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A Decade of Closing Space in Hungary: Joint Repo...
Thousands took to the streets of Budapest in the close of 2019, protesting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s most recent step in his march against free expression in Hungary. But the restriction was a decade in the making. Since Orbán’s government came to power in 2010, the state of free speech in... |
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Social Media Shutdowns Restrict the Flow of Info...
By Samuel Woodhams Following the tragic terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka earlier this year that killed over 250 people, the government blocked popular social media platforms and messaging apps in an attempt to prevent the spread of misinformation online. However, the ban not only blocked misinformatio... |
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A Road-map for Meaningful Media Reform in Ethiop...
By Asmamaw Gizaw The rapid political opening in Ethiopia over the past year has seen an uptick in journalistic freedom and a sincere effort on the part of the government to foster a robust, independent, and diