Current Media Structure in Syria

The struggles over power within the media structure in Syria have only increased over the years, especially with the recent uprisings known as Arab Spring. Syria's current media structure follows the authoritarian theory, where the government is in complete control of all media outlets. Any criticism of the government, president or his family is strictly prohibited and punishable. The domestic and foreign presses are extremely censored. Journalists are told to practice self-censorship and foreign journalists are hardly recognized in the media.

            Syria’s main media outlets are television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. The television stations are state-run and all news or political content is prohibited. The radio stations in Syria are also mainly state-run, however the first private station was launched in 2005. Like television, all news or political content is prohibited from airing. All of the newspapers are government-owned dailies. Some of Syria’s most popular ones consist of: Al-Baath, which is the Baath party’s newspaper; Al-Thawra, also known as “The Revolution” which is a government-owned daily; and Tishrin, a government-owned daily. Syria’s Internet has a strict censorship and many websites are blocked such as Facebook, YouTube or any site that opposes the government. Despite these restrictions, Syria had almost 4.5 million Internet users and 420 Internet hosts by March of 2011. Because of the recent events and uprising, many journalists have fled the country and those that have stayed face imprisonment or serious injury. It is a dangerous time to be a journalist in Syria.

Women Trapped in Syria

Many Americans are familiar with the term Arab Spring and the country it is taking place it, Syria.  After the unrest, the Syrian government cracked down on its protesters and shutdown its borders after many of its citizens started to flee.  Syrians have fled into all surrounding countries including Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.  Syria has since closed its boarders to all Syrians and international guests.  Tens of thousands of citizens have escaped across the border, most of them having ties to the rebel regime.  Family members, who have stayed in Syria, are reportedly being tortured, beaten up and taken away, in retaliation to their relatives betrayal.  Risking capture, citizens are paying large sums of money, to be smuggled across the border.  

Government “Security Forces” have begun attacking villages to quell the unrest.  Reports are coming in from a London-based Syrian Network say; Syria has enacted an old law that prevents woman from leaving the country without her husband and a letter of approval from him, certified by a judge and the security forces.  If their spouses have already left the country, then the letter will be impossible to get.  In many cases, the Security Forces will outright deny any approval letter.  In the wake of the borders being shutdown, UN monitoring parties are being pulled out of Syria, due to protests being violently put to rest.  The next step the UN could take would be to send in Peacekeeping troops.

Media Restrictions in Turkey

 The media restrictions of Turkey have been under the spotlight for a very long time. Many supporters of free press are speaking out about their concern for the country and its journalists. Turkey has a number of laws and restrictions that stop publications from speaking badly against the Government. These laws are supposed to still allow free speech, but many believe this is untrue. Around 40 journalists are currently in jail or have been convicted in Turkey and many news papers have cancelled production because of Government threats. When foreign reporters speak with Government officials about the restrictions, they are reassured that "free" speech still does occur in Turkey and they are open to journalists writing how they feel. Many people the Government is lying and trying to cover up the attacks on journalists. On the Reporters Without Borders website, Turkey is ranked 138th of 178 countries for press freedom in 2010. This rating is the lowest Turkey has received in a decade. Journalists have been demonstrating in Istanbul, the media capital, because of the high restrictions. Recently, 27 articles were found that are used to harass reporters. These restrictions are under the watchful eye of EU with Turkey. Turkey is applying for membership into the EU, but the process is taking time because of the many restrictions and laws Turkey has in place. Some of the most restricting laws have been lifted, but there are still a number of them. Journalists of all kinds are weary of speaking the truth in Turkey, and hopefully with protests increasing, the recent increased media climate will change.

Press Freedom in Syria

In the most recent Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index rankings, Syria has dropped further yet in the index to 176 out of a total of 179 countries. While Article 38 of Syria’s constitution provides for freedoms of speech and freedoms of the press, these rights are restricted due to other overpowering laws. The 1963 State of Emergency Law allows for the arrest of journalists who the government deems as threatening Syria’s national security. The 2001 Press Law allows for government control over all print media and those accused of violating this law could face up to three years in prison and fines up to 1 million Syrian pounds ($20,000 U.S. dollars). The Syrian Ministry of Information has the power to ban foreign publications if they see them as a threat.

