The government has provided inadequate protection for journalists and levied restrictions that have further imperiled them and made objective reporting all but impossible. Islamists have been suspicious of Algerian journalists, particularly those working for state news outlets or independent papers with an anti-fundamentalist line. These journalists are seen by opponents of the regime as puppets of the security forces. The government has reinforced this perception by monopolizing the distribution of information. As a result, independent and opposition papers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
Government censorship takes many forms.
In addition to the blanket censorship of security matters, the authorities use more subtle means to constrain political discourse in the press. The government controls the supply of newsprint and owns the printing presses and is thus able to put economic pressure on newspapers. When subtle means fail to restrain the press, the Interior Ministry suspends publications and summons reporters to court. The November 1995 presidential elections were preceded by an escalation both in violence against the press and in government censorship. During the campaign, editors were warned that if they printed calls to boycott the election or published anything that might discourage voter participation, they would face prosecution for civil disobedience.