Work Station 3: Freedom of the Press

Introduction

((WiP: Can be shortened))

Freedom of Speech is a political right guaranteed in democratic societies. It is to be protected by governments but might also be restricted when necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals".(read more)

Restrictions on the press are usually set up by a government.  Recent attacks on magazines' and newspapers' editors, however,  show that the Freedom of the Press has come under attack from a different source. Many critical authors like Salman Rushdie,  author of the The Satanic Verses, or  cartoonists like the ones published at the Danish Jyllands-Posten have come  to face threats by an Islamic mob seeking vengeance for disparaging Muhammad  the Prophet.

Is freedom of speech in danger in Europe - even more so after the Paris attacks on Charlie Hebdo? This Sub-WebQuest to a greater one by the title Defending Democratic Rights: Freedom of Speech in the aftermath of attacks on Charlie Hebdo will prepare you for the main task, in which you will simulate the decision making process at an editor's meeting, negotiating the printing of a few controversial cartoons.

Here you find an answer to the question to what extend freedom of speech might be in danger anywhere in Europe.

 

Task

Looking at Freedom of The Press: Inform your class mates about  this basic democratic right and its vulnerability:

  • Introduce them into the methods of censorship and ways to describe them;
  • Get them to know the NGO Reporters Without Borders and the criteria to measure ”freedom of the press“ Source: Reporters Without Borders 
  • Learn to present your findings to others by means of a PPP (Power Point Presentation).

You will get help from the 2014 World Press Freedom Index

(which) spotlights the negative impact of conflicts on freedom of information and its protagonists. The ranking of some countries has also been affected by a tendency to interpret national security needs in an overly broad and abusive manner to the detriment of the right to inform and be informed. This trend constitutes a growing threat worldwide and is even endangering freedom of information in countries regarded as democracies.  (Continue reading at PROCESS)

Process

Pre-reading-activity

Make up your own top-three-list of countries which guarantee freedom of the press conviningly and a list-of-shame including countries with the worst examples of censureship.

Pair with a co-student and compare your lists. Agree on the best and the worst examples.

Preparing for your main task

Before you start work on your PPP, gather relevant information using the following text extracts.
Check their websites for more evidence.

Biggest rises and falls in the

2014 World Press Freedom Index

The 2014 World Press Freedom Index spotlights the negative impact of conflicts on freedom of information and its protagonists. The ranking of some countries has also been affected by a tendency to interpret national security needs in an overly broad and abusive manner to the detriment of the right to inform and be informed. This trend constitutes a growing threat worldwide and is even endangering freedom of information in countries regarded as democracies. Finland tops the index for the fourth year running, closely followed by Netherlands and Norway, like last year. At the other end of the index, the last three positions are again held by Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, three countries where freedom of information is non-existent. Despite occasional turbulence in the past year, these countries continue to be news and information black holes and living hells for the journalists who inhabit them. This year’s index covers 180 countries, one more than last year. The new entry, Belize, has been assigned an enviable position (29th). Cases of violence against journalists are rare in Belize but there were some problems: defamation suits involving demands for large amounts in damages, national security restrictions on implementation of the Freedom of Information Act and sometimes unfair management of broadcast frequencies.


Read more

   

  1. Find out which factors lead to a low World Press Freedom index?
  2. How is the data compiled?
  3. Which countries scored lowest in 2014? Which ones highest?
  4. Compare the outcome to the latest data on 2015.
  5. What are the biggest threats to the media?
  6. How can freedom of information be defended according to Reporters without
    Borders?
  7. Go to the “Reporters Without Borders” website, and find out what they say about
    freedom of the press in Germany, France and two other countries that interest you..

Info text on censorship
(Concise Encyclopedia)
Act of changing or suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive
of the common good. In the past, most governments believed it their duty to
regulate the morals of their people; only with the rise in the status of the
individual and individual rights did censorship come to seem objectionable.
Censorship may be preemptive (preventing the publication or broadcast of
undesirable information) or punitive (punishing those who publish or broadcast
offending material). In Europe, both the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches
practiced censorship, as did the absolute monarchies of the 17th and 18th
centuries. Authoritarian governments such as those in China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia,
and the former Soviet Union have employed pervasive censorship, which is
generally opposed by underground movements engaged in the circulation of
samizdat* 1 literature. In the U.S. in the 20th century, censorship focused largely
on works of fiction deemed guilty of obscenity (e.g., James Joyce's Ulysses and
D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover), though periodic acts of political
censorship also occurred (e.g., the effort to purge school textbooks of possible
left-wing content in the 1950s). In the late 20th century, some called for
censorship of so-called hate speech, language deemed threatening (or
sometimes merely offensive) to various subsections of the population.
Censorship in the U.S. is usually opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
In Germany after World War II it became a crime to deny the Holocaust or to
publish pro-Nazi publications.
http://www.merriam-webster.com

