INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE

EXCERPTS FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT ON PRESS FREEDOM

European Illusion of Media Freedom

While democracy has become entrenched in most of Europe, press freedom remains an illusion to many. Legitimate reporting is curtailed by manifold means and legal provisions continue to be a favoured muzzling device. From defamation to national security, from privacy to contempt of court, laws are widely used to suppress information and opinions that have a right to see the light of day. Public representatives also have a tendency to forget who has a right to access official information: the public. Official files and documents are often unnecessarily withheld from the public’s eye, impeding the citizens’ right to be fully informed and to evaluate the performance of their representatives. Physical harassment, threats and intimidation are also deployed in parts of Europe to discourage inconvenient reports. Economic hardship and the growing tendency towards concentration of media ownership are also two very real threats to editorial independence and media freedom.

While there are many threats to media freedom, military conflict remains the cancer that eats the soul of independent journalism. Tragically, Europe saw the horrendous effects of this twice in 1999: in Serbia and Kosovo, and Chechnya. The conflict in and over Kosovo had particularly devastating consequences for the media. Dubbed a "legitimate target" by all warring parties, those reporting on the war became the war. Information was distorted and suppressed as politicians played with public opinion.

The independent Yugoslav media suffered immeasurably. They were accused of being traitors and Nato spies, and were treated accordingly. Emergency laws were drawn up which -- along with the notorious Law on Public Information – made honest reporting impossible. As the airstrikes began, the Serb authorities sent out some crystal clear messages: Radio B92 was taken over by President Milosevic’s cronies; many journalists were imprisoned or sent to the front line; and a prominent independent editor -- Slavko Curuvija of Dnevni telegraf -- was assassinated. And when Nato put Radio Television Serbia on the hit list, 16 media workers lost their lives. The civil society framework, which took ten painstaking years to assemble, crumbled in a matter of weeks. SEE COUNTRY-REPORT HERE

In Kosovo, the media situation also went from bleak to disastrous. As soon as the Nato airstrikes began, the systematic Serb clampdown on the Albanian-language media began in earnest. Journalists and media workers become number one targets. Some were killed, the lucky escaped into exile. Editorial offices were destroyed. As the dust begins to settle, extensive international support is essential to rebuild the media in Serbia and Kosovo. SEE COUNTRY-REPORT HERE

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In Bosnia-Herzegovina, aside from repressive laws, violence against the media is common. According to unofficial statistics, some 40 journalists were attacked in 1999. The attacks intensified during the Nato-led bombing campaign on Serbia, and were particularly bad in the Bosnian-Serb controlled Republica Srpska. SEE COUNTRY-REPORT HERE

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Hopes are high for a radical improvement in the situation facing the independent media in Croatia in the post-Tudjman era. Many political analysts believe that Tudjman will take many of the informal presidential powers he created with him to the grave, and with them his methods of curtailing free reporting. Throughout 1999, however, Croatian journalists and newspapers continued to be subjected to draconian press laws and government harassment though the courts. Several hundred libel and defamation cases have been brought against journalists and newspapers, mostly by the ruling elite. SEE COUNTRY-REPORT HERE

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‘Public service’ broadcasters and news agencies continue to be controlled by the ruling parties in many countries in Europe. Macedonia offered such an example this year as the editorial direction of MRTV switched dramatically following a change in government. In many parts of the continent the transition from state-controlled to public service institutions needs to be pushed: governing authorities clearly separated from the ruling powers should be established, and statutes affirming editorial independence must be implemented. SEE COUNTRY-REPORT HERE

Particularly in the emerging democracies, the one thing that is crippling independent media is money, or, more accurately, the lack of. Media outlets strain to make capital investments; are unable to pay staff adequate salaries; are driven to the wall by fines and taxes; and cannot afford to invest in training and development. All too often, these harsh economic climates make it easier for the person who pays the piper to call the tune.

So while democratically-elected representatives govern the people, and freedom of expression is enshrined in most constitutions, the conventional wisdom which says the European media is now free is very often a misconception.

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