World Press Freedom Day: good news, bad news

Image courtesy of WAN-IFRA.

The good news is that May 3 is World Press Freedom Day, established by the UN General Assembly in 1993. 


This year's theme, as explained on the UNESCO WPF site, is "the potential of the Internet and digital platforms as well as the more established forms of journalism in contributing to freedom of expression, democratic governance, and sustainable development." 


For additional information see the UNESCO site or the WPF page at the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) website.


The bad news is that Freedom House released its 2011 Freedom of the Press Report, which shows that global media freedom has reached a new low point, with only one in every six people living in a county with a free press. The report notes that particularly troubling trends are in the Middle East and the Americas, with some improvements in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Cartoon by Michel Cambon courtesy of WAN-IFRA.

No Sure Thing in Jersey

Earlier this week the Supreme Court of New Jersey heard oral argument in a case concerning the application of New Jersey's shield law to statements posted online by an independent, investigative blogger. The case is Too Much Media, Inc. v. Shellee Hale.


TMM is a New Jersey software company that provides software for Internet businesses, reportedly including those in the online adult entertainment business. 

Hale, a resident of Washington and former Microsoft employee, was investigating organized crime infiltration of the online porn industry, and had set up a Web site, Pornafia.com (which now forwards to shelleehale.com), to report on her investigative work.

Hale posted the remarks that are the subject of TMM's defamation action on a bulletin board of another site, Oprano.com, which describes itself as "the Wall Street Journal for the online adult entertainment industry." Hale allegedly accused TMM of engaging in fraudulent practices and of threatening the life of someone who divulged details of TMM's activities. 


In response to plaintiff's discovery seeking the identity of Hale's confidential source, Hale invoked the protection of the New Jersey shield law. The trial court and the lower level appeals court ruled against her.

At issue is whether a blogger such as Hale, who operated a Web site she claimed was intended for investigative reporting on issues of public importance, and who posted allegedly defamatory information about TMM on another Web site’s bulletin board, is a journalist entitled to the protection of New Jersey’s shield law and the First Amendment? Also at issue is whether the trial court erred in subjecting Hale to a preliminary hearing to determine whether she qualified for the protection of the statute.

You can read here an amicus brief filed in support of Hale by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Gannett, and the Society of Professional Journalists . As noted in that brief, the New Jersey shield law was enacted in 1933 and is considered one of the strongest in the country.

An archived Webcast of the oral argument should be available here soon.

Stay tuned for more on the situation in New Jersey.

Not so good

On Friday I noted that today, May 3, is World Press Freedom Day.

That's good news.

What's not so good is the new Freedom House report, Freedom of the Press 2009, which identifies the greatest threats to independent media in 195 countries and territories. The report shows a seventh straight year of decline in global media freedom, with twice as many losses than gains.

Well worth reading.

Sunday is World Press Freedom Day

Good news.

Sunday, May 3, is World Press Freedom Day, which is organized by the World Association of Newspapers.

According to WAN, it "annually organises a World Press Freedom Day initiative to draw attention to the role of independent news and information in society, and how it is under attack."

WAN, which is based in Paris, describes itself as follows on its Web site:

Founded in 1948, the World Association of Newspapers groups 76 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 nations, 10 news agencies, and 10 regional press organisations. It is a non-profit, non-government organisation. In all, the Association represents more than 18,000 publications on the five continents.

The World Association of Newspapers has three major objectives:
Defending and promoting press freedom and the economic independence of newspapers as an essential condition for that freedom.
Contributing to the development of print and digital news publishing by encouraging contact and discussion between executives and editors from different regions and cultures.
Promoting co-operation between its member organisations, whether national, regional or worldwide.

Cartoon courtesy of World Association of Newspapers/Michel Cambon.