WAN-IFRA and CIMA are today calling for rapid action to address the growing danger that “soft censorship” poses to press freedom and media independence in scores of countries around the world.

“Soft censorship is less noticed than direct attacks on press freedom like assaults on journalists, but is even more widespread,” said Larry Kilman, Secretary General of WAN-IFRA. “Soft censorship is pervasive, but not yet recognised for its grave and growing threat to media independence and press freedom.”

Soft censorship is a widely practiced but indirect form of censorship in which governments use biased media subsidies and advertising placements to exert pressure to influence media content and media outlets’ viability.

WAN-IFRA, CIMA and like-minded groups are committed to raising awareness of the mechanisms of soft censorship, and to advocating measures that can reduce it.

“Soft censorship can all-too-quietly strangle free media,” warned Mark Nelson, Senior Director of CIMA. “A public that is denied accurate and impartial information is unlikely to be aware of its existence and its pernicious impact on the democratic process.”

This report’s recommendations suggest a path forward that proponents of free and independent media can embrace, beginning with greater transparency and impartiality in all government payments and funding for media, be it for advertising, training, content, or straightforward subsidies.

Based on extensive research from several media freedom groups and reporting by numerous media outlets, Soft Censorship, Hard Impact offers examples of soft censorship in thirty countries. It also summarizes in-depth soft censorship reports on four countries—Hungary, Malaysia, Mexico, and Serbia—from WAN-IFRA’s continuing series investigating soft censorship in countries worldwide.

The report was written by Thomas R. Lansner, and produced with support from Open Society Foundations and Open Society Justice Initiative. The full report can be downloaded without charge from the bottom of this page.

For more information on WAN-IFRA’s press freedom activities, visit http://www.wan-ifra.org/pressfreedom

“Soft Censorship, Hard Impact” was released during the World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and World Advertising Forum in Torino, Italy, this week, which is attended by 1,000 chief editors, publishers, CEOs, managing directors and other senior newspaper and news publishing executives. Live updates are available on the conference blog at http://www.wan-ifra.org/congress_blog or via Twitter: live coverage @NewsConf , curated updates @NewspaperWorld and via the hashtags  #wnc14 and #Editors14

WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore and India, is the global organisation of the world’s newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. Its core mission is to defend and promote press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses.

The Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), based in Washington, D.C., raises the visibility and improves the effectiveness of media development around the world. The Center provides information, builds networks, conducts research, and highlights the indispensable role media play in the creation and development of sustainable democracies. See more at: http://cima.ned.org

Inquiries to: Alison Meston, Director of Global Campaigns, WAN-IFRA, 96 bis, rue Beaubourg, 75003 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 06. Fax: +33 1 42 78 92 33. E-mail: alison.meston@wan-ifra.org