Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Graduate Program in International Studies Dissertations Spring 2014 Neglecting the 'Right on Which All Other Rights Depend': Press Freedom in the International Human Rights Discourse Wiebke Lamer Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gpis_etds Part of the International Relations Commons, and the Journalism Studies Commons Recommended Citation Lamer, Wiebke. "Neglecting the 'Right on Which All Other Rights Depend': Press Freedom in the International Human Rights Discourse" (2014). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), dissertation, International Studies, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/j40y- n533 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gpis_etds/74 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Program in International Studies at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NEGLECTING THE ‘RIGHT ON WHICH ALL OTHER RIGHTS DEPEND’: PRESS FREEDOM IN THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE by Wiebke Lamer B.A. June 2003, De Montfort University, UK M. A. September 2004, University of Leicester, UK M.Sc. September 2008, School of Advanced Study, University of London, UK A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL STUDIES OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY May 2014 Approvedby: Kuri Taylor G^rhbatz (Director) tman (Member) Laura Roselle (Member) ABSTRACT NEGLECTING THE ‘RIGHT ON WHICH ALL OTHER RIGHTS DEPEND’: PRESS FREEDOM IN THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE Wiebke Lamer Old Dominion University, 2014 Director: Dr. Kurt Taylor Gaubatz Historically and philosophically, press freedom has closely been linked to the fight against tyranny and the advancement of human rights. But coverage of press freedom as a distinct human right is surprisingly absent from scholarship and the human rights agenda. This dissertation fills this gap in the academic literature by examining why press freedom has not become part of the established international human rights debate, despite its centrality to democratic theory. It does so in three steps: First, it outlines the distinction between press freedom and other human rights to which it is usually subjugated, like free speech and freedom of information, thus highlighting the importance of press freedom as a distinct human right. Second, it examines in detail how press freedom is treated at the UN, and traces the historical path of the freedom of the press debate at the UN to determine how and why press freedom is neglected. Third, the dissertation examines the roles of transnational actors, the media and NGOs, in the context of the international promotion of press freedom. The dissertation finds that, despite the popularity of ideational explanations in the field of human rights studies, in the case of promoting press freedom, considerations of power and strategic interests rather than ideas dominate state behavior. No state, not even Western liberal ones, goes out of its way to promote press freedom, because it undermines state power. The dissertation further finds that there is no domestic constituency for press freedom and that human rights NGOs as well as the media themselves do surprisingly little to promote press freedom. These findings imply that the current place of press freedom in the human rights discourse needs to be rethought. The findings also have implications for the idea of democracy and human rights and for their future not only in developing countries, but in liberal democracies as well. If the goal is to implement these ideas, the ‘right on which all other rights depend’ should be at the center of human rights advocacy at home and abroad. V Fur meine Eltera, Heike und Detlef, die immer fur mich da sind. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My greatest debt is to Dr. Kurt Taylor Gaubatz, my dissertation director. Without his persistent guidance, support and help, this dissertation would not have been possible. His encouragement and dedication were sometimes all that kept me going. I am also deeply indebted to my committee members, Drs. Laura Roselle and Peter Schulman, for their friendly support and their invaluable feedback. I would like to acknowledge the financial support of Old Dominion University and the P.E.O. Sisterhood, which allowed me to pursue my ambition of earning a Ph.D. I am most grateful also to Dr. Regina Karp for her guidance as my academic advisor during my early years at GPIS and for her continued support and encouragement since then. In a similar vein, I would like to recognize Dr. Simon Serfaty, whose seminars have in no small way shaped my understanding of International Relations and who has constantly challenged my views of the world. Among my fellow students at GPIS, Lauren McKee, Sara Hoff, Sagar Rijal, Sabine Hirschauer, Katerina Oskarsson, Renata Giannini, Alessandro Shimabukuro and Jeffery Mistich have my heartfelt gratitude not only for the many hours they spent listening to me talk about my research, for providing insights and helping me organize my thoughts, but also for their wonderful friendship. Thanks are also due to Ned Flicks for providing me with the necessary, thoughtless distraction to remain sane during the dissertation process. Last, but by no means least, I thank my family and friends, especially Kerstin Michel and Degi Betcher, for their unequivocal support and encouragement throughout. They are my foundation and merely expressing my gratitude would not suffice. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................. x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................... :...................................1 Press Freedom in the West ...........................................................................................2 Press Freedom at the U N .............................................................................................7 Press Freedom in the Human Rights Literature ....................................................... 10 The Fourth Estate........................................................................................................14 Chapter Outline ...........................................................................................................17 Conclusion..................................................................................................................21 2. THE CASE FOR PRESS FREEDOM AS A HUMAN RIGHT.................................... 23 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 23 The Press as a Political Institution ............................................................................ 29 The Press as Provider of Information and Context ..................................................35 The Press as Social Glue.,, ............ 36 Press Freedom as a Human Right ............................................................................. 41 Press Freedom vs. Internet Freedom .........................................................................47 Common Excuses for Not Making Press Freedom a Central Tenant of the Human Rights Framework.........................................................................................50 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................53 3. UNESCO, WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY AND BEYOND: THE MARGINAL PLACE OF PRESS FREEDOM AT THE U N .............................................55 Introduction .................................................................................................................55 The UN Human Rights Structure.............................................................................. 58 Human Rights Instruments and Declarations .......................................................... 60 UN Human Rights Bodies .........................................................................................64 Human Rights Council...............................................................................................65 Human Rights Committee..........................................................................................68 Human Rights Advisory Committee .........................................................................70 Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression .............................................................................................71 UNESCO.....................................................................................................................74 UN Speeches...............................................................................................................80 Chapter Page Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 83 4. THE POLITICS OF PRESS FREEDOM........................................................................85 Introduction