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The following comes from the IFEX Communique # 4-10


SELF-CENSORSHIP AND CENSORSHIP AFFECT WOMEN JOURNALISTS

NORTH-SOUTH DIALOGUE AT UNESCO WOMEN AND MEDIA CONFERENCE

Women from different countries talked about how censorship and
self-censorship encumber their work at a media forum entitled
"Women and the Media: a North-South Dialogue" held on 28 February
in Toronto. The seminar, which was organized by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) in collaboration with the Canadian Committee to Protect
Journalists (CCPJ), was held during UNESCO's International
Symposium on "Women and the Media: Access to Expression and
Decision-Making" in Toronto on 28 February to 3 March. Panellists
from developing countries compared the obstacles that women in
the media face trying to be heard with the imbalance of reporting
between north and south countries. Urvashi Butalia, Editor of
"Kali for Women" in India, said her publishing house was founded
because "the concerns of the women's movement are not articulated
in mainstream publishing." She continued, "Because of the Third
World perspective, both nationally and internationally, we felt
on the receiving end of knowledge and wanted to do as UNESCO and
reverse the flow of information."

Patricia Made, Managing Editor of the Zimbabwe-based "Southern
African Economist", stressed the difficulties of writing stories
that fall outside of the standard definition of "what is news?"
She said, "One set of values becomes the norm.... We don't know
how to test the waters of in-depth reporting, how to move outside
of self-imposed censorship," a practice which takes place all
over Africa. Butalia added, "The news is shaped by events not
process, and is made mostly by men." India is democratic, she
said, "but censorship is imposed by the government", particularly
on pornographic and politically-sensitive material. Moderator
Barbara Barde, Vice-President of Programming for the Women's
Television Network (WTN) of Canada, said women in the media must
examine "How do we self-censor so we don't even pitch a story any
more because [the editors] don't want to hear it?"

Self-censorship can stem from other concerns, said Butalia. Her
publishing house turned down a controversial Mauritania book,
"The Rape of Sita", because "we were afraid of what would happen
if we published it -- it would have been suicide. We didn't want
another Rushdie-like situation on our hands." Katia Gil, Regional
Officer of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in
Venezuela, concurred, "In Latin America, self-censorship means
that you are afraid." This fear can be for one's life or simply
because as a journalist it is necessary to toe the line if you
want to eat. In many Latin American countries, particularly
Guatemala and El Salvador, censorship results because "there is
little tolerance for criticism of the government," said Gil.
"Censorship is a very troubled issue and freedom of expression is
even more troubled. It has to be located in the political
context," concluded Butalia.

** ** **
The IFEX Communique is published weekly by the IFEX Clearing
House, Toronto. The facility is operated by the Canadian
Committee to Protect Journalists in partnership with the member
organizations of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange
(IFEX). Material may be submitted to the Communique at E-mail:
ifex@web.apc.org; Fax: (1-416) 867-1034; or Tel: (1-416)
867-1638. Editor this week: Kristina Stockwood. Subscriptions are
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