom, only 20 percent of the world’s population
live in countries in which free press is promoted. This percentage is
slightly lower than that of the previous year, though the number of serious
violations against journalists has also dropped slightly from last year.
“Worldwide today, only one person in five has access to news and analysis
that is not distorted or censored,” says Leonard Sussman, the author of the
report. He adds that “in addition, the pervasive harassment of journalists,
even in partly free countries, encourages self-censorship. An unfree press
cannot help liberate an unfree society.”
“Press Freedom,” now in its twentieth year, is the only annual,
country-by-country, worldwide comparative assessment of press freedom. It
ranks each country’s media as “free,” “partly free,” or “not free.” The 1998
survey found that 1.2 billion people in 67 countries have access to a free
press (36 percent of the 186 countries examined), 2.2 billion people in 54
countries (29 percent) have access to partly free news media, and 2.5
billion people live in 65 countries (35 percent) in which the print and
broadcast media are not free. The report uses universal criteria to assess
all countries on a consistent, comparative basis. Its ratings are based on
the results of a series of polls concerning four topics: legal restrictions
on the media, the degree to which the media is determined by political
interests, the degree to which economic factors inform news content, and the
frequency and severity of violations against journalists.
The survey also reported that government restraints on the news media
contributed to the recent Asian financial crisis. “Pervasive and
institutionalized press controls allowed corruption, cronyism, and bad
economic policy to flourish while the Asian publics remained ignorant of and
unprepared for the impending collapse,” states Sussman. He cites Indonesia
and Malaysia as “politically authoritative regimes which keep tight control
over the news media.” Further, Sussman points out that Indonesia, listed in
the “not free” category, was hardest hit by the Asian financial crisis and
that the Malaysian media is also “not free.” “The Asian financial crisis
makes clearer than ever the essential role of a free press in an open market
economic system,” he maintains. He also indicates that press freedom enables
a nation to grapple in a timely fashion with its basic economic troubles.
Ratings Changes: Countries downgraded to “not free” in 1997 include
Congo-Brazzaville, Djibouti, Kenya, Lebanon, Qatar, and Zimbabwe. Brazil was
downgraded to “partly free,” while Albania, the Central African Republic,
and Zambia were upgraded to “partly free.” The Dominican Republic, Hungary,
the Philippines, and Sao Tome and Principe rose to “free.” According to the
report, the ratings of 42 countries fell in 1997 without changing rating
categories, while 36 improved without changing categories. 94 were unchanged
from the previous year. Compared to 1996, 1 percent fewer of the world’s
population now live in countries with a free press. Following Freedom
House’s rating of countries from one (“free”) to 100 (“not free”), the
global average fell from 46.0 to 46.3 (ie., situating it in the “partly
free” range).
Major Violations: Reflecting a recent trend, major press freedom violations
declined in 1997. According to the report, 41 journalists were killed in
1997–five fewer than in 1996. Thirty-five (47 in 1996) were kidnapped or
“disappeared.” A total of 310 (372 in 1996) were arrested or detained, while
207 (297 in 1996) were physically assaulted.
The publication of the “Press Freedom” report is timed to coincide with
World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 1998. In cooperation with the World Press
Freedom Committee, Freedom House has also issued a 1998 Map of Press
Freedom. To receive a four-color, 22″ x 28″ map, please send a check or
money order, made payable to Freedom House, for $10.00 to Press Freedom Map,
Freedom House, 1319 18th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036.
