Attacks on the Press : Journalism on the World's Front Lines: (Bloomberg)

The most comprehensive guide to the global state of free press in 2015 Attacks on the Press is the world's most comprehensive guide to international press freedom. Compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists, this informative guide features analytical essays from CPJ and other experts and provides a platform for direct advocacy with governments and the diplomatic community to give voice to journalists worldwide. Reporters and photographers face a myriad of risks, from highly publicized murder to imprisonment, cyberattacks, harassment, frivolous lawsuits, and censorship. The risks are increasing due to widespread unrest and in response to the broad dissemination of critical information through social media and the Internet. This book gives journalists a seat at the discussions at the United Nations, Organization of American States, European Union, African Union, and more, to protect journalists and the freedom of press that is so essential to human rights. By publicly revealing abuses against the press and acting on behalf of imprisoned and threatened journalists, CPJ effectively warns journalists and news organizations where free press is in danger. This book is their annual guide to where these attacks are occurring, and who is doing the attacking. * Assess dangers to freelance journalists in conflict zones * Evaluate new forms of censorship in places like Egypt, Hong Kong, and Turkey * Contemplate the long-range impacts of the publicized executions of journalists by militant groups * Review available cybersecurity measures and the price journalists pay to keep up with spies * Analyze the 10 most censored countries in the world Strong press freedom encourages the growth of a robust civil society, which leads to stable, sustainable democracies and healthy social, political, and economic development. Attacks on the Press is the most comprehensive annual survey of global press freedom, and a calling out of those who threaten it.

Table of Contents:
Foreword xi By Christiane Amanpour 1. Going It Alone: More Freelancers Means Less Support, Greater Danger 1 The lack of adequate preparation might make safety experts shudder, but faced with low pay and high risk, the only option for many confl ict journalists is to learn on the fly. By Robert Mahoney 2. Covering War for the First Time in Syria 9 Lacking the support of an editor or established news organization, a young freelancer turned to a community of independent journalists who helped her find her way in a confl ict zone. By Erin Banco 3. The Rules of Conflict Reporting Are Changing 15 Syria has reshaped the way war is covered. Faced with continuing journalist kidnappings and murders, one veteran reporter proposes a new approach. By Janine di Giovanni 4. Broadcasting Murder: Militants Use Media for Deadly Purpose 23 Islamic State, Boko Haram, and Mexican drug cartels videotape their own violence, presenting a conundrum for the press. By Joel Simon and Samantha Libby 5. Lack of Media Coverage Compounds Violence in Libya 35 The world hardly knows what's happening in Libya. The information vacuum allows various groups to distort the truth and even to cause greater bloodshed. By Fadil Aliriza 6. Reporting with Bodyguards on the Paraguayan Border 45 Amid lawlessness in Paraguay, one journalist has his own security detail to fend off attacks by smugglers and the henchmen of corrupt politicians. By John Otis 7. Between Conflict and Stability: Journalists in Pakistan and Mexico Cope with Everyday Threats 55 Working where violence is endemic takes a psychological toll on journalists and their families and hampers the ability to report. By Daniel DeFraia 8. Conflating Terrorism and Journalism in Ethiopia 65 Addis Ababa is using defense against terrorism to justify stifling the press and putting reporters in jail. By Jacey Fortin 9. We Completely Agree: Egyptian Media in the Era of President El ]Sisi 75 Self-censorship, firings, and official harassment are transforming many Egyptian journalists into mouthpieces for the government. By Mohamed Elmeshad 10. Finding New Ways to Censor Journalists in Turkey 85 The declining number of imprisoned journalists is a welcome change, but it does not indicate a more open approach toward the media in Turkey. By Yavuz Baydar 11. Treating the Internet as the Enemy in the Middle East 95 When it comes to popular movements, no one knows better than Middle East leaders how powerful the Internet can be and no one is doing more to undermine it. By Courtney C. Radsch 12. Overzealous British Media Prompt Overzealous Backlash 105 Journalists in the United Kingdom are besieged by police, Parliament, pressure groups, public relations agents, and even publishers. By Liz Gerard 13. Outdated Secrecy Laws Stifl e the Press in South Africa 123 The invocation of antiquated laws and the introduction of restrictive new ones set a dangerous precedent for censorship in a country still finding its way as a democracy. By Ferial Haffajee 14. Amid Ebola Outbreak, West African Governments Try to Isolate Media 127 In an environment where access to facts can be lifesaving, some West African governments appear as interested in arresting reporters as arresting a deadly disease. By Sue Valentine 15. For Clues to Censorship in Hong Kong, Look to Singapore, Not Beijing 135 Many in Hong Kong fear China's blunt media restrictions, but the territory's journalists are more likely to encounter the more subtle weapons of Singapore. By Madeline Earp 16. Surveillance Forces Journalists to Think and Act Like Spies 145 Only with expertise, practice, and expensive tools can the media protect sources in the digital age. Journalists now compete with spooks, and the spooks have the home-field advantage. By Tom Lowenthal 17. Two Continents, Two Courts, Two Approaches to Privacy 157 As the United States confirms its value of free speech over privacy, Europe tilts in the opposite direction. By Geoffrey King 18. Journalists Grapple with Increasing Power of European Extremists 167 The rise of right-wing groups across the continent leads to attacks on journalists and a fierce debate in the profession over how to report on nationalist political parties. By Jean-Paul Marthoz 19. Indian Businesses Exert Financial Muscle to Control Press 177 Corporate interests try to suppress unfavorable coverage through expensive lawsuits, the withholding of advertising, and the outright purchase of news outlets. By Sumit Galhotra 20. The Death of Glasnost: How Russia's Attempt at Openness Failed 189 There was a moment when the Russian media was poised to join the West's in open and objective news coverage. That moment has passed. By Ann Cooper 21. Media Wars Create Information Vacuum in Ukraine 201 The shutdown of broadcasters, restrictions on reporting, blatant propaganda, and beatings, abductions, and killings of journalists leave people in eastern Ukraine and Crimea in the dark. By Muzaff ar Suleymanov 22. Journalists Overcome Obstacles through Crowdfunding and Determination 211 Declining revenue poses one of the greatest challenges to today's media. Yet many journalists are scraping by with help from new platforms and their own ingenuity. By Jessica Jerreat 23. Trends in Press Freedom: 10 Most Censored Countries Threaten Jail Terms, Restrict Internet to Silence Press 219 Index 231