Journalism under digital siege

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

The conversation on press freedom remains crucial with World Press Freedom Day, which is commemorated annually on 3 May, acting as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. According to UNESCO, it is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.

This year, World Press Freedom Day was commemorated under the theme, Journalism under Digital Siege. The 2022 theme looked at the digital era’s impact on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, access to information and privacy.

The Sri Lanka Press Institute along with UNESCO and the European Union held an event on Thursday in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, taking a closer look at journalism under digital siege. The 20th Annual South Asia Press Freedom Report 2021-2022, titled ‘Solidarity and Survival: The Story of South Asia’, launched by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on behalf of the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) was also presented at the event.

“South Asia witnessed major political and economic upheaval this past year, even as the region was slowly emerging from the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. While 23 journalists lost their lives and others were subjected to more than 60 attacks by the police, armed militia, vigilante mobs, politicians, local mafia and others, the broader political events continued to impact the security of journalists and their ability to carry out their professional duties,” the report states.

The IFJ report highlighted virtual control in South Asia, saying: “Controlling the online space was a preoccupation of governments across the region.”

From a nine fold increase in 2021 over the previous year in cases filed under the Digital Security Act in Bangladesh to concerns raised about Sri Lanka’s Personal Data Protection Bill passed by Parliament in March to the Islamabad High Court declaring a problematic amendment to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act null and void in response to a petition filed by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, the report is a comprehensive document on the status of press freedom in the region in 2021 and 2022.

At the event held yesterday, IFJ South Asia Coordinator Umesh Pokharel spoke about the South Asia Press Freedom Report while Media Action Nepal Chairperson Laxman Datt Pant shed light on the Code of Conduct to Improve Conflict Sensitive Reporting and Safety of Journalists in South Asia project, through which 16 codes and five recommendations were presented.

The five recommendations include the importance of resource mobilisation in support of media outlets, training of journalists and supporting the strengthening freedom of expression of journalists, capacity building of media professionals in the region, and strengthening support mechanism for ensuring safety of journalists, particularly women journalists.

Organising capacity building activities with judicial actors and police forces in the region and a special envoy nominated for safety of journalists, whether regional or global, are also among the recommendations.

Delivering the welcome address, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka Eric Falt said: “The last two years have been extremely challenging for the press. Media workers across South Asia have not only been battling the deadly COVID-19 virus like everyone else but they have also been much more exposed than others and showed immense courage in the face of collapsing healthcare systems, limited institutional support, and digital surveillance.”

Stating that exact figures were unclear, Falt said hundreds of media workers throughout South Asia have died of COVID-19, with many more seeing a severe impact on their livelihood. Media workers have also faced intimidation, arrest, and death.

“The fact of the matter is that journalists, the bearers of verified information, are at the forefront in times of crisis. They are always among the first responders and there is no doubt that their emotional and physical safety must be recognised and ensured,” he added, explaining that we all celebrate freedom of expression and free media as cornerstones for ensuring that information remains a public good.

Shifting focus to female journalists, Falt stated that a survey of 400 women journalists from 50 countries conducted by the International Federation of Journalists found that women journalists face multiple forms of online harassment, including doxing, where the details of their private life are made public with malicious intent.

In terms of surveillance, Falt stated that most surveillance takes place online or in digitally-mediated environments. This is made possible through recent developments in big data collection and artificial intelligence.

“From UNESCO’s perspective, the increasing sophistication of surveillance software and its growing use against journalists and human rights defenders are detrimental to free and independent journalism. Surveillance through these tools can illegally expose information gathered by journalists and can hamper any attempt at investigative journalism,” he stressed.

“At present, the lack of transparency of digital platform operations and the free hand given to anonymous individuals to propagate hate speech and misinformation online is negatively impacting journalists and journalism practice in general,” Falt went on to say.

Sharing her views on the safety of media persons, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer-Hamdy spoke about the recognition of the profession as one that comes with effort, sacrifice and, oftentimes, great personal risk.

“The safety of media persons using digital interfaces has significant implications on freedom of expression, press freedom and privacy protection. It is important to know that the protection we discuss today applies to all journalistic actors,” Singer-Hamdy said, adding that this includes media professionals, citizens, journalists, human rights defenders and activists, sources for journalists and even those who use digital communications for personal use to express their freedom.

“In short, when it is safe to practice journalism, society benefits,” she added.

Delivering the keynote address was European Union (EU) for Sri Lanka and Maldives Ambassador Denis Chaibi, who spoke about accountability, which is reinforced by press freedom. “Accountability, at the end, is the value that guides our efforts in order to understand and provide policies for this new environment. It is not only accountability of government or authorities. It is accountability of companies, of certain social movements, of public personalities,” he said.

Chaibi added that accountability becomes difficult because governments and companies refine the way we can instrumentalise the media.

At the event held to mark the South Asian celebration of World Press Freedom Day, award-winning journalist and Sunday Times Deputy Editor (Investigation) Namini Wijedasa made a special address. She explained that the threats faced by journalists are multi-faceted, with digital being one of the most complex among these threats.

According to Wijedasa, journalists have to conduct various facets of their profession like a mafia boss runs his operation, but without a fraction of the resources a mafia boss has. This raises various questions, like the secure exchange of documents, ensuring interactions are not compromised, protection of sources as well as oneself, and surviving relentless online attacks with one’s mental health intact.

Journalism, when done right, she said, is not a glamorous career.

Wijedasa also spoke about her experience as an investigative journalist and how these pieces of work have become even more relevant in recent times, when focus is on corruption that has led to the economic crisis in the country.

She added that being under digital siege is part of the price one pays when choosing this profession. “Another, particularly in Sri Lanka, is the absence of whistle-blower protection,” Wijedasa went on to say.

What followed was a panel discussion where media personnel representing Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan shared their personal views on journalism under digital siege, especially in their respective countries. The panel was moderated by Centre for Media Studies Director Dr. Vasanti Rao.

– Pix by Lasantha Kumara