Practising Global Journalism

5 Asia Pacific

Any discussion of the situation for global journalists in the Asia Pacific region becomes very largely a continuation of the discussion of journalist freedom in Chapter 4.

With few exceptions, Asia has still a long way to go before freedom of expression becomes a real part of life. Suppressing news is still very much an accepted practice.

According to Barbara Trionfi, writing for the International Press Institute, freedom of the press in many parts of Asia remains bleak (IPI, 1999). All too often, she says, journalists in the region have a choice when it comes to dealing with sensitive issues: avoid confrontation with officialdom or face imprisonment and brutal repression. Subtler methods of stifling unwanted voices – such as ...