Reflections on Press Freedom from Bolivia, the Philippines, and Senegal

World Press Freedom Day reminds us of the importance of protecting openness and transparency to ensure that people, whether they are journalists or citizens, are able to enjoy their fundamental rights. In this interview with digital rights experts from Bolivia, the Philippines, and Senegal we share some reflections on press freedom and the implications for digital rights work. This blog does not represent the viewpoints of GNI or any of its members. The interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

About the Interviewees:

Lisa Garcia (LG) is the executive director of Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), a civil society organization based in the Philippines that works on data protection, privacy, and gender issues in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

Eliana Quiroz (EQ) is the executive director of Fundación Internet Bolivia, a civil society organization based in Bolivia that works to promote Internet access and data protection, democracy and digital participation, digital economy, and equity and digital divide.

Hamadou Tidiane Sy (TS) is the director of E-JICOM, a journalism, communication, and digital media school based in Senegal.

Why is press freedom important and what does it mean to your organization’s work?

From Bolivia

EQ: When public information available on the Internet is restricted, the quality of public participation diminishes. In Bolivia, when someone wants to give an informed opinion about a public issue they have to dedicate a great deal of effort to obtain that information. Large media sources are often restricted for economic reasons, they are pushed to respond to the interests of their advertisers, and the few independent media outlets that persist have small staffs and are therefore limited in how much content they can produce. Additionally, the media receives constant pressure from the government and other political actors to align themselves with political positions, thus eroding freedom of the press.

This situation dates back a couple of decades but it was worsened by Bolivia’s political crisis (October 2019 to October 2020) and the pandemic. The largest media outlets, which had already been suffering from serious economic problems and political tensions, fired more than half of their journalists due to restrictions imposed on the circulation of printed materials as a result of the pandemic and because advertisers moved toward online advertising. So far, some 300 journalists have lost their jobs. This journalistic vacuum is ideal for disinformation operations that affect freedom of expression in virtual and face-to-face spaces. This is one of the themes we work on at the Foundation InternetBolivia.org: investigating the various roles of the media ecosystem in disinformation processes and identifying ways to strengthen and support journalists’ work.

From the Philippines

LG: Although the FMA is not a media organization, we promote press freedom as a human right and believe that it has to be protected, especially at a time when autocratic governments are weaponizing laws to stifle our rights and freedoms. A free press allows for exchange of information, so that people are aware of what is going on around them, and are able to participate in democracies and decide based on facts. A free press serves as a vehicle to surface issues that are relevant to us.

FMA works at the intersection of human rights and ICTs. We have observed how, with the rise of populism, civic and political spaces are shrinking. This is felt in digital spaces where websites and social media accounts of civil society organizations get attacked; violence against women and girls online is on the rise; breaches of privacy have compromised individuals’ personal information; disinformation — especially on social media — has undermined our democracies and fomented divisiveness. As citizens increasingly rely on the Internet for information and communication, the more imperative it is that we preserve fair, accurate, and balanced reporting. A free press mindful of its responsibility is a key element in winning the war against disinformation and the pandemic.

From Senegal

TS: First, I consider press freedom as part of those ingredients which give flesh to the concepts of human rights and democracy. It is a key component of the democratic framework in every country because the press plays an important role in democratic processes.

This is even more important in societies where governments are not always transparent and do not always feel obliged to be accountable to citizens. Moreover, in countries like Senegal, about half of the population is illiterate. Therefore the media, when accessible and reliable, becomes not only a source of information for citizens, but a unique and privileged platform to access knowledge. This also implies the media should understand its role and take into account this huge responsibility when performing its mission.

As the head of a journalism school, training both future and active journalists, our mission would be without any meaningful purpose if those we educate and train don’t have the opportunity and the space to exercise their job and achieve their dreams of serving the public interest through information.

What are some factors that affect press freedom in your country or region?

From Bolivia

EQ: There are a few main factors that affect press freedom:

• The media ecosystem in Latin America, wherein ownership of the media concentrated in a few hands, severely limits the plurality of opinions covered in the media. There have been reports of forced sales of media to business holding companies or political actors that already own other large media, for example.
• Disinformation operations and bot and trolling campaigns increase political and social polarization, reduce the possibility of dissent in relation to mainstream opinions, and encourage self-censorship by the media and journalists.
• There are a few independent media outlets, but they struggle to support themselves. Undoubtedly, media such as Ojo Público in Peru, Revista Anfibia in Argentina, El Faro in El Salvador, The Empty Chair in Colombia or Muy Waso in Bolivia are very valuable in providing well-processed and referenced information. Given the paucity of independent media and the difficulties they face in maintaining themselves, however, they shape an entropic ecosystem, barely open to new actors who can innovate and compete.
• Finally, the urgent need for digital literacy and media literacy among audiences causes the few good journalistic products to be scantily consumed and reduces their impact.

From the Philippines

LG: For the fourth straight year in a row, the Philippines’ ranking in the World Press Freedom Index has declined. According to Reporters Without Borders, this is due to a number of factors: continued attacks by the president and his administration on the media; the harassment and persecution of Rappler, Philippines news online website, and its CEO, Maria Ressa; and the shutdown of the country’s largest media network, ABS-CBN, last year.

In the four years of the Duterte administration, nineteen journalists have been killed in the line of duty. Journalists have been called “presstitutes” by supporters of the government and are deemed traitors if they write anything critical of the administration. They are red-tagged, labelled as communists, and named enemies of the State, thus endangering their lives. Female journalists have been subjected to sexist slurs, verbal abuse, and even face rape and death threats.

Freedom of speech, expression, and the press is protected in our constitution and in international instruments to which the Philippines is a signatory. Yet libel remains a criminal act, and online libel is accorded a higher degree of penalty. It is being used by powerful people and public officials as a tool to harass and silence opposition. Maria Ressa and a former researcher of Rappler were convicted of cyber libel. The verdict shows that the law can be used to censor speech, which creates a chilling effect on press freedom.

Another factor affecting press freedom, not just in the country but globally, is the spread of disinformation. The rise of social media have made it easier to manufacture false information and circulate it faster, and this has redefined the role of the media as fact-checkers, in order to preserve its role as truth tellers.

In July 2020, the Anti-Terrorism Act was hastily passed into law by congress, at a time when the country was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The law has heightened concerns for freedom of expression and press freedom in the country, as it can be used to silence dissent. Under the law, suspects can be arrested and imprisoned without a warrant.

From Senegal

TS: In countries such as Senegal, we have laws in our legislation, which hinder the full exercise of press freedom. Article 80 of our penal code is very vague and can easily take any journalist to prison. With other provisions in the national laws, journalists can be arrested and sent to jail for publishing content that does not please the government or for anything that is considered negative against the president or State institutions…

Even though Senegal is considered a relatively safe place for journalists, they can be easily jailed and there are some issues that are still difficult to deal with in the public space. There is a lot of self-censorship when dealing with issues in which religious or traditional leaders are involved. There is also a very poor or biased understanding of the role of the media, including issues such as press freedom, amongst the general public. All this makes it difficult for journalists to fully enjoy the principles of press freedom. We have recently seen mobs attacking media houses simply because they believed those media outlets were supporting the government, while at the same time the government was clamping down on what they perceived as pro-opposition media. All this puts journalists in a very uncomfortable position and contradicts the essence of press freedom as recognized in the constitution.

What role can multistakeholder initiatives like GNI play in ensuring press freedom?

From Bolivia

EQ: Recognizing that it is necessary to support the role of the press in maintaining the good health of democracies, multistakeholder initiatives like GNI can elevate voices and positions of the media and journalists to be heard in fora where digital platforms and governments participate, including on issues related to online advertising, disinformation processes, and digital literacy, with impacts on press freedom.

For this collaboration to be effective, many media require a better understanding of the roles and interests of digital platforms. The Global Network Initiative (GNI) can help with information and training processes regarding the ecosystem of technology actors and help demystify how human rights can work on the Internet.

From the Philippines

LG: Critical and responsive reporting is needed more than ever, especially at this juncture in our history with a raging pandemic and increasing distrust by the public of mainstream media. Journalists, writers, and advocates can only fulfill their obligation hand-in-hand with civil society, companies, and other actors, including with governments that take on a fair and balanced response to issues and are responsive to the true needs of the people.

Multistakeholder groups like the GNI, advocating for freedom of expression and the right to privacy, can provide solidarity and support. We need to come together and stand with media groups in defending press freedom, in combating democratic decay, and in ensuring the safety of journalists and media workers so that they can do their work without fear of repression and prosecution. GNI can also strengthen existing initiatives to support independent media by emphasizing and deepening understanding of the digital rights issues in those initiatives.

From Senegal

TS: It is hard to say, simply because situations differ from one country to another. However, there is a belief that once an issue is dealt with collectively, there are more chances of getting positive results. GNI brings together academia, civil society, and other stakeholders and offers a unique platform to have a better understanding and knowledge of issues such as press freedom. To people like me, GNI gives a unique opportunity to get insights from very different perspectives and from completely different parts of the world. There is also a knowledge creation process that goes in parallel with all the other initiatives within the network.

Lastly, the possibility of exchanging experiences and learning from one another is a unique opportunity for anyone dealing with complex issues or facing resistance from governments and other institutions, which have a different understanding of what freedom of the press means or what it can mean to different people.