Term Paper 4- Legal Constraints on International Journalists

 Journalism Restrictions Across the Globe

United States

Journalism is one of the foundational methods for gathering knowledge to share with the public. In the United States, press freedom is provided because of the First Amendment to the U.S. constitution. The amendment states that:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

With the ever-increasing trend of using the internet and social media platforms to share information with others, the press freedom in the U.S. covers a variety of news sources. Many people are familiar with large news providers, such as NBC, FOX, and CNN. Lots of other forms of media are also protected by press freedom, such as podcasts, radio and television programs, independent bloggers, websites, and independent new providers. While journalists can get in trouble for knowingly publishing false information and defaming other individuals,  the United States government cannot place restrictions on what gets published. According to ACLU, government officials cannot prevent information from being published or retaliate in a way that would limit the public's ability to view the information. As more ways to share knowledge have developed, press freedom in the United States has become more than just an amendment, it has become a safeguard that keeps the public from being silenced. 

 

North Korea

Unlike the United States, North Korea does not have any press freedom. Instead, all official news is provided by the Korean Central News Agency. Instead of having access to a variety of news content, the information provided to the citizens of North Korea is directly approved by the government and only praises the government, military, and Kim Jong-un. Two foreign news stations, Kyodo News and Agence-France Presse, are technically present in North Korea but the strict limitations placed on them by the government severely limits the amount of information that they can share. 

Other forms of media, such as foreign television and film, are also restricted inside of North Korea. According to BBC, the North Korean government has recently begun executing citizens who are caught sharing foreign media with others. Many escapees have informed UN researchers that the executions have increased since 2020. The government uses firing squads in public areas in order to introduce fear to the public. 

In order to provide North Koreans with factual news from world outside of the nation, defectors established the Free North Korean Radio Station (FNK). For about two hours every day, a small group of South Koreans record audio detailing current news and broadcast it to North Korea. Despite North Korean radios being fixed to the government-stated channels, certain citizens are able to modify their radios so that they can receive other information. The FNK's broadcasts follows current information. In 2012, the broadcasts included information on the United States election and provided knowledge on how different it was from the North Korean government. Due to certain programs being cut by both US and South Korean governments, it is currently harder to continue the broadcasts. 

China

Although not as limiting as North Korea, China's news media is extremely censored by the communist party. Citizens are extremely limited on what resources they can use to access information, despite having access to the internet. Any online content that is seen as "sensitive" is becoming increasingly banned in the nation. According to The Guardian, sources such as the Great Firewall Report are indicating that almost five times the amount of websites are inaccessible. Information about topics such as tariffs and foreign politics and social media platforms cannot be accessed by the public. Essentially, anything that goes against the communist party is inaccessible. Both the government party and independent companies take part in censorship in order to ensure that all media aligns with the strict laws in the nation. 

According to CNN, China has started to implement AI-based censorship within the last few years. Despite other nations, such as the US, attempting to limit the availability of AI chips in China, the communist country has been able to get ahold of many AI resources. The inclusion of these resources has allowed the Chinese Communist Party to monitor many more people much more easily and with fewer people. 

Although there are journalists in China, many of them have been expelled from the nation or heavily monitored due to the heavy censorship placed on the nation. The Eurasia Review states that "to report on China is to be reported to China." During 2020, Haze Fan and Cheng Lee, both employed by foreign media companies, were detained under the premise of "national security charges." Other journalists have discussed being forced to attend "tea sessions" in which officials interrogate them about their sources and other information. Obtaining a work visa for journalism-related fields in China is becoming increasingly difficult, and the pressure placed on people who make it into the work field is extremely discouraging. 

Why Understanding Censorship Matters

Living in a country with press freedom often leads the public to taking freedom of speech for granted. However, it is more important than ever to remain aware of the limitations that are being placed on people around the globe. Just because censorship is more prominent in foreign countries does not mean that discussions on speech are not present within the United States. 

In August of 2022, the state of Arizona attempted to pass a law that would limit the filming of police officers by the public. The supposed law specified that the knowingly filming of police officers would be prohibited from within eight feet. The law was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union. Many reporters stated that the restrictions would severely limit their ability to gather information from many scenarios due to the presence of police officers. With the rise in police controversy following the events of 2020, the citizens of Arizona saw the proposed law as an afront to the public's ability to hold officers accountable for their actions. 

In October 2025, many journalists walked out of the Pentagon due to restrictions that were placed on them by the Trump administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth placed a new regulation upon the journalists in which they cannot release any information without approval from him without risking expulsion. Almost 50 journalists handed in their badges and walked out of the Pentagon, many of them having desks at the building since before 2010. Jack Keane, a retired analyst from Fox News, stated that “What they’re really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalist, and that would be their story. That’s not journalism.” President Trump is in support of the regulation, a decision that is in line with his recent opposition to many news providers, such as the New York Times, Associated Press, and Wall Street Journal. 

It is important to remain aware of the rights that citizens have in the United States, and it is equally important to be well-informed on our government's actions so that accountability exists. Countries such as North Korea and China do not give their citizens the right to have access to a wide variety of information. Since our constitution and its amendments have secured our right to access information, we should utilize it to the best of our ability in order to ensure that we keep our rights for free speech and journalism in the United States.