State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003 Notes on Classification T he list and definitions of classifications in “So This Is Democracy?” - which makes up the bulk of the content of this book - are assigned to specific categories. Actual alerts issued by MISA are indicated by the ALERT in the top right hand corner of the entry. In all, there are eleven categories: - Beaten - Threatened - Legislated - Expelled - Bombed - Victory - Censored - Killed - Sentenced - Detained - Others As indicated above, the categories are arranged in alphabetical order. Below is a description of each category. Each category captures a fairly broad range of incidents, and more than just the single word it is represented by. Nevertheless, each category is an accurate summation of incidents that are not too dissimilar with respect to their nature and the manner in which they affect the individual media workers and/or the media in general. Except for victory, the categories make up a list of the various types of violations media workers can experience during the course of or as a result of their work: BEATEN - This includes incidents where journalists are assaulted, attacked physically, tortured, or wounded during the course of their work. The statistic given is for the number of media workers involved. THREATENED - This involves a threat from a public official, a death threat, various forms of harassment (such as veiled warnings, threats of action, or interference in editorial processes), or journalists being questioned or interrogated on their sources. The statistic given is for the number of media workers or media organisations involved. LEGISLATION - This relates to all aspects of the legislative process and the application of common law. It includes instances where official proposals are made for new laws, legislation is passed, laws are amended or struck down either in parliament or by the courts, and civil litigation is instituted against media. This category is not all about violations, since there can be legislation that enhances media freedom and freedom of expression. This has been pointed out accordingly through the descriptive terms ‘threatening legislation’ and ‘positive legislation’. The statistic given is for the number of incidents reported under this category, as opposed to the number of media workers or media organisations involved. EXPELLED - This category relates to the free movement of media workers. It involves incidents where journalists are expelled from a country, are prevented from entering a country (denying of Visas, work papers or accreditation), are prevented from leaving a country, are barred from travelling into a country or from entering certain areas, and generally inhibited from moving freely in order to perform their work. The statistic given is for the number of media workers involved. So This Is Democracy? 2003 1 Media Institute of Southern Africa