Censorship and Freedom of the Press Under Changing Political Regimes

This article examines the Palestinian media in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in order to understand how censorship functions in an environment of changing political realities and the impact of censorship on matters related to freedom of the press. These questions are examined both in relation to the period of Palestinian self-governance under the Palestinian Authority (PA), and under the period of Israeli military (administrative) rule. Primary research questions include: How and to what degree have the Palestinian media changed under the two different systems of rule? To what extent do new Palestinian media organizations advance freedom of expression as part of the PA's development? If freedom of the press has not developed, why is this so, and what does this say about the PA's political structure? This case study of the Palestinian media before and after the periods of self-government suggests some important conclusions in the general context of media research and media relations with political authorities, and the use of censorship and other regulatory systems. The article examines the formal legal processes practised that have advanced or hindered the PA's development, and determines the particular type of political system to which the PA belongs. However, the most interesting question to emerge is whether boundaries of freedom of expression in Palestinian society have significantly changed - legally or in practice - as would be expected following the liberation of territories from foreign occupation and the subsequent creation of a new regime.