The MSI has been used to study repressive media systems in Europe and Eurasia, including Uzbekistan; and in the Middle East in such countries as Libya and Iran. However, Eritrea presented the first case where absolutely no private media exists. Some of the panelists expressed doubt that the MSI would do justice to the dire situation in Eritrea. One wrote that the MSI methodology is not “…tailor-made to media in totalitarian states like Eritrea and North Korea. These deserve categories by themselves. The kind of comparative scoring system applied by the questionnaire simply breaks down in the face of absolutist, monopolized state media solely created for propaganda purposes.”

After compiling the scores and comments and preparing the chapter, however, we feel strongly that the MSI did work in such a situation. First, the Eritrea chapter documents how the state has pervaded almost every aspect of the media sector in the country. For example, Indicator 3.5, “Independent broadcast media produce their own news programs,” may at first seem not applicable, but in fact it serves as another reminder that indeed Eritrea has no independent broadcast media and no alternative voices. Almost all of Objective 4, business management, may seem pointless, but in fact looking at Eritrea through this measure shows just how far Eritrea is now from a sustainable media, and the breadth of changes that would be required should the political situation change. Read More...