Media freedom has been under intense scrutiny over the past year as the press interacts with campaigns and candidates. In some countries, media repression has increased and journalists have been forced to choose between their jobs or political safety. Many journalists remain resilient and continue to disseminate news through the Internet and international partners.
One major underlying cause of the erosion of press freedom is a lack of trust without a profitable business model journalists are unable to sustain their work and are more likely to be intimidated. Another contributing factor is government backed ownership changes which in turn reduce the ability of the press to cover critical topics.
Throughout the world governments are using a new toolbox of tactics to control the media these include legal and economic pressure along with regulatory decisions and preferential state contracts. The tools range from censorship and intimidation to public denunciations and ownership changes.
As the global public sphere has grown exponentially in recent years democratic states have come under increasing pressure. This has resulted in a rise in polarization and economic disruption a distrust of media institutions and a sense of confusion yet the basic desire for democratic liberties remains. It is important for elected leaders to emphasize the importance of free and independent media.
Whether the threat is direct or indirect democratic powers must take strong action against violations of media freedom around the globe. They must also impose consequences for any restrictions that are imposed at home. They must also speak out against violence against journalists and websites.
Recent trends of repression are most pronounced in Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East. While these countries face their own specific challenges the erosion of media freedom across the globe has a direct relationship to the erosion of democracy.
Press freedom is essential to democratic governance and citizen participation. The press is a watchdog of the public and provides vital information that fosters discussion and informed opinion. A free and independent media sector is as critical to the success of a democracy as a free and independent election. Although the media has faced intensification of traditional challenges over the past year key news organizations have maintained their robust reporting on those in power.
Despite the efforts of elected leaders to strengthen outlets that provide favorable coverage the media in some countries has fallen victim to a more subtle approach to throttling independence. New privacy laws in Nepal, for example, restrict the collection of personal data and suppress media scrutiny of political leaders. Meanwhile, a partially Chinese-owned newspaper in South Africa discontinued its weekly column on human rights abuses in China.
Globally, China has increased its reliance on content delivery systems to distribute its news. Among other efforts, the regime has worked to close the last remaining channels for uncensored information. At the same time, the regime has increased pressure on private technology companies to police content.
Several countries in the Middle East have experienced heightened fatalities and insecurity as a result of wars. An example is the situation in war-torn Yemen. However, the trend of repression has reached even more extreme levels in countries such as Venezuela, where media repression severely hampered efforts to inform the public about political events.