FOTP 2013 Full Report

the BBC in response to the airing of a documentary, but the BBC’s World News channel wasback on the air by March 2012. The internet is not widely used, with about 10 percent of thepopulation accessing the medium in 2012. However, blogs are growing in popularity, and manytraditional news outlets provide content over the internet.Provincial and national authorities have used advertising and other types of boycotts toput economic pressure on media outlets that fail to heed unofficial directives. A ban on officialadvertisements with the Jang Group, whose Geo television station and various newspapers areknown for their increasingly antigovernment editorial line, remained in effect in 2012. Both stateand private interests, including the powerful intelligence agencies, reportedly pay for favorablepress coverage, a practice that is exacerbated by the low salary levels of many journalists.PalauStatus: FreeLegal Environment: 1Political Environment: 6Economic Environment: 9Total Score: 16Survey Edition 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Total Score, Status 14,F 14,F 14,F 14,F 16,FPanamaStatus: Partly FreeLegal Environment: 17Political Environment: 19Economic Environment: 12Total Score: 48Survey Edition 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Total Score, Status 44,PF 44,PF 44,PF 44,PF 46,PFPanamanian press freedom continued to be threatened in 2012 by both the judicial branch andstate agencies under the direct supervision of President Ricardo Martinelli, with the risk of legalrepercussions encouraging self-censorship among journalists. Freedoms of speech and of thepress are protected by the constitution, but the law allows for the prosecution of journalists forvaguely defined offenses related to the exposure of private information, and prescribes severepenalties for leaking government information to the press. A copyright law passed in September2012 could threaten internet freedom by providing financial incentives for officials in a newGeneral Copyright Directorate to levy fines against individuals, including those who sharecontent online, with minimal safeguards for due process.Although there has been discussion about repeal, journalists are still subject to desacato(disrespect) laws that are meant to protect government officials from public criticism. Since300