FOTP 2013 Full Report

Radio (DR), which operates two general-interest television channels, a 24-hour news channel,and four national radio channels, is dominant in both radio and television and is financed by alicense fee. TV2 is a privately run but government-owned television network, while the privatestation TV3 broadcasts from Britain because of advertising regulations. Satellite and cabletelevision are also available, as is a variety of internet-based news outlets. In 2012, 93 percent ofthe population had access to the internet.DjiboutiStatus: Not FreeLegal Environment: 24Political Environment: 27Economic Environment: 23Total Score: 74Survey Edition 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Total Score, Status 72,NF 73,NF 73,NF 73,NF 74,NFThe media environment in Djibouti is among the more restrictive in Africa, featuringgovernment dominance of print and broadcast media, very low levels of internet access, severelimitations on free speech, and frequent harassment of journalists. Djibouti’s laws andconstitution provide for freedoms of speech and the press, but in practice the governmentimposes serious curbs on independent media. Journalism is limited in part by prohibitions onlibel and distributing false information. The 1992 Freedom of Communication Law prescribesprison sentences for media offenses and imposes age and nationality requirements on anyoneestablishing a private news outlet. Djibouti does not have a law guaranteeing access to publicinformation. The National Communication Commission, charged with issuing private radio andtelevision broadcasting licenses, accepted its first application in 2012, though it remainedpending at year’s end.The official media, which account for almost all of the country’s outlets, do not criticizethe government and practice widespread self-censorship. Journalists generally avoid coveringsensitive issues, including human rights, the army, the rebel Front for the Restoration of Unityand Democracy (FRUD), and relations with Ethiopia. The U.S. military presence in Djibouticreates additional pressures for self-censorship, as journalists are encouraged to refrain fromreporting on soldiers’ activities. Although there are no reports that the government limits accessto the internet, social media are closely monitored for plans of demonstrations or critical views ofthe government. The Association for Respect of Human Rights in Djibouti and the oppositionradio station and news website La Voix de Djibouti claim that their sites—the main sources forindependent views in the country—are regularly blocked. In August 2012, authorities blockedaccess to five Somali news websites that had posted confidential documents about the transfer ofmoney between Djibouti’s intelligence services and officials in Somaliland, a separatistSomalian territory bordering Djibouti.Journalists are subject to detention without charge, intimidation, and violence, furthercontributing to self-censorship. Prodemocracy demonstrations in February 2011 brought acrackdown on the media, including a near-total news blackout on the Arab Spring in state-145