Freedom of the Press - Tuvalu (2005)
| Publisher | Freedom House |
| Publication Date | 27 April 2005 |
| Cite as | Freedom House, Freedom of the Press - Tuvalu (2005), 27 April 2005, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/47345197c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Status: Free
Legal Environment: 1
Political Influences: 7
Economic Pressures: 12
Total Score: 20
Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 66
Religious Groups: Church of Tuvalu [Congregationalist (97 percent)], other
Ethnic Groups: Polynesian (96 percent), Micronesian (4 percent)
Capital: Funafuti
The constitution protects freedom of the press. However, in practice media freedom is constrained by the small size of the market and the fact that major media outlets are government funded. The Tuvalu Media Corporation runs the sole radio station as well as a television station that broadcasts sporadically. Tuvalu Echoes, the only national newspaper, is also government owned. All broadcast content must be approved by the secretary to government, who censors stories critical of the government. Tuvalu residents access foreign media without restriction via satellite television and the Internet. The nation's single largest source of income is licensing Internet addresses with the .tv suffix.