**Russian, from sam- self- + izdatel'stvo publishing house; system in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and countries within its orbit by which government-suppressed literature was clandestinely printed and distributed

Read and find out about:

  1. Give examples of the philosophical idea of “common good”.
  2. What is preemptive censorship?
  3. What is punitive censorship?
  4. How was censorship opposed in former Soviet Union and its allies?
  5. Which other reasons for Censorship are mentioned in this text?

Order your notes and text bits and search for information that will help your classmates understand the delicate balance between constitutional rights, such as freedom of thought, freedom of speech and freedom of press and preemtive censorship. This will prepare them for the overall task, of how to deal with political cartoons if they depict an image of Muhamad.

Evaluation
Task Rubrics
Elements of the task Perfect accomplishment Average accomplishment Basic accomplishment
You can ... You can ... You can..
Power Point Presentation

give a clear and detailed description of the complex subject of freedom of press and explain the role of censorship

develop an argument systematically with appropriate highlighting of significant points, and relevant supporting detail.

present complex issues without blinding people with irrelevant detail, or simplifying to the point of banality. Detail is there – if it is required.

 describe some aspects of freedom of press and  censorship.

explain your viewpoint on the issue of censorship with some examples.

present your main line of argument visibly using data form the Index

identify
methods of
censorship;
use the criteria of
the Freedom of
Press Index and
the aims of NGO
Reporters Without
Borders to judge
when “freedom of
the press” would
be violated

 relate
methods of
censorship;
explain the
Freedom of Press
Index and the
aims of NGO
Reporters Without
Borders;
sum up
criteria to measure
“freedom of the
press”		 name some
countries which
practise
censorship;
explain some
items of the
Freedom of Press
Index, can name
some aims of
NGO Reporters
Without Borders;
sum up a
few items that
show “freedom of
the press”
Conclusion

After having worked on this topic you will be able to describe methods of censorship;

You will know the NGO Reporters Without Borders and explain their criteria to measure
”freedom of the press“
You will be able to relate the ideas of freedom of the press in Germany, France and two other countries that interest you to others and know about the vulnerability of this democratic right.

You will be able to point out the importance of an independent press and you will be able to detect means of consorship  at a ficticious editorial meeting, which is the  main task of the WebQuest Defending Democratic Rights: Freedom of Speech in the aftermath of attacks on Charlie Hebdo.

 

Credits

Credits & Reference

(still work in progress Mar 21, 2015)

This WebQuest is part of a larger project and has been designed by P. Thielen and J.P. Knoop.

This research project has been created by In-Service-Teacher-Trainees of the course Fachseminar Englisch /Mai 14-15Lecturer: M.Teichmann / Zentrum für schulpraktische Lehrerausbildung Solingen Gy/Ge.

Feedback,encouragement and criticism send to Teichmannmonika@arcor.de

Sources of material:

Solidarity Cover: Fenamizah – e-dergi. International Humour Magazine, http://cartooncolors.blogspot.com.tr/2015/01/for-solidarity-with-charli…

Reporters without Borders: World Press Freedom Index 2014. http://rsf.org/index2014/en-index2014.php#

Cartoon at PROCESS: New Yorker, retrieved from :http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-30712925

Info text on censorship,Concise Encyclopedia, http://www.merriam-webster.com 

Rubrics have been created in line with the Common European Framework of Reference for Language Learners: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Cadre1_en.asp

 

Teacher Page

WebQuest Work Station 3: Model Solutions

Mithilfe dieser Aufgaben sollen SuS sollen in die Lage versetzt werden beurteilen zu können, ob/wann das Auslassen eines evt beleidigenden Cartoons als eine Form der Zensur zu bewerten ist.

Biggest rises and falls in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index
Find out which factors lead to a low World Press Freedom index?violations of different kinds (journalists jailed, killed or abducted, violation of the right to information in foreign territory)
governmental interference in editorial content, no transparency of governmental
decision-making, discrimination
→ violation of freedom of speech in general
How is data compiled?RSF's secretary-general Christophe Deloire says: "The World Press Freedom Index is a reference tool that is based on seven criteria: the level of abuses, the extent of pluralism, media independence, the environment and self-censorship, the legislative
framework, transparency and infrastructure.
Which countries scored lowest in 2014? Which ones highest?Best = Finland (6,4), Norway (6,46), Netherlands (6,52)
Worst = Turkmenistan (80,81), Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
(81,96), Eritrea (84,83)
Compare the outcome to the latest data on 2015.Best = Finland (7,52), Norway (7,75), Denmark (8,24)
Worst = Turkmenistan (80,83), Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
(83,25), Eritrea (84,86)
What are the biggest threats to the media?Conflicts
tendency to interpret national security needs in an overly broad and abusive manner
How can freedom of information be defended according to Reporters without Borders?Reporters Without Borders now wants the UN to create a group of independent experts
with the task of monitoring respect by member states for their obligations, in particular, their obligation to protect journalists, to investigate all cases of violence against them, and bring those responsible to justice
Go to the “Reporters Without Borders” website, and find out what they say aboutfreedom of the press in Germany, France and two other countries that interest you.The Franco-German tandem hit some bumps. Germany remained in a good position but France slipped one position. Its Constitutional Council approved a law that makes publishing the assets of certain elected officials punishable by imprisonment and it still awaits a law that would provide
effective protection for the confidentiality of journalists’ sources. The year’s low point in France was a court order withdrawing the Bettencourt recordings from the Mediapart and Le Point websites, a grave media freedom violation that denied the public’s right to be informed about a
matter of general interest involving leading politicians.
Info text on censorship
Give examples of the philosophical idea of “common good”measures intended to protect the common good are meant to preserve goods like security and justice for all people in a society, not just for a select few
What is preemptive censorship?preventing the publication or broadcast of undesirable information
What is punitive censorship?punishing those who publish or broadcast offending material
How was censorship opposed in former Soviet Union and its allies?Literature critical of the Soviet Union was secretly printed and distributed by underground movements.
Which other reasons for Censorship are mentioned in this text?opressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good
regulate the morals of their people
obscenity
political reasons, e.g. purging school textbooks of possible left-wing content in the 1950s
hate speech, language deemed threatening (or sometimes merely offensive) to various subsections of the population

Information that might be included in the PPP
Present the methods of, and different motivations for, censorship you have read about.

violations of different kinds (journalists jailed, killed or abducted, violation of the right to information in foreign territory)
governmental interference in editorial content, no transparency of governmental decision-making, discrimination
→ violation of freedom of speech in general
Conflicts
tendency to interpret national security needs in an overly broad and abusive manner

preemptive censorship:
preventing the publication or broadcast of undesirable information
punitive censorship:
punishing those who publish or broadcast offending material
reasons for censorship:
suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good
regulate the morals of their people
obscenity
political reasons, e.g. purging school textbooks of possible left-wing content in the 1950s
hate speech, language deemed threatening (or sometimes merely offensive) to various subsections of the population

Present the NGO Reporters Without Borders. Who are they and what do they do?An NGO dedicated to safeguarding freedom of the press. Reporters Without Borders is registered in France as a non-profit organisation and has consultant status at the United Nations and UNESCO.
Violations against a free press have serious consequences which need to be tracked in order to better counteract them.
This is the mission of Reporters Without Borders’ Research hub whose activities are carried out according to geographical area : Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and the Americas. Each zone’s research specialists observe and report any attacks on press freedom worldwide. Their daily monitoring efforts are a prerequisite for any action undertaken by the organisation.
What criteria do they use to measure freedom of the press?

violations of different kinds (journalists jailed, killed or abducted, violation of the right to
information in foreign territory)

governmental interference in editorial content, no transparency of governmental
decision-making, discrimination
→ violation of freedom of speech in general
RSF's secretary-general Christophe Deloire says: "The World Press Freedom Index is a reference tool that is based on seven criteria: the level of abuses, the extent of pluralism, media independence, the environment and self-censorship, the legislative framework, transparency and infrastructure.
"It makes governments face their responsibilities by providing civil society with an objective measure, and provides international bodies with a good governance indicator to guide their decisions."
And RSF's head of research, Lucie Morillon, pointed out that this year's fall in rankings by some democracies were influenced by "an overly broad and abusive interpretation of the concept of national security protection."
This year's index covers 180 countries, one more than the 179 countries covered in last year's index. The newcomer is Belize, which has been ranked 29th.
Apply these criteria to Germany, France and two other countries that you find interesti

Apply these criteria to Germany, France and two other countries that you find interesting
in this context.		Individual Solutions