Term Paper #4

Term Paper #4: 

International Journalist Suppression 

 From the eyes of a media analyst and future media worker, it is difficult to witness and fully understand the extreme revocation of press freedom in many countries outside of the United States. Online media sources outline the countries where press freedom is the worst: North Korea, China, Vietnam, Iran, Turkmenistan, Mexico, and Syria. The worst part about that list is that it doesn't list every single country that refuses the right of press freedom. It is only a few.

North Korea is widely known for extending "extreme and unnecessary measures" during the Covid-19 pandemic. That isn't the only thing that North Korea's government has decided to repress. The government has no tolerance for pluralism, independent media, civil society organizations, trade unions, and all basic liberties(this includes freedom of expression, public assembly, association, and religion.) The citizens of this country fear the government and the threats of punishment, whereas authorities send perceived opponents to secretive political prison camps. Here, they are tortured by guards, experience starvation rations, and forced labor. The North Korean government, run by Kim Jong Un, has made no moves to advance, not only cultural rights, but social and economic rights as well.

James Pearson. Daniel Tudor.

There are the names of two South Korean authors that wrote a book telling the story of North Korean Confidentiality, titled North Korea Confidential. The two journalists were sentenced to death over a positive book review. It is completely absurd. The book outlines the underground capitalism economy in the secretive Communist nation. After a North Korean state media outlet stated, "insulted the dignity" referring to the dignity of the nation, the Central Court made further move to take action against those involved. Outrageously, the North Korean government ruled to death sentence the two authors of North Korean Confidential, along with the two journalists that publicly left a positive review of the book(the review that supposedly ruined the image of the nation, as if the government hadn't done that themselves already.) Reporters Without Borders

The Israel-Hamas War has taken the largest tole on international journalists this year. 

13 journalists were reported injured. 

3 journalists were reported missing. 

19 journalists were reported arrested. 

The Israel Defense Forces warned the press agency that they journalists would not be guarantied complete safety while operating on the Gaza strip. Outside of the journalist statuses above, a total of 64 journalists(57 Palestine, 4 Israeli, and 3 Lebanese,) were reported dead. Not only were their lives taken away, but their own homes and media offices have been either threatened to be destroyed or simply destroyed. It is devastating to see that individuals, similar to myself, are sacrificing their lives to forecast this traumatic time in the history of the two countries for other countries to witness as well. CPJ 

Al Jazeera. 

He was a cameraman for Gaza, and he has recently passed after Israeli attack on Southern Gaza. The media tells us that he waited for 5 hours outside of the hospital until allowed medical attention. 

This is devastating. There are websites and public conversations discussing whether or not journalists are specifically being targeted or if it seems to be coincidental. Israeli journalists have been banned from entering Gaza, since Hamas won the elections back in 2006. Considering the established tension between journalists from both countries, it's safe to assumer that there is despicable motives behind the previous attacks. 

"Iran sentences 2 journalists for allegedly collaborating U.S. Both covered Masha Amini's death"

A court in Iran sentenced two women up to seven years in prison for collaborating with the U.S. government, following their coverage of Masha Amini's death. As of October 2023, both women, Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, have been imprisoned for over a year. The two women stated that her death was for wearing her scarf to loosely and wrote a book about the tragedy. According to media publishers, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the sentence, which reiterated the call for their immediate release. AP News International 

With the knowledge of some American movies and political scandalous television shows, I've seen how journalists and media press workers have been treated and sneakily killed underground. Never until today have I been more educated on how accurately those "American favorites" displayed the reality of international journalists. It is absolutely devastating and heart breaking to think that we've gotten this far to still remain far from the light. Freedom of expression, freedom of thought, and freedom of opinion have no meaning to many countries around the world, as displayed ever so slightly in this blog. I pray that our countries will continue to make change for the heart of the press industry, which is its people.