Freedom of the Press Abroad

We were asked to search for “Freedom of the Press.” In the United States, Freedom of the Press is synonymous with the First Amendment. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to assembly, and freedom of the press. To American journalists, freedom of the press allows them to write and publish controversial stories. To journalists around the world, it means being attacked for reporting about a social issue.

Free will is a difficult and intricate concept to even understand. It is much less a topic to discuss objectively. Because of the differences in perspectives and values that encompass distinct societies, free will is practiced differently. Though the average blue-collar worker seems to have minimal encounters with law enforcement, the common mugger or thief has adapted to these encounters almost with perfection. They are sneaky and speedy and have learned the art of living “freely.”

Freedom of the press shares the same basic concept as these two distinct groups of people. The first believes that truth should prevail and that journalists are responsible for communicating the truth. However, the second believes that the truth only in matters that do not pertain to specific groups of people. This second group follows the notion that freedom of the press can only be practiced if certain organizations—both legal and illegal—are kept out of negative publicity.

In global terms, journalists are threatened because of stories they’ve written that expose government flaws, incredulous crime activity, and other such topics. The most surprising element of these threatened journalists is where they practice their art. Not all of these journalists are found in countries like China, North Korea, and Cuba, where Freedom of the Press is actually a right they are still waiting to practice. In fact, many are found in countries where tension between government, crime, and society is immense.

In Valencia, Venezuela, a journalist by the name of Ores Sambrano was on his way to a video store. Sambrano is known for his work reporting drug trafficking and corruption. “With chilling calm, the killer dismounted from the motorbike, pulled out his gun and shot Ores Sambrano through the head as if it were the most natural thing in the world.”

China and Cuba are the leading countries in imprisoned journalists. Mexico is the most dangerous country to practice journalism in the Americas. Colombia continues to suffer from pressure wanting biased reporting for either the guerrilla of the paramilitary groups. When Yemen newspapers reprinted Mohammed—the prophet of Islam—cartoons, journalists were arrested and newspapers were shut down. Even France, ranked 35th, witnessed their share of searches and physical attacks on journalists.

These occurrences are ridiculous. Freedom of the Press and the journalists that expose faults (that people would rather keep hidden) pose a threat. Though these threats are legitimate—these faults indeed exist—the truth does not surface because others have decided that particular news stories are not of their concern.

ExPress Freedom from the InterPress Service is dedicated to stories pertaining to global journalism and the difficulties they face with Freedom of the Press.