FOTP 2013 Full Report

finally reached a deal regarding use of their content. Cases of harassment and physical attacks onjournalists are rare.Media ownership is highly concentrated, and a small number of media groups own themain newspapers. Ownership and distribution are distinct in Belgium’s two linguistic regions,Flanders and Wallonia. Three major companies dominate newspaper distribution in Flanders,and two in Wallonia. The two regions have completely autonomous public broadcasters, withone broadcasting in French and the other in Flemish over both radio and television channels;each also has its own private broadcasting networks. Access to cable-based and foreigntelevision channels is widespread. The Belgian media industry has suffered severely from theeconomic downturn that began in 2008, as outlets are largely dependent on advertising revenues.Most media companies have sought to reduce staff, by up to a third in some cases. In 2012, 82percent of the population had access to the internet.BelizeStatus: FreeLegal Environment: 8Political Environment: 9Economic Environment: 5Total Score: 22Survey Edition 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Total Score, Status 22,F 21,F 21,F 23,F 21,FThe constitution protects freedom of expression, and that right is generally respected in practice.However, it is subject to several legal limitations. Individuals who question the financialdisclosures of public officials risk a fine of up to BZ$5,000 (US$2,500) and a prison term of upto three years. Newspapers are subject to criminal defamation laws, but the laws have not beeninvoked in recent years.A Freedom of Information Act was adopted in 1994, but it exempts documents related tonational security, defense, and cabinet proceedings. The Belize Broadcasting Authority (BBA) isempowered to preview broadcasts with political content and remove material it deems libelous.The rising incidence of violent crime in Belize, stemming from the international drug trade, ledto calls in 2012 for the BBA to begin regulating the portrayal of violence in the media. Theauthority was considering new restrictions on media content at year’s end.There have been some reports of intimidation of journalists from media outlets alignedwith the opposition. In October 2012, the cars of two journalists who were critical of thegovernment were vandalized in what opposition media deemed attacks on media freedom. In onecase, the nuts securing the tires to a journalist’s car were removed. Nevertheless, the motives forthe incidents remained unclear.While there are no daily newspapers in Belize, there is a vibrant market for weeklies,which are privately owned. In general, reporting covers a wide range of opinions. Governmentoperatedradio was privatized in 1998, and today there are eight television stations and 33licensed radio stations. The ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) and the opposition People’sUnited Party (PUP) are both affiliated with specific newspapers and radio stations, and many88