CAIRO
An Arab journalists' association has released a report assessing the state of press freedom in the Arab region over the past year, noting indications that it has improved in some areas while getting worse in others.
The "Situation of Press Freedoms in the Arab World for 2014-2015" said there were 14 reasons to believe that the state of press freedom in the Arab world had improved, while also noting 18 factors indicating otherwise.
The report, released by the Cairo-based Federation of Arab Journalists, said that, among positive indications was the fact that Arab journalists were able to ply their trade without restrictions and fear while enjoying access to uncensored foreign media.
According to the report, newsrooms have become more diverse politically and ideologically amid relaxed security and declining political interference in the editorial policies of many Arab media outlets.
The report also lauded a growing tendency in many Arab countries to issue regulations guaranteeing journalists' rights and allowing the establishment of new media outlets without restrictions.
Yet the report also noted a number of negative indications, like low salaries for most journalists in some parts of the Arab world and an inability to express opinions freely.
Arab journalists are also often under administrative and professional pressure and suffer from a lack of regulations guaranteeing the freedom of information, the report found.
"Journalist in many Arab countries also suffer from an atmosphere of oppression brought on by certain regimes and political groups and are threatened with various types of penalties, including reprimand, humiliation, restrictions and expulsion," it added.
The report also lamented that some Arab regimes own and maintain state-run newspapers that remain subject to editorial interference by local political, security and religious institutions.
Among the negative indications cited by the report were also interference by government officials and businessmen in the editorial policies of certain newspapers by providing them with financial perks and facilities.
The report was based on assessments by journalist unions in the federation's 18 member states, along with the findings of several international reports on the state of press freedom in the Arab world, the federation said in a statement.
