Resources

2013: Building Resistance, Organising for Change – Press Freedom in South Asia 01/01/2013 Physical safety has again been justifiably recognised as a requirement for press freedom and a priority in a region which remains one of the most dangerous for journalists to operate in. Violence against journalists and the media has been a disturbingly recurrent phenomenon over the past twelve months. Download
2013: In Mortal Danger – Journalists Media Staff Killed 01/01/2013 The figures for journalists and media staff killed in 2013 released by the International Federation of Journalists bring to light the gravity of the safety crisis in media from around the globe. The regional narratives contained in this report set out in graphic detail how conflict wars and political unrest provide the backdrop for risky assignments which often lead to tragic ends for journalists who stray on to the turfs of men of violence. Download
2012: Media Freedom a Neglected Dimension of Post-War Politics: Sri Lanka 31/01/2012 Media freedom continues to be a neglected dimension in Sri Lanka’s post-war politics. Within the wider landscape of diminishing hopes, marked by the fading of early optimism of a peace dividend accruing from the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in May 2009, the country’s media practitioners continue to face formidable difficulties. Download in English Download in Sinhalese Download in Tamil
2012: Journalism in India’s Maoist Areas Face Multiple Challenges 01/01/2012 What follows is an account of the particular challenges that journalists face in the three states of immediate concern. Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were both formed as states within the Indian union at the same time. But they come from very different backgrounds. Download
2012: New Frontiers, New Struggles – Press Freedom in South Asia 01/01/2012 South Asia’s journalists have responded to the challenging transitions underway in the region, by focusing on their professional practice, seeking a manner of engagement that reflects all the rich diversities that make up this region. There are challenges, some already manifest and several that lie ahead, which could impede any smooth pathway towards a future of security and opportunity. Download
2012 Sri Lanka: Media Freedom a Neglected Dimension of Post-War Politics 01/01/2012 Media freedom is a neglected dimension in Sri Lanka's post-war politics. Within the wide landscape of diminishing hopes, the country’s media practitioners continue to face formidable difficulties. Overt measures of coercion are less conspicuous than during the war years. Download Sinhala version Download English version Download Tamil version
2012 Bangladesh: Journalism in the Political Crossfire 01/01/2012 The deeply polarising effect of politics in Bangladesh has been felt in various domains, the media included. The years since the last general elections in 2008 have been politically stable since the Awami League (AL), the party that led the country’s movement for liberation from Pakistan, has secured alongside its allies, an impregnable majority in parliament. Download in Banlga Download in English
2011: Reporting in Times of War : Press Freedom in Afghanistan 2008 – 2011 31/10/2011 Journalism in Afghanistan has made rapid strides over the last decade. There is the threat that the continuing culture of violence in the country could undermine the gains registered so far, as also the problem that media sustainability in a country dependent on donor assistance is always a gamble. Download
2011: Free Speech in Peril – Press freedom in South Asia 01/01/2011 Over the year under review, political transitions in most countries in South Asia were combined with already unstable conditions that journalists, their representative unions and professional associations and the media industry at large face. Poor working conditions and media managements that are inattentive to the need for decent wages compound the problems of journalists in all the countries reviewed. Download
2010: Freedom in Solidarity: Media working for peace in South Asia 01/01/2010 The media in South Asia are engaged in a difficult balancing act in coping with the momentous changes under way in the region. This report to focus squarely on the role of journalists’ organisations and their capacity to respond collectively in crises involving media freedom. Download in English Download in Nepali Download in Sinhala