Terrible year for the media

2006-05-29 12:40

Edinburgh - The overall level of press freedom across the world was "shocking", said the director of the International Press Institute (IPI).

IPI director Johann Fritz blasted repressive laws and regulations hindering the ability of the world's media to carry out their duties.

Fritz said: "The situation for press freedom in our world remains, unfortunately, rather shocking."

He lashed out at recent restriction of journalists' access to information under "anti-terrorism" pretexts.

Fritz said that out of 194 monitored countries, 73 had a "free press situation", 54 countries were listed as "partly free" and 67 countries had no "free press" at all.

372 journos killed

He said: "The American Committee to Protect Journalists reports that for the past five years, 723 journalists have been imprisoned worldwide.

"For the past five years, a total of 372 journalists have been killed in the line of duty or murdered because of their investigative reporting."

IPI chairperson Wilfred D Kiboro that said 24 countries jailed 125 journalists last year.

The Kenyan press baron said: "The verdict on 2005 is in, and those who feared the worst won. It was a terrible year for the media. Between 2004 and 2005, more than 100 journalists were killed doing their jobs. It was the deadliest such period in 10 years."

The IPI was a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from some 120 countries dedicated to press freedom.

Its three-day Edinburgh congress brought together about 450 participants from 60-odd countries to thrash out major issues facing the world's press.

- AFP