Introduction

This volume covers the media landscapes in Asia navigated, manipulated and consumed in varied societies with a combined population of over three billion people. In our case studies spanning East, Southeast and South Asia, our contributors note that self-censorship is widespread as editors and journalists trim their sails to prevailing political winds and economic realities. Governments wield considerable power to influence the news though regulations and laws and the allocation of licences and advertising budgets that limit autonomy and leverage media dependency on the goodwill and resources of the powers that be. Owners and publishers often have broader business interests that they want to protect from the risks of retribution, should they offend those in power through unfettered reporting about delicate matters or controversial issues. To the extent that media ownership is concentrated in the hands of cronies and pliant entrepreneurs, press freedom suffers. As the state has deregulated the media in line with democratization and privatization, fierce competition and concerns about the bottom line have ignited a race to the bottom, as entertainment and sensationalism attract eyeballs and advertisers. As a result, freedom has not translated into improvement as careful analysis gives way to news-lite. With the exception of Vietnam and China, the case studies presented in this volume involve democracies, but significant democratic backsliding in many of these countries highlights how authoritarian methods are widespread in the region and compromise the freedom of expression. Press freedom also suffers from a lack of judicial autonomy and from judges who fail to uphold the rule of law or bend it to the wishes of the powerful. It is remarkable that reporters still chase hard news and risk much in doing so, knowing as they do, that their colleagues, editors, publishers nor the judiciary rarely provide support or protection.