Throughout the world, freedom of the press varies from near-total freedom to near-complete censorship. In Iceland, however, a new proposal would offer some of the world’s most liberal freedom of speech and investigative journalism protections possible.
The proposal, entitled the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative, was filed with Parliament on Feb. 16, and works on “finding ways to strengthen freedoms of expression and information freedom in Iceland, as well as providing strong protections for sources and whistle-blowers,” according to literature on its site.
The proposal includes everything from an innovative Freedom of Information Act, to protection from extrajudicial abuses.
College of Communication Department of Journalism Chairman Lou Ureneck said the bill could have important symbolic implications.
“It may have a beneficial effect by identifying worldwide obstacles to free expression and the ameliorating impact of a healthy professional press,” he said.
While Ureneck said he does not believe the bill will change freedom of speech in countries whose governments repress freedom of the press, he said he had high hopes for the proposal’s impact.
“It may have a salubrious effect in countries that we think of as having a free press but where there are impediments to the free flow of information to the public,” he said.
COM sophomore Kedzie Teller agreed.
“Hopefully this initiative will help do a better job of protecting the rights of both journalists and the publishers as they go about reporting on what’s happening around the globe,” he said.
The bill is sponsored by Wikileaks, a watchdog website that publishes obtained documents exposing government and corporate misconduct, and Icelandic members of Parliament coming from all political parties.
The sponsors are utilizing legislation from different nations, including the United States, Belgium, Estonia and Scotland, which they believed together would help to create the ultimate safe haven for free speech.
Some, like Boston University journalism professor Chris Daly, said they believe the Initiative is even going beyond the scope of the United States’ press freedom laws.
“I think it’s too bad that the United States, which once pioneered the formal protection of press freedom, is not setting the pace in this area,” Daly said.
Another important element of the proposal is its protection of Internet journalism. Included in the Initiative are protection of intermediaries, virtual limited liability companies and statute of limitations on publishing liabilities.
“The Iceland Initiative is laudable for several reasons,” said photojournalism professor Peter Southwick. “The most important in my opinion is the recognition that new technology has created a need for press freedoms that can be transported around the world.”
The Icelandic Modern Media Initiative is expected to be voted on before Feb. 26.
“It is a good and useful thing for there to be a worldwide conversation about the ways inwhich a free press and public-spirited journalism can improve the responsiveness andeffectiveness of governments and other powerful institutions,” Ureneck said.
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