FOTP 2013 Full Report

though the government imposes no restrictions on access. The SLBC operates a televisionservice and a radio network. Television and radio programming is available in both English andlocal languages. The number of community radio stations has proliferated in recent years, butmany are not sustainable due to their dependence on foreign grants and the difficulty of meetinghigh operational expenses, including for electricity, especially in rural areas. International mediaoperate freely, though foreign outlets are required to register with the government.Due to Sierra Leone’s poverty, advertising rates are among the lowest in the world, andthe business management and operational structures of media outlets are not always efficient.Few news providers can afford to station reporters outside the capital, and printing presses andother materials are scarce and unreliable. Journalists’ pay is generally very low, and many workwithout pay, taking second jobs that can cause conflicts of interest. Economic insecurity leavesjournalists more vulnerable to editorial pressure from owners, advertisers, and other businesses.SingaporeStatus: Not FreeLegal Environment: 24Political Environment: 22Economic Environment: 21Total Score: 67Survey Edition 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Total Score, Status 69,NF 68,NF 68,NF 68,NF 67,NFThe media environment in Singapore remained unchanged in 2012, with few developments inthe areas of freedom of the press or expression that attracted international attention. Social mediasites and other internet-based sources of news continued to grow but also drew scrutiny fromgovernment authorities, with several bloggers forced to retract postings and one jailed forinciting violence.Freedoms of speech and expression are guaranteed by Article 14 of the constitution, butthere are restrictions on these rights. The Newspapers and Printing Presses Act, the DefamationAct, the Internal Security Act (ISA), and articles in the penal code allow the authorities to blockthe circulation of news deemed to incite violence, arouse racial or religious tensions, interfere indomestic politics, or threaten public order, the national interest, or national security. The SeditionAct, in effect since the colonial period, outlaws seditious speech, the distribution of seditiousmaterials, and acts with “seditious tendency.” In September 2012, 36-year-old Gary Yue MunYew was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment for inciting violence under article 267C of thepenal code—the first time this article had been used—for a comment posted on the Facebookwall of the Temasek Review blog in connection with 2010 National Day celebrations.Singapore’s Parliament has been dominated by the People’s Action Party (PAP) since1959, and ruling party members are quick to use harsh civil and criminal defamation laws tosilence and bankrupt political opponents and critical media outlets. With bloggers and discussiongroups increasingly offering alternative views and a virtual channel for expressing dissent, thegovernment has begun to crack down on postings it deems offensive. A comment made on theTemasek Review website led three members of Singapore’s ruling Lee family (Prime Minister332