Term Paper 4: Legal Constraints on International Journalists

Legal Constraints on International Journalists

Photo from ICIJ.

In the United States of America, freedom of the press is often taken for granted. Laws and policies, such as the First Amendment, prevent government bodies from restricting our freedom of speech and protest, stating:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the  right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." 

These sentiments are not practiced globally, though. Across the world, journalists from other countries are heavily censored and placed in dangerous situations for speaking up about issues within their respective nations. Data from Statista outlines these nine countries as the most dangerous for journalists in the world according to how many journalists have been killed in 2024:

1. Palestine (14 deaths)
2. Pakistan (6 deaths)
3. Bangladesh (5 deaths)
4. Mexico (4 deaths)
5. Iraq (3 deaths)
6. Sudan (3 deaths)
7. Myanmar (3 deaths)
8. Ukraine (2 deaths)
9. Colombia (2 deaths)

*These deaths are only listed as confirmed by the Reporters Without Borders database as being linked to their journalistic work, which is why the numbers may appear small. 

Why are these countries experiencing suppression of their journalists? Part of the answer lies in these nations' leaderships wanting to control media narratives tightly. In Bangladesh, for example, journalists have been murdered by law enforcement simply for reporting on protests concerning a public job quota system (Dhaka Tribune). 

The other part lies in the dangers of reporting within a warzone or otherwise risky area. In Palestine, for example, journalists face extremely hazardous conditions, such as airstrikes, bombings, and famine, when trying to carry out investigative journalism. On top of that, the Committee to Protect Journalists has discovered that at least seven journalists and one media worker were specifically targeted and murdered by Israeli forces, as follows:

1. Issam Abdallah
2. Hamza Al Dahdouh
3. Mustafa Thuraya
4. Ismael Al Ghoul
5. Rami Al Refee
6. Ghassan Najjar
7. Wissam Kassem
8. Mohammed Reda

A video from Carnegie Endowment of Palestinian Journalists (Video Link in Photo).

Many journalists have also been imprisoned for their contribution to exposing the truth about their respective governments. A 2023 census from the Committee to Protect Journalists has crowned China as the worst jailer of journalists, with 44 reporters detained. This repression of journalists is due to strict censorship of the media of the country. The report refers to the mass Hong Kong arrests that took place because of Beijing's response to pro-democracy protests of enacting a severe national security law. 

Numerous journalists have likewise been missing for years. Reporters Without Borders has declared that, in the last 10 years, nearly 100 journalists are missing. Mexico represents 30% of that number, with Syria, Mali, Congo, Palestine, and Iraq following behind. A large number of these missing journalists were caused by enforced disappearance, which is when government authorities deprive individuals of liberty (United Nations). This abuse of power is considered both a war crime and a human rights violation by various organizations across the world. 

An outline of the demographics of journalists that have gone missing from RSF. 

Legal systems can also be weaponized to repress journalists across the world. Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Filipino and American journalist, faced issues with the Phillippine government and courts in a recent case about cyber libel with her news website, Rappler. Charges were filed against Ressa regarding an investigative news story published in 2012, and she was facing years in prison. A briefing was made in defense of Ressa that stated:

"The prospect of facing criminal liability for allegedly misreporting facts — or worse yet, being punished for accurate reporting — will have a profound chilling effect, discouraging journalists from wading into the sensitive topics that often are the subjects of greatest public concern" (VOA News).

The court's attempt to silence journalists for their reports is a suppression of free speech, whether it be misinformation or not. It deters journalists from reporting in the first place out of fear of being punished for it. This suppression is also a case within the use of social media as a platform for reporting. 

In the digital age, social media has come forth as both a tool for deliverance and a means of suppression. Journalists who work under restrictive regimes have been able to reach global audiences and expose corruption through social media. They have also been heavily restricted in their use of social media, as many countries have enacted Internet surveillance and blackouts to ensure that reporters are not allowed to speak freely. 

A chart of countries that have experienced Internet shutdowns from 2022 (GIJN).

Reporters Without Borders opened up their most recent annual report with the powerful statement, "Dying is not an acceptable risk of journalism." This assertion remains true when considering the importance of journalism in improving the world and bringing attention to dire situations. We must work to establish protections for journalists and media workers across the globe so that we can continue to feel the power of truth.