IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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PRESS RELEASE - INTERNATIONAL

26 November 2002

Press freedom deteriorates world-wide in 2002, says WAN

SOURCE: World Association of Newspapers (WAN), Paris

(WAN/IFEX) - The following is a 25 November 2002 WAN press release:

Moscow, Russia, 25 November 2002

For immediate release

Press Freedom Deteriorates World-Wide in 2002: WAN

The global press freedom situation has deteriorated in the past year, with
an alarming number of journalists killed or in prison, the World Association
of Newspapers said Monday in its annual review of press freedom world-wide.

"In those countries with long-standing freedom of expression problems, there
is no or very little progress and, in some areas where progress has been
identified (Namibia, West Africa, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and East
Europe), recent developments make it very clear that there is still a long
way to go for the media," WAN said in a report to its Board, meeting Monday
in Moscow, Russia.

Forty-one media professionals have been killed so far in 2002, with Colombia
again the most deadly place for journalists (10), Russia in second position
(4), and Mexico (3) and the Philippines (3) also hard hit.

At least 119 journalists remain in jail, against 111 at the same time last
year. Nepal was the country with most journalists in prison (24), followed
by Eritrea (18), Burma (15), China (11) and Iran (10).

"These depressing statistics should not, however, hide certain positive
breakthroughs, like in Benin and Ghana, probably the two countries on the
African continent, together with South Africa, with the highest level of
press freedom," WAN said in the report, which also said improvements had
been registered in Somalia, Sudan, Peru and Afghanistan.

The report said the national press in Russia had seen a rise in the level of
professionalism, though there remain "very serious problems" in the regions.
In China, where there is no press freedom, there is nevertheless "a growing
ambition among newspapers to develop professional operations, financially
and editorially, and it is an important task to assist in this process,
which will inevitably bring wider limits for freedom of expression with it,"
the review said.

The full report can be found on the WAN web site at
http://wan-press.org/globalreview/.

Region by region, the report said:

--In Africa, the Eritrean and Zimbabwean governments have launched a real
war against journalists and independent media, resorting to daily arrests,
prosecution, harassment, and censorship.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, hopes of a serious improvement of the
situation for the press have been stifled despite a presidential pardon for
journalists, and serious problems continue in Togo, Rwanda, Nigeria,
Liberia, Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso.

In Namibia, Zambia, Angola and Swaziland, independent media have been
restricted "in the national interest". In Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan, the
situation has improved with the release of imprisoned journalists serving
long prison terms.

--In the Americas, the fight against terrorism in the United States has led
to a reflection on the tasks of the free press, concluding in self-criticism
against the uncritical, patriotic role some news media played after the 11
September attacks. There are still problems for the press in obtaining
access to information about the prisoners kept at the Guantanamo military
base.

"It is always serious when freedom of the press is being hindered in one of
the countries that have been a cornerstone of freedom of expression," says
the report. "One should, however, not lose one's sense of proportion and it
is still in Latin America that press freedom violations are increasingly
numerous."

Ten journalists have been killed so far this year in Colombia, three in
Mexico, one is Bolivia and one in Venezuela. Cuba remains exceedingly
repressive, while Venezuelan President Chavez continues to raise concern
with repeated attacks on the press.

The situation in several Latin American countries -- Honduras, Guatemala, El
Salvador and Nicaragua -- has worsened, while clear improvements have been
seen in Chile and Peru.

--In Asia, Nepal is the biggest jailer of journalists in the wake of a harsh
crackdown against a Maoist insurgency, while China also remains on the list
of the world's biggest jailers of journalists. Bangladesh continues to prove
extremely dangerous for journalists, Vietnam has no place for press
freedom, and North Korea and Burma are as closed as any societies on earth.

"In some countries of South-East Asia where press freedom is usually
respected, there is a fear that restrictions might come back, like in
Indonesia. A positive development has taken place in Sri Lanka," where the
long-running civil war has seen peace initiatives.

--Among the problems in Europe and Central Asia, journalists have been
assaulted in Belarus and in Ukraine. In Russia, journalists have been
murdered when investigating corruption and organised crime. Several Central
Asian countries have used the war against terrorism to stifle the media.

In Poland, the government has attempted to clamp down on the Rzcezpospolita
newspaper and new legal proposals on ownership will make it difficult for
private media to thrive. The same tendencies toward stronger state control
can be seen in Romania, Yugoslavia, Moldova and Macedonia.

--The Middle East and North Africa are still dominated by authoritarian
regimes and too few changes have been noticed since the arrival of a younger
generation of sovereigns in some of them. Although there has been some
opening to new media opportunities, the old habits of censorship,
harassment, arrests and criminal prosecutions are still apparent.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry,
defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000
newspapers; its membership includes 71 national newspaper associations,
individual newspaper executives in 100 countries, 13 news agencies and nine
regional and world-wide press groups.

For further information, contact Larry Kilman, Director of Communications,
WAN, 25, rue d'Astorg, 75008 Paris, France, tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00, fax: +33
1 47 42 49 48, mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36, e-mail: [email protected],
Internet: http://www.wan-press.org

The information contained in this press release is the sole responsibility
of WAN. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
WAN.
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