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Acrobat PDF - Kubatana

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EXPELLED - This category relates to the free movement of media workers. Itinvolves incidents where journalists are expelled from a country, are prevented fromentering a country (denying of Visas, work papers or accreditation), are preventedfrom leaving a country, are barred from travelling into a country or from enteringcertain areas, and generally inhibited from moving freely in order to perform theirwork. The statistic given is for the number of media workers involved.LEGISLATION - This relates to all aspects of the legislative process and theapplication of common law. It includes instances where official proposals are madefor new laws, legislation is passed, laws are amended or struck down either inparliament or by the courts, and civil litigation is instituted against media. Thiscategory is not all about violations, since there can be legislation that enhancesmedia freedom and freedom of expression. This has been pointed out accordinglythrough the descriptive terms ‘threatening legislation and ‘positive legislation’. Thestatistic given is for the number of incidents reported under this category, as opposedto the number of media workers or media organisations involved.SENTENCED - This is when a judgement is handed down against a media workerinvolving either a prison term or a fine. The statistic given is for the number ofmedia workers involved.THREATENED - This involves a threat from a public official, a death threat,various forms of harassment (such as veiled warnings, threats of action, orinterference in editorial processes), or journalists being questioned or interrogatedon their sources. The statistic given is for the number of media workers or mediaorganisations involved.VICTORY - This is self-explanatory in terms of its implication for the media, butinvolves different types of incidents. Some incidents falling under this categoryhave immediate implications for individual media workers or media organisations(being released unconditionally, having charges dropped, winning or avoiding civillitigation, overturning gagging orders and acquittal on criminal charges), while othershave broad implications that advance media freedom, access to information orfreedom of expression in general (favourable policy statements from public officials,the adoption of media-friendly laws or policies, favourable and precedent-settingcourt judgements, and favourable procedures and decisions by statutory or otherbodies dealing with matters of media content or freedom of expression). The statisticsgiven is for the number of incidents reported under this category.OTHER - These are incidents which do not necessarily involve the media, butwhich affect aspects of freedom of expression or speech in general. These can involvecases of sedition against a member of the public, a general curb on free speech,parliamentary speech or access to information (e.g. matters involving the internet,pornography, hate speech, political speech), a violation of the right to freedom ofassembly and protest, or an incident relating to artistic or academic freedom. Incidentsinvolving the media, which do fall under this category, involve that of media pluralism(a publication closing down because of financial reasons) or incidents involvingaccess to the public media. The statistic given is for the number of incidents reportedunder this category.So This Is Democracy? 2005-8-Media Institute of Southern Africa

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