The Rise of Asian Media

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The Rise of Asian Media

• Journalism Traditions JMSC0025
• Assistant Professor Doreen Weisenhaus
• November 2007

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Asia is huge!

• Asia is huge More than 40 very different
  countries considered Asian Afghanistan,
  Australia, China, India, Vietnam and the Koreas.
• Last 3 decades, unprecedented changes in
  journalism practices in Asia
• Call for New World Information and Communication
  Order (NWICO) (1970s-1980s) enhanced Asians'
  awareness of Western domination in global media.
  Led to demand for higher profile for Asia in the
  news.
• Meanwhile, government-controlled (or -influenced)
  press model, challenged by West, remains in some
  Asian countries
• Asia has seen enormous growth in its media
  industries.

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Impact on media development and press freedoms
in Asia

• Rise in emerging democracies
• Burgeoning media markets
• Anti-terrorism efforts
• New media technologies

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Best and worst countriesin Asia for press
freedom

• Seven Asian countries in the bottom 20 for press
  freedom and only 1 in the top 20. The most at the
  bottom of any region.
• Worst North Korea (168, 2d from bottom!), Burma
  (164), China (163), Vietnam (162), Sri Lanka
  (156), Pakistan (152), Singapore (141), Nepal
  (137), Thailand (135), Bangladesh (134),
  Philippines (128), Malaysia (124), Fiji (107),
  Indonesia (100)
• Best New Zealand (15), Australia (28), Taiwan
  (32) Japan (37), South Korea (39), Hong Kong (61)
  
• Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders,
  www.rsf.org

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Emerging democracies

• As more countries embrace democracy, more press
  freedoms, and in some cases, a repeal of martial
  law (e.g., South Korea, Philippines)
• But governments are also discovering that it
  means political criticisms! So, legal backlash
  esp. against new technologies
• Why?

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Repressing Internet content

• Malaysia (124, a drop from 92!), Thailand (135)
  and Vietnam (162) placed restrictions on
  Internet. Bloggers were arrested and websites
  (e.g., YouTube) were blocked. Thailand enacted
  cybercrime law supposedly to prevent hackers. Who
  do you think was first arrested?
• China (163) biggest crackdown in years, despite
  Beijing Olympics (or maybe because of it!).
• 1 in Internet censorship 50 journalists and
  activists in prison because of online postings

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China and the Internet

• Particularly innovative and aggressive in
• Internet filtering
• Monitoring
• Imposing regulations
• Using existing criminal laws such as state secrets

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Military coups and crackdowns!

• Thailand (135) and Fiji (107) had recent military
  coups, still no restoration of full democracies
• Myanmar (Burma) (164) because of military
  crackdown on demonstrations and censorship.
• Pakistan (152). All authority in Gen Musharraf
  who seized control in 1999. Privately owned TV
  stations were closed and dozens of reporters
  beaten and arrested recently.

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War and peace

• Sri Lanka (156) Long-time civil war with Tamil
  Tigers have resulted in journalists killed
• Afghanistan (142) originally threats from
  Taliban (reporters kidnapped and beheaded)
  later, government arrests journalists for
  intelligence breaches

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Role of religion

• Islamic law or laws protecting Islamic interstes
  are featured in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brunei,
  Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and East Timor.
• Indonesia, home of the worlds largest Muslim
  population, prohibits conduct or comment hostile
  to religion. An editor was charged with
  blaspheming Island by publishing a cartoon of the
  Prophet Mohammed
• Afghanistan editor was sentenced to 2 years for
  articles criticizing stoning, an Islamic
  punishment
• A Pakistan religious court held the penalty for
  contempt of the Holy Prophet is death and nothing
  else!

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Explosion of defamation cases

• Government officials, politicians and others file
  defamation cases, both criminal and civil.
• Most Asian countries have longstanding criminal
  defamation laws, but long dormant in some places
  like HK and Singapore
• Criticizing a public official in East Timor, one
  of the youngest democracies, can bring prison
  term of 3 years!
• But also a move toward lessening of criminal
  defamation. Courts in Taiwan, Thailand,
  Indonesia, Japan, SKorea and India have ruled in
  favor of media. Cambodia and Sri Lanka has
  repealed these laws altogether

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Anti-terrorism and sedition

• After 9/11 and Bali, Southeast Asian countries
  identified as second front in global war
  against terrorism and have passed new laws.
• Revival of old sedition laws, which criminalize
  speech or conduct that incites resistance to or
  insurrection against authority. Eg., Australia,
  NZ, Singapore, Philippines.

