Press Freedom
A press freedom violation can be an assassin's bullet, aimed to kill an investigative journalist, and to intimidate and silence his colleagues. It can be the knock on the door from the police, bringing in a reporter to question her on her sources, or put her in jail with or without a proper trial. It can be a restrictive media law, which puts the power over editorial content into the hands of censors and press courts.
The International Federation of Journalists monitors press freedom violations and campaigns for greater safety and for a focus on the in-country journalists and freelances who are at greatest risk and who have the least protection. This is done in cooperation with the member unions around the world, and with other organizations through IFEX, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange.
In the Middle East, a region where oppression against media is intense, conflicts have created an extremely dangerous environment for journalists. Seeking to silence moderate opinion, radicals attack reporters every day. At the same time, conflicts and internal political battles have become useful smokescreens for governments trying to crack down on journalists. The imposition of state of emergency or excuses based upon security, are standard alibis to justify the jailing of journalists.
Breaking the Chains campaign is an initiative of the IFJ and its affiliates in the Middle East and North Africa. Launched in June 2007, it urges a general decriminalisation of press offences and condemns arrest, disproportionate fines, kidnappings and violence against media professionals. It demands eliminating imprisonment as a radical sanction used to intimidate journalists and to silence independent media.
The Breaking the Chains report lists the main legal obstacles to freedom of speech in the MENA region and records cases of sentenced and jailed journalists. But the campaign is not just about exposing bad laws and poor governance; it is also helping to build professional solidarity among the journalists in the region. Working together, journalists and their unions are building a new and vigorous reality about the future of ethical and independent journalism.