Term Paper 4: Legal Constraints on International Journalist

 Legal Constraints on International Journalist

        As American citizens, most of the time we take freedom of the press for granted. It's simply just something we don't always think about, we just know we have it. As United States citizens, we have our First Amendment right, which prevents our government from restricting our freedom of speech through the press or journalism. 

    Although we have the ability to practice this freedom, not everyone around the world gets to participate in the same sentiments we do. Journalist in other countries put their lives on the line to report what is happening in their societies, because the truth in their countries is concealed by a higher power. With that being said, many citizens of countries are left without knowing information that could directly impact them. For example, a story circulating in Reporters without Borders, about Christophe Gleizes, a French reporter who has been detained in Alegria for five months and has been charged with a seven-year prison sentence.

    I am not very knowledgeable, about situations like this because of being from a country that has free speech, has unlimited access to any media we want, having so much access to media, news, and AI, sometimes it's so hard to tell the difference between what real or fake news is. 

    With all of this being said, I'm excited and interested in this term paper to be doing a deep dive and research countries, to see how much they differ from the U.S and how thankful we should be to have the freedom's that we do. 

    Journalism may not be a part of the dangerous jobs that you first think of when you consider the number of things that can occur at certain jobs. But according to Nexus News Feed, who received their information Statista that 47 media officials/reporters were killed in 2024 for simply just doing their job. With the most dangerous countries for journalist being Palestine and Pakistan. Which is the two main countries I will be focusing on in this paper. 

    Palestine has become the world's most dangerous country for journalist and their work. Almost 200 reporters were killed in Gaza by the Israeli army over the 18 months they were involved in a war, just for doing their job. Reporters without Borders explains that even journalist who are suspected of collaborating with Isarel are thrown upon in violence of the blockade, and even politicians threatening them. Although the Palestinian Authority's basic law does provide for freedom of the press and opinion, but it ultimately clashes with the governments real interest in letting the truth out to their citizens, keeping hid what truly needs to be shown to the people. The main controversial topic with the Palestinian reporters and government is religion. Since there is a war currently going on in Palestine, the formerly heated topic of women journalist has been pushed to the backburner. Also, with the blockade blocking any international journalist from entering, both men and women journalists have come together to cover any information, and to get the true media out to the people of their country.

    Below is just one tragic incident that has happened to so many in Palestine. 

- Mariam Dagga, 33. A visual journalist from Southern Gaza focusing on human centering as well as being a mother, was killed in an Israeli strike. During the war she was working for the Associated Press and Independent Arabia. Dagga was covering the experiencing of Palestinian doctors, who treated children that were wounded in the war. The strike that killed her also killed 4 other journalists. (AP News)

     

(Reporters without Borders graph of journalist/media workers detained in Palestine)

    Ever since Pakistan's founding in 1947, they have struggled between there society's request for greater press freedom of the media and a better political reality for which they live in, which unfortunately, their military keeps strict control and regulations over. The political parties in Pakistan although obviously have their differences, they all support the freedom of the press. But they are incapable of keeping the people's rights free because of the power that is held by the military for Pakistan affairs. They have control over all of the media outlets, which because of that they take the side of the governments on the people's right to information on what is going on in their society. The military's main control on the media is used to censor anything negative about the Pakistan government and military. In 2002, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, (Reporters without Borders) main goal is to regulate what is broadcasting throughout Pakistan media. Journalist or media workers who cross the lines have to be exposed to heavy criminal and admirative sanctions. Many journalists who are murdered in Pakistan, the crimes that happened to them are never fought for, the people who killed them are never punished. Any journalist who crosses the line, especially during an election period is at risk for detention, jail time, and even death. 

- Malik Zafar Iqbal Naich, a daily reporter for Daily Khabrain newspaper was shot and killed, while he was distributing newspapers in a central eastern Punjab province. The CPJ Asia Program Coordinator explained that without a cohesive strategy from both military and political leadership, then the attack and endangerment of journalist trying to spread media throughout the press will continue. Committee to Protect Journalist 

(Reporters without Borders Journalist/media workers detained in Pakistan

    Why are these countries experiencing such violence and anger towards these journalists? In my opinion it mainly has to do with their nation's leaderships wanting to control what the media is putting out and controlling what truths about these nations that they are telling. Journalism not only shares the news but shares what's hidden. 

    Although we as Americans don't have the same problems with our basic rights of our first amendment, with the technology we have during this digital age in America, we have the ability to help spread awareness of other countries journalism struggles. For example, Committee to Protect Journalist is a non-profit organization whose goal is to promote press freedom worldwide, all while protecting the journalist who want to report without consequences. In this digital age we are living in, it has brought upon a whole new light in journalism. It allows for journalist who live in countries like I talked about above with strict regulations and guidelines, to be able to reach global audiences and expose the truth in their countries. Although there are still blockades, surveillance, and military's trying to stop the spread of media in these countries, social media is new inspiration for getting the true media out to the world. 

    These men and women in other countries risk their lives constantly just trying to spread awareness, media, and truth. They are doing what they love, they are simply doing their job. The recap of the 2025 (Reporters without Borders) report gave an overview of something important or newsworthy information that happened every month in media throughout the globe. The recap had a quote that stuck with me, " Journalist just don't die- they're killed. They don't just disappear- they are kidnapped." It resigns with me because it makes me thankful to live in a country where we don't have to worry about what we read on the news, or what we put out on our social medias. As a nation we must work to protect journalist and media workers across the globe so we can all experience the power and feeling of the truth. That we know what we are doing is right not only for ourselves, but for everyone.