Syria Media Sustainability Index (MSI)
April 22, 2011
About the MSI
IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country’s media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4. These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and produced the first Middle East and North Africa MSI in 2005.
MSI Overview | Africa | Asia | Europe & Eurasia | Middle East & North Africa
Download the Complete Syria MSI Chapter (PDF): 2009 | 2008 | 2006/7 | 2005
MSI Syria - 2009 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 0.94
Although Syria's overall score improved modestly in 2009, widespread government oppression continues to challenge the independence and sustainability of the Syrian press. Syria has neither independent unions to defend journalists nor the legislative framework to protect and encourage freedom of speech. The Baathist regime maintains total control over Syrian media, and while red lines shift sometimes, nearly all journalists practice self-censorship to avoid persecution.
While the Syrian constitution protects freedom of speech and the press, these rights are circumscribed by the country's Emergency Law, which in practice places significant limitations on the media. In 2009, journalists who crossed the official party line were arrested, fired, or subjected to travel bans and hefty fines. Likewise, authorities shuttered newspapers and broadcast outlets that violated unspoken restrictions, justifying the acts by arguing that journalists' work is a threat to national security or an affront to national values.
MSI panelists score Syria at 0.94 overall, keeping the country in the "unsustainable, anti-free press" category. While that score is an improvement from Syria's 0.79 score in 2008, the difference is more indicative of the severity of the government's 2008 crackdown than real improvements in 2009. Judging from the comments of this year's panelists, apparently Syria has not improved but returned to its repressive status quo.
The scores on each of the five objectives reflect this reality. Most teeter on the line between "unsustainable, anti-free press" and "unsustainable, mixed system." The panelists scored only Objective 2, professional journalism, solidly above 1.00. This bespeaks a general feeling among panelists that journalists in Syria are trying hard to produce professional reporting within government-imposed constraints.
That said, the system of state control is clearly apparent at all levels of the journalistic process, from editorial decision making to distribution. The system ensures that improvements in Syria's media sector remain marginal at best.
Note: MSI panelists in Syria agreed to participate only if they were not named publicly. Rather than hold a group discussion that might call attention to panelists' participation in the study, the chapter is based on responses to individual questionnaires and the moderator's individual interviews with the panelists.
