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| Title | Freedom of the Press - Samoa (2002) |
| Publisher | Freedom House |
| Country | Samoa |
| Publication Date | 22 April 2002 |
| Cite as | Freedom House, Freedom of the Press - Samoa (2002), 22 April 2002, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4734507fc.html [accessed 28 May 2012] |
| 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. |
Freedom of the Press - Samoa (2002)
Status: Free
Legal Environment: 4
Political Influences: 5
Economic Pressures: 14
Total Score: 23
Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 68
Religious Groups: n/a
Ethnic Groups: Polynesian (93 percent), Euronesian [mixed] (7 percent)
Capital: Apia
There are two English-language and several Samoan-language newspapers. A 1998 law enables government ministers to use public funds to finance defamation suits, and several have filed lawsuits against the Samoa Observer, an independent newspaper, over stories it had published on public corruption and abuses of power. Authorities also withdrew all advertisements from the paper and threatened to cancel the paper's business license. The government owns two of four radio stations and the only television channel. Internet use is expanding without government interference. The opposition has restricted access to coverage on state-run television and radio.
Topics: Freedom of expression,
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