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Asian values?

• Differences in Asia?
• Society and harmonious social interaction and
  cooperation have been prized for centuries.
  Highest value is not on the individual but on the
  social unit.)
• What about Hong Kong?
• Be filial to your parents loyal to your
  master. (Confucius) A person in community first,
  a journalist second?
• Community, universal love stressed, but ruled by
  intellectual aristocracy. (Mo Tzu, 5th c.)
• Lee Kuan Yew, former prime minister of Singapore
  and a great champion of the idea of "Asian
  values," has defended authoritarian arrangements,
  saying they are effective in promoting economic
  success.

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Concepts of media freedom

• Theoretical frameworks include
• Four Theories (1956, 1963) authoritarian,
  communist, libertarian and social responsibility
• Criticism Outdated? Doesnt take into account
  concentration of power of private sector?
  Hybrids? Alternative theories?

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Views of Press RoleAuthoritarian Concept

• More common in Asia. Defined as constant direct
  or implied control from above with consensus and
  standardization as a goal
• As long as press operates under certain
  boundaries, government wont intervene
• Press is partner with government. (In
• Malaysia, do not write about racial disharmony
  (Muslim net surfers who insult Islam can be
  prosecuted Malaysiakini.com closed for
  publishing online letter accusing ruling party of
  racism)
• Thailand, do not disrespect royal family.

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more Authoritarian

• Press is generally private, but government
  closely monitors and controls it.
• Not watchdogs of government or crusaders for
  social issues or justice
• Part of overall power structure. Expected to
  report on country in positive way.
• Self-censorship is social responsibility

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Free system with some restraints Japan

• Combination of libertarian, social responsibility
  Western
• Vigorous and free media, highest daily newspaper
  circulation per capita in the world. Many
  national dailies have circulations topping 1
  million and often produce afternoon and evening
  editions as well.
• More than half of national newspaper market is
  controlled by "the big three" Yomiuri, Asahi,
  and Mainichi.
• Considerable homogeneity in reports, which relate
  the news in a factual and neutral manner.
• TV news content, once dominated by public station
  NHK, has diversified with rising popularity of
  Asahi, Fuji, TBS, satellite TV.
• Japan has 47 million registered internet users,
  representing almost 70 percent of the population.
  No govt restrictions on Internet
• Biggest problem Some self-imposed restrictions,
  eg. self-censorship on imperial family, little
  investigative reporting, journalists are part of
  corporate structure, journalist clubs (kisha
  kurabu)

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India

• Freest in South Asia, with adversarial
  relationship with government, watchdog role,
  investigative reporting, strong editorials. Case
  of Tehelka?
• Officials secrets act, contempt, criminal
  defamation
• Intimidation of journalists
• Most print, broadcast media privately owned, govt
  monopoly on AM radio

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The Philippines

• 1987 Constitution No law shall be passed
  abridging the freedom of speech, of expression or
  of the press
• Constitution provides access to government
  meetings and records, but limits media ownership
  to Philippine citizens, prohibits media
  monopolies, regulates advertising.
• One of Asias most free.
• Biggest problems violence against journalists
  (more journalists killed since 2001 under Arroyo
  than during Marcos's martial law regime), libel
  suits against journalists
• Most print and electronic media are privately
  owned, while many TV, radio stations are
  government-owned.
• Journalistic ethics, the press is likely to
  reflect the political or economic orientations of
  owners and patrons, and special interests
  reportedly use inducements to solicit coverage
  and stories favorable to their positions
• Less than 10 percent made use of the internet in
  2005, and the government did not restrict their
  access.

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Taiwan

• After martial law lifted in 1980s, now very free
  press 350 privately owned newspapers, 150 radio
  stations, widespread cable, satellite TV (100
  cable stations!) numerous 24-hour TV news
  stations
• No restrictions on Internet, 60 access
• Impact of Next Media

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Envelope journalism rampant

• Chinas red packets
• Indonesias brown envelopes In 2006, 2
  ministries said they hand out cash to journalist
  to attend news conferences (up to US75)
• South Koreas white envelope