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Democracy Dialogues: What Makes a Free Press?
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Date: Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Time: 9:00 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT)
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Freedom House is among a number of leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that undertakes to evaluate the state of press freedom in countries around the globe. Its annual “Freedom of the Press” survey may be the most influential report of its kind anywhere in the world. But on what basis and according to what criteria do Freedom House and kindred organizations -- including several governments, notably the United States -- undertake to assess critically media laws and practices in different countries? What are the key indicators of press freedom or its absence?
Join Karin Karlekar, managing editor of Freedom House’s most recent “Freedom of the Press” reports, for a discussion of the components and conditions necessary for a free press.
Guest Biography: Dr. Karlekar is the managing editor of Freedom of the Press, an annual survey that tracks trends in media freedom worldwide. She coordinates the research, ratings, and editorial processes for the survey, and also writes a number of the country reports. In addition, she has conducted research and assessment missions to Nigeria, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, and has traveled extensively in Asia and Africa.
For the past five years, she has represented Freedom House in the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) network, and in February 2006 was elected as IFEX Convenor and head of IFEX's governing Council. In addition, Dr. Karlekar is responsible for researching and writing South Asia country reports for the Freedom in the World survey and authored the reports on Afghanistan and Sri Lanka for the Countries at a Crossroads 2004 survey. She holds a Ph.D. in Indian History from Cambridge University, England.
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