WASHINGTON, May 3 (RIA Novosti), Lyudmila Chernova - The media experts have not been surprised that free expression is difficult in an increasing number of countries according to the latest report on world press freedom issued by Freedom House.
The study published on the eve of World Press Freedom Day showed that world press freedom has hit its lowest level in a decade.
Freedom of Information Committee Chair Linda Petersen said it was very alarming to see such a widespread decline in things across the world, including the US.
“The outcome indicates the desire of governments to control the media, including the United States,” Petersen told RIA Novosti Saturday. "There also seems to be a shift in the culture that does not value a free media like it used to.”
Petersen stressed that freedom of press has really declined dramatically in the US during the Obama administration.
“It was difficult under President George W. Bush, but President Barack Obama has pretty much undermined the transparency memorandum for his entire time in office that he sent out when he came to power,” Peterson explained. “And his administration is now considered the most closed and unfriendly to freedom of the press.”
The journalist emphasized that all government entities now utilize public information officers whose function is to control the flow of information to the media.
Peterson stated that some of the purist journalism now comes from places with unrest through social media and individuals and not through the official outlets.
“The problem isn’t just an international one,” Fred Brown, SPJ's Ethics Committee Vice chair told RIA Novosti.
“While there have been numerous complaints from the US press that there is not enough access to President Obama and his administration generally, I'm not aware of any new legal impediments to reporting. And, of course, the press and government officials have different objectives when it comes to releasing information - officials want to protect their reputations, while many reporters seem to feel there are greater professional rewards in damaging reputations,” the expert explained.
That is why social media has become such an important source of information.
The rise of Internet communications, where one needs only a computer or a smart phone to reach out to a potentially huge international audience, can be a terrible threat to governments of all stripes, but especially to repressive regimes, Brown added.
“Such an explosion of information sources is also extremely difficult to keep track of, and when control is difficult, measures intended to achieve control can be very stringent,” Brown said. “That's not to say that all the information on this multitude of media sources is honest, fair and credible - not all bloggers are the epitome of virtue."
According to the expert, "an open exchange of views is much better than desperate attempts to control the free flow of information.”
