Freedom of the Press - Dominica (2007)
| Publisher | Freedom House |
| Publication Date | 2 May 2007 |
| Cite as | Freedom House, Freedom of the Press - Dominica (2007), 2 May 2007, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/478cd515c.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Status: Free
Legal Environment: 4 (of 30)
Political Environment: 10 (of 40)
Economic Environment: 6 (of 30)
Total Score: 20 (of 100)
(Lower scores = freer)
The constitution guarantees freedom of the press. The media are often critical of the government, and as a result, relations with the ruling Dominica Labor Party continued to be strained. Representatives of the government issued forthright criticisms of unfavorable coverage. In August, a dispute arose over media coverage of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit's relationship with a Bahamian businessman with an allegedly dubious past, causing Skerrit to denounce sections of the media for their "sensationalist" reporting. In September, the printing house of the Sun newspaper refused to publish an issue containing an article about the controversy. The owner took the decision to stop the print run after receiving a warning from a lawyer claiming to represent the prime minister. The Media Workers Association of Dominica expressed its concern that the incident would increase media fears of the application of existing libel and defamation legislation. In November, following the expulsion from Parliament of a journalist with the Chronicle newspaper, the leader of the opposition United Workers Party called for the publication of clear guidelines on the rules regarding reporting procedures at the National Assembly. There is no daily newspaper, but there are several weekly publications. Dominica has four radio stations, including the state-owned Dominica Broadcasting Corporation, and two television stations. The internet, used by approximately 36 percent of the population, is neither restricted nor censored by the government.
