Middle East & North Africa

IREX/MSI

The 2008 Media Sustainability Index (MSI) for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the third such study undertaken by IREX, and reveals some important developments in the region. Notably, across the board, panelists participating in the MENA MSI study report an explosion of Internet usage in their countries in the past few years. The growing emergence of new media platforms in the region offers an alternative to traditional media, which often support the political party in power. Such options are highly valuable for the many countries that lack pluralistic views in the traditional media, and where self-censorship impinges on the availability of news and information that citizens need in order to hold politicians accountable and make important life decisions.

Read more on IREX's site...

Freedom House

Freedom of the Press 2011 identifies the greatest threats to independent media in 196 countries and territories. Released on May 2 as part of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day celebration in Washington, D.C., the report shows that global media freedom has reached a new low point, contributing to an environment in which only one in every six people live in countries with a Free press. In 2010, there were particularly worrisome trends in the Middle East and the Americas, while improvements were noted in sub-Saharan Africa. Below are several critical tools to highlight data from the annual index of global press freedom, and to help explain the newest findings in their historical context.

Read more on Freedom House’s site…

Reporters Without Borders

In Afghanistan, Pakistan…countries either openly at war or in a civil war or some other kind of internal conflict, we see a situation of permanent chaos and a culture of violence and impunity taking root in which the press has become a favourite target. These are among the most dangerous countries in the world, and the belligerents there pick directly on reporters such as French TV journalists Stéphane Taponier and Hervé Ghesquière, who have been held hostage in Afghanistan for the past 300 days.

Read more on RSF's site...