FOTP 2013 Full Report

private hands. However, private ownership and funding of media reflects the disparate politicaland cultural forces present in Afghanistan, leading to a highly partisan media environment.Major sources of support for media outlets include political parties, ethnic groups, the military,international donors, and foreign governments such as those in Iran and Pakistan, all of whichare seeking influence in the country. Private broadcasters, particularly those that arecommercially viable, such as Tolo TV, are able to exercise the greatest amount of independencein their reporting.International and local media organizations have for the past decade been promotingtraining programs aimed at developing a genuinely independent media sector, and have beenfairly successful in this regard. However, a number of analysts have raised concern about thepossible negative impact on media freedom with the gradual withdrawal of foreign forces fromAfghanistan, due to be completed by the end of 2014, noting that the country’s vibrant press willface a crisis of survival if it does not continue to receive international funding, which launchedand has kept alive many of the country’s media organizations. In 2012, some smaller outlets hadalready begun cutting staffing and programming to make up for the expected financial shortfall,with an estimated 700 journalists losing their jobs by mid-year. However, financial constraintsdo not seem to pose as severe a threat to the successful commercial channels, as they have morediverse sources of income.Illiteracy and infrastructural obstacles have hampered internet penetration, with 5 percentof the population regularly accessing the medium in 2012. There are thousands of blogs in thecountry, and social media use is growing, especially among young people in urban areas. Mobilephones are Afghanistan’s principal means of communication, with more than approximately 45percent of Afghans owning mobile phones. People are increasingly receiving news headlines ontheir mobile phones, and also participate in call-in radio and television shows via this medium.The recent launch of 3G mobile phone services and relatively cheaper and faster internet accesshas further empowered citizen journalism.AlbaniaStatus: Partly FreeLegal Environment: 15Political Environment: 17Economic Environment: 17Total Score: 49Survey Edition 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Total Score, Status 50,PF 50,PF 50,PF 50,PF 51,PFThe constitution guarantees freedom of the press, and the media are vigorous and fairly diverse.However, outlets often display a strong political bias, and their reporting is influenced by theeconomic or political interests of their owners. Libel remains a criminal offense, though legalreforms enacted in March 2012 eliminated prison terms as a punishment, leaving only fines. Thefirst criminal libel case against a reporter in several years, brought by a cabinet official againstjournalist Lindita Çela of the daily Shekulli in February, was quickly dismissed. Civil defamationsuits, including among politicians, remain common. Changes to the civil code enacted in61