Attacks on Kyrgyz Journalists and Other Challenges to the Press

Freedom of the Press can be a bit illusive.  Kyrgyz opposition leaders allege that more than 60 journalists have been brutally attacked or killed since 2006; the government claims that the attacks are unrelated to the journalists’ profession.  In Yemen, a journalist detained since September has finally been spotted in government custody, claiming he has been tortured.  Last December, a suicide bomber hit a press club in Peshawar, Pakistan. 

Freedom House’s 2009 Freedom of the Press Survey shows that about 1/3 of all countries do not have freedom of the press.

Discussion Questions:

• What does freedom of the press look like in your school, community or country?
• What do the quotes, below, say about the impact of censorship and a free press?

“Censorship reflects society’s lack of confidence in itself.  It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.” Potter Stewart, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1915-1985).

“Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half. ” Gore Vidal, US author & dramatist (1925 – )

Additional Resources for Global Issues in Context Subscribers:

Jail for Iranian Journalists, in Middle East Quarterly, 22 September 2008.

How Governments Bully Newspapers, in Christian Science Monitor, 22 April 2009.

The Scourge of Putin’s Russia, in New Zealand Herald, 6 February 2010.