Term Paper 4

Jeremy Langston

MCOM1003

Professor Reppert

11/13/20

Legal Constraints on International Journalists

    In the United States, we have a constitution that declares the freedom of speech and press.  Unlike many other countries, Americas have the freedom to exercise these rights without fear of government intervening.  Several countries like Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Cuba, just to name a few, have heavy censorship in place to ward off any thoughts that go against the narrative of their dictators. Organizations like Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, Reporters Without Borders, and the Committee to Protect Journalists help provide support and safety as well as campaigning to improve the quality of journalism.

    Saudi Araba press has suffered greatly under the rule of Mohammad bin Salman.  Anti-terror and cybercrime laws along with specialized courts have given the authorities free rein to imprison journalists and bloggers who stray from the government official account. Sixteen journalists were imprisoned as of December of 2018.  Nine journalists were detained during the first half of 2019. Of the nine detainees, four were tortured and abused in Saudi prisons.  The information of the abused was leaked to The Guardian newspaper.  In 2014, Reporters Without Borders described the Saudi government as, relentless in its censorship of the Saudi media and the Internet.

    Vietnam is a communist country.  Its current president and Communist party general secretary is Nguyen Phu Trong.  The Communist Party led government controls all of the media.  A collection of oppressive laws are in place to deter any media criticisms of the communist government.  There are no independent or non-state online news outlets allowed except for the Catholic church-run Redemptorist News and foreign news bureaus whose are heavily surveilled.  A new cybersecurity law came into effect on January 2019, giving total power to regulate online material.

    Despite some improvements in recent years, including the expansion of mobile internet and Wi-Fi access, Cuba still has the most restricted climate for the press in the Americas. Print and broadcast media are wholly controlled by the one-party Communist state and, by law, must be “in accordance with the goals of the socialist society.” In a missed opportunity, a referendum on constitutional changes, approved in February 2019, did not include any loosening of media restrictions. (CPJ)

    In a world that experiences heavy surveillance, it is important to protect our journalists against authoritarian threats. It is also crucial to hold to our freedoms of speech and press because there may come a time when our own voices could be suppressed.  One of the worst things is to be suppressed and not even be aware of it.  Critical thinking is crucial now more than ever.  We are all journalist in our own right so be aware of what narratives are being pushed in all forms of government, locally and aboard.