P R E L I M I N A R Y R E P O R T

34Source: Each case identified as a violation of press freedom is corroborated by more thanone source for factual accuracy, confirmation that the victims were journalists or news organizations,and verification that intimidation was the probable motive. The Committee to ProtectJournalists defines journalists as people who cover news or comment on public affairs in print,in photographs, on radio, on television, or online. Writers, editors, publishers, producers, technicians,photographers, camera operators and directors of news organizations are all included.Score: Individual Numbers Killed—Murdered in retribution for, or to prevent, news coverageor commentary. Also includes journalists killed in crossfire or while covering dangerous assignments.The number of killings per country was converted into a 0–10 scale, where 0.3 was acut-off (meaning that every country that documented 0.3 or more killings per 1 million populationthat year received a rating of 0, while the countries with 0 killings received a rating of 10; thecountries with intermediate numbers of killings received corresponding values on a 0–10 scale).ii. Laws and regulations that influence media contentby Freedom HouseDescription: Survey of media independence. The index assesses the degree of print, broadcast,and Internet freedom in every country in the world, analyzing the events of each calendaryear.Source: Twenty-three methodology questions divided into three subcategories. The legal environmentcategory of “freedom of the press” encompasses an examination of both the laws andregulations that could influence media content and the government’s inclination to use theselaws and legal institutions to restrict the media’s ability to operate. We assess the positive impactof legal and constitutional guarantees for freedom of expression; the potentially negativeaspects of security legislation, the penal code, and other criminal statutes; penalties for libel anddefamation; the existence of and ability to use freedom of information legislation; the independenceof the judiciary and of official media regulatory bodies; registration requirements for bothmedia outlets and journalists; and the ability of journalists’ groups to operate freely.Checklist of Methodology Questions1. Does the constitution or do other basic laws contain provisions designed to protect freedomof the press and expression, and are they enforced? (0–6 points)2. Do the penal code, security laws, or any other laws restrict reporting, and are journalistspunished under these laws? (0–6 points)3. Are there penalties for libeling officials or the state, and are they enforced? (0–3 points)4. Is the judiciary independent, and do courts judge cases concerning the media impartially?(0–3 points)5. Is freedom of information legislation in place, and are journalists able to make use of it?(0–2 points)6. Can individuals or business entities legally establish and operate private media outletswithout undue interference? (0–4 points)7. Are media regulatory bodies, such as a broadcasting authority or national press or communicationscouncil, able to operate freely and independently? (0–2 points)8. Is there freedom to become a journalist and to practice journalism, and can professionalgroups freely support journalists’ rights and interests? (0–4 points)Score: Countries are given a total score from 0 (best) to 30 (worst). Assigning numericalpoints allows for comparative analysis among the countries surveyed and facilitates an examinationof trends over time. The degree to which each country permits the free flow of news andinformation determines the classification of its media as “Free,” “Partly Free,” or “Not Free.” Weconverted the Freedom House scores into a 0–10 scale.