The global spread of freedom of the press and expression is widely acclaimed as one of the main achievements of democratization over the past two decades. Yet, the meaning of press freedom, how it should be practised and where the boundaries of this new-found freedom lie are fiercely disputed in most new democracies. This article explores how journalists from six new democracies in Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Poland), East Asia (South Korea, Taiwan) and Southern Africa (Namibia, South Africa) interpret press freedom and how this might affect their professional practices. Based on a total of 58 semi-structured interviews, the findings imply that journalists in new democracies combine universal interpretations of press freedom with those that are rooted in particular cultural traditions and political experiences. The article concludes by calling for a fresh view on the rise of ‘domesticated’ forms of journalism as a way of ensuring the significance and viability of press freedom in different cultural and political contexts.
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