Abstract:
In this talk, Professor Janet Steele will address the following questions: what has been the experience of other countries in Southeast Asia as they make the transition to democracy? Can independent media help to facilitate this transition? Examples from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Timor Leste suggest that there is a much greater likelihood not only of press freedom, but also a smooth transition to democracy when journalists are independent of the government, and uphold their own best professional standards and practices.