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| Title | Freedom of the Press - Jamaica (2004) |
| Publisher | Freedom House |
| Country | Jamaica |
| Publication Date | 28 April 2004 |
| Cite as | Freedom House, Freedom of the Press - Jamaica (2004), 28 April 2004, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/47345113c.html [accessed 30 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 - Jamaica (2004)
Status: Free
Legal Environment: 4
Political Influences: 7
Economic Pressures: 6
Total Score: 17
Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 75
Religious Groups: Protestant (61.3 percent), Rastafari (34.7 percent), Roman Catholic (4 percent)
Ethnic Groups: Black (91 percent), other [including white, Chinese, and East Indian] (9 percent)
Capital: Kingston
A high degree of media independence prevails; the current government, led by the People's National Party and Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, is recognized for its positive stance on press freedom. The four largest newspapers are all privately owned. There are 3 television stations and 16 radio stations. Jamaica has an estimated 1.9 million radios – the highest per-capita ratio in the Caribbean. Efforts to reform press and media legislation center on the country's libel laws, which allow for high damage awards in defamation cases. The newspaper firm Gleaner Company Limited is currently appealing a 1996 libel suit decision against it, which awarded $1,000,000 to the former Jamaican minister of tourism, to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Topics: Freedom of expression,
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