If you want to be a journalist in Syria, or a foreign reporter covering Syrian news, you must follow the rules of the Syrian government. This includes no criticism of the president or his family, security services, issues such as the Kurdish and Alawite minorities, and more. There is self-censorship among journalists who don’t know where the lines are regarding what is acceptable to say and to write.

In 2005, the Press Law was amended to also apply to electronic as well as print publications and implemented specific regulations (for example, editors of electronic media must be at least 25 years old and not employees of a foreign government). Syria has recently approved a low that allows government officials to enter offices of journalists, take their materials, and punish them for their writings.

Women after Arab Spring

Standing against tyranny is not easy. Years of torture and years of oppression build up.  People become so scared of tyranny that they can’t raise their voices against the cruelty of their governments. For years Arab communities closed their eyes to the bribery in their governments, raping and mistreatment of women and children, poverty, unemployment, and violation of human rights. After one man set himself on fire in Tunisia it all triggered a revolution called "Arab Spring". Like a domino effect, with the help of social media, the whole world watched the awakening of Arab countries one by one. First it was Ben Ali to be overthrown in Tunisia then Mubarak in Egypt, then Abdullah Saleh in Yemen and finally Kaddafi in Libya. Major and minor protest occurred in all the Arab countries such as Syria, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. The protests lessened the power of absolute monarchies, and changed the government structures while raising issues of women’s  and human rights in Arab communities. 

After all the deaths and torturing of people, these countries still don’t have democracy. The dictators might be overthrown but religious governments are still being elected. For example in Egypt, the new elected parliament is extremely religious. 

So what about those women who fought for their own freedom right beside men? If the new governments are going to be ruled based on religion, in my opinion, it leads women into another era of oppression. Women won’t be able to choose whether or not to wear that veal or simply be seen in public with men. It is so shameful to see those women who fought with men and died with men during Arab Spring to be seen as second-class individuals. It isn’t the religion’s fault; it is men’s fault who try to empower women using religion. Unfortunately, if Arab communities continue on electing religious parliaments, the situation will not change for a long time.

Current Media Structure in Turkey

            Turkey has had a tumultuous history when it comes to media. However, its current state is structured and welcomes foreign broadcasts. Turkey follows the libertarian theory but is sometimes criticized for its authoritarian actions with censorship and intolerance for press that is critical of the government, military and politics. The possession of media is classified as cross-media ownership, which is when a company owns outlets in more than one medium. Doğan Holding is one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates and owns a majority of the country’s media. The EU, or European Union, has also played a major role in the transformation of Turkish media by removing a majority of oppressive restrictions. However, some injustices still occur.

            Turkey’s main media outlets are television, radio, newspapers, magazine and the Internet. There are more than 300 private, regional and local TV stations in Turkey and more than 1,000 private radio stations. These private stations often compete with Turkey’s state broadcaster, Turkish Radio and Television or TRT. Turkey’s newspapers and magazines reached an average daily circulation of 6.7 million people in 2007. Some of the highest selling newspapers include: Zaman, Milliyet (featured in picture on top left - front page from Friday, April 20, 2012), Hürriyet, Sabah, and Taraf. By June of 2010, 35 million people were accessing the Internet. Today, most websites are still available to the public like YouTube, Facebook and Skype. However, websites can be blocked if they are found to be insulting.

Western Journalists Killed in Syria

This video is about the journalists who were killed in Syria. Regulations and restrictions are very high in relation to the media in Syria. The Government has recently taken extreme actions, which has the rest of the world alarmed. Journalists from all over the world are taking high risks in order to show the world what is actually going on in Syria. Since the Government has placed so many restrictions on the Internet to foreign countries, the recent actions of the Government have been hidden to other parts of the world. Since immediate aid is needed in Syria, journalists and local residents are risking their lives to offer footage and new stories so countries can take action against the Syrian Government. Reporters Without Borders is taking extreme actions to try to protect journalists, but the level of danger is still very high. Local residents have even began taking videos with their mobile phones to show the destruction the government is causing. Foreign television companies have even began to try to help the spread of the footage. So far, over sixteen journalists have been imprisoned and after the recent killings, the U.S. and U.K. are attempting to force a cease fire in Syria. No cease fire has occurred yet, but countries around the world are starting threats.