TP 4 - Legal Constraints for International Journalists

Problems International Journalists Face

     In the United States, free speech and the right for journalists to speak about and against the government are protected. We often take for granted the truth or lies we can speak about the state of our world and the governmental state. We do not fully comprehend the severity and lack of protection international journalists face. While international journalists provide us with other views and outlooks from other countries, they face threats and restrictions from governments that don't want their secrets to be let out into the world. "Across the world, journalists face countless threats every day, ranging from kidnapping, torture, and arbitrary detention to disinformation campaigns and harassment, especially on social media." UNESCO.org

    As we all know, North Korea is one of the harshest countries for media and international journalists. We don't even know what goes on in the country much less what they know about the world. Escapees from the country claim that they are told that the United States is known for cannibalism and many other gruesome points. If journalists from that country speak poorly of the government, they are never heard from again and neither is their family. In their culture, once that person has committed a crime no matter how small, they and their entire family are sent to prisons and killed. In fact, the internet and media in that country revolve around the ruler and how supposedly great the country is. 

    On August 22, 2022, Mexican journalist, Fredid Román, was shot dead, in front of the newspaper La Realidad in Chilpancingo, state of Guerrero, Mexico. In fact, in 2022, Mexico hit a record for 13 journalists being killed in 2022 for not reporting what the government wanted, for reporting the truth. In Mexico currently, the government is being controlled by Cartel, and the system is unruly. There is currently a drug war going on between different Catels, and the government is involved in it. "Three more journalists have been killed in Mexico. The country has been named the deadliest for media professionals in 2022 to date." In total 47 from 2016 to 2021 journalists have been killed in Mexico, making it the country that is most dangerous for journalists. Statista.com 

    Syria is the third most dangerous area for journalists, with the total number killed being 42 from 2016 to 2021. Statista.com In 2012, an American journalist, Marie Colvin was assassinated in Syria while reporting from the besieged Syrian enclave of Baba Amr. She was going to uncover a dark truth about the Syrian government that they did not want anyone to know. She was uncovering the 'Horrors of War'. She died trying to get her shoes so she could escape a shelling attack. In 2019 her cause of death was finally revealed to be murder, but everyone already knew. She died for her passion for uncovering what war does to countries. 

    On September 13, 2022, a young woman named Mahsa Amini was killed in police custody for not wearing her hijab properly in Afghanistan. This ignited a storm for young Iranian women to cut their hair and burn hijabs. Many young women have died during these protests, but it doesn't stop them from continuing their battle against the Afghanastanian government. While this isn't a killing of a journalist, it's a killing of a young woman to silence her voice against the Iranian government. Her father said that she was beaten to death in custody. It's still a crime against the media, to silence young women into submission. 

    It has been questioned if such bans and restrictions can exist in a modern-day media and technological society, and the conclusion is that they can't. The citizens of those countries will keep rebelling and fighting for their voices to be heard. In North Korea, for instance, some individuals escape and tell everyone everything that occurs there. It's such a travesty that the government tries to control others in other countries. In the United States, we are very fortunate to be able to criticize and write about our own government. There are even some cases, though in the United States where people are in some cases silenced. Thankfully, it's very little.

    International journalists can use social media anonymously as well as other methods to hide to get the news out there about the country or government that is suppressing them. Social media can be used for definite good for those who need it the most. In the age of social media, government suppression is difficult. However, that does not mean that it is impossible. More corrupt governments may breach privacy and laws to harm journalist and find their socials. This can be done in various ways, with the most common being tracking by the IP address of the post. So while social media is a helpful and mostly useful source for journalists, it is not the catch-all and still poses risks. 

    International journalists face many legal constraints that vary across many different countries. We in the United States often take for granted our right to speech and freedom of the press. International journalists are not just a voice for other countries that might not get the representation they need, but an example of how we must preserve the legality of free speech and the freedom of our press. With so many barriers, it is a wonder that this form of journalism continues to thrive. I suppose that human resilience has kept it this far and will continue into the future. I'm hopeful that in time we will take a stand for the freedom of speech press for not just ourselves but also our fellow humans, creating more fair laws and regulations to protect journalists abroad. In the meantime, it is important to recognize and come to aid these journalists in our current times. After all, many great people have claimed the earth would end with a whisper, so our voices must never go out.