Press Freedom in 2007: A Year of Global Decline

In advance of World Press Freedom Day, on May 3, Freedom House issued its Freedom of the Press Survey for 2008, in which the countries of the Middle East and North Africa continued to show the lowest regional ratings, with just one country rated as “Free” in the report.  Three countries received “Partly Free” consideration, while 15 countries (or roughly 79 percent) were rated “Not Free” in the survey.

The average region-wide score improved slightly, and was the only one to do so in a year marked by global and regional declines.  The gains fall within a pattern of longer-term positive movement in the region, owing to the continued spread and influence of pan-Arab satellite television networks and internet-based media such as blogs and social-networking sites, which serve as alternative sources of news and information.  In some countries, print media have also become more critical as journalists push the boundaries of acceptable coverage, even when faced with varied forms of harassment or reprisals by autocratic governments.

However, media in the region generally remain constrained by extremely restrictive legal environments in which laws concerning libel and defamation, the insult of monarchs and public figures, and emergency rule hamper the ability of journalists to report freely.  Of particular and long-standing concern are Libya, Iran, Syria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Territories.  Although Iraq remained by far the most dangerous country in the world for media workers, a reduction in the number of arrests and detentions of journalists by Iraqi and U.S. security forces contributed to a marginal improvement in Iraq’s score for 2007.

In addition to the overall regional improvement, the Middle East saw positive change in a number of key countries, including both relatively good and weak performers.  In the only positive status upgrade of the year, Egypt’s score improved from 62 to 59 points, lifting it from Not Free to Partly Free.  The upgrade reflected Egyptian journalists’ increased willingness to cross the “red lines” that previously restricted their work. It was also linked to the greater range of viewpoints represented not only in the traditional Egyptian media, but also in the pan-Arab press, informal media, and the blogosphere.  It is important to note that the change occurred despite a continuation, and in some cases an increase, in government harassment, repression, and imprisonment of journalists during 2007.

Other country improvements during the year included a four-point gain to 55 for Lebanon, owing to a substantial decrease in violence against journalists and a drop in government censorship of the media, and a two-point increase to 54 for Kuwait as a result of the licensing of six new Arabic-language dailies—the first licensing of any new paper in 30 years—a positive step that increased media diversity.  

Scores also improved marginally in two of the region’s most restricted media environments, largely to reflect citizens’ access to new and freer media forms. Tunisia’s score improved from 83 to 81 due to the launching of an independent journalists’ union and the increased availability of satellite television, despite authorities’ continued prosecution of critical reporters. The score for the region’s worst-rated country, Libya, improved from 96 to 94 due to a lack of government blocking of websites and increased availability of satellite television.

While transnational factors have led to improvements in many countries, the level of press freedom in much of the region continues to be seriously constrained by a restrictive legal framework, and by authorities’ consistent efforts to limit critical reporting through either legal or physical harassment of journalists.

Morocco saw further declines in 2007, from 62 to 64 points, as legal harassment led to the forced closure of two prominent publications – Le Journal Hebdomadaire and TelQuel –  following coverage that was critical of the government. In Jordan, whose score worsened from 61 to 63, security agencies were primarily responsible for harassing journalists, while the government interfered to prevent the launching of ATV, the country’s first private television station.

NOTE: The Freedom House survey focuses not only on the Middle East and North Africa, but also analyses freedom of the press in countries around the world.  For example, Freedom House notes that while “the United States continues to be one of the better performers in the survey, there were continuing problems in the legal sphere, particularly concerning cases in which the authorities tried to compel journalists to reveal confidential sources or provide access to research material in the course of criminal investigations.  In 2007, the numerical score for the United States worsened by one point, to 17, to reflect a slight increase in physical attacks on the press, including one murder and several cases of intimidation.” 

For detailed information on all countries, as well an explanation of the scientific methodology used by Freedom House in its survey, please visit www.freedomhouse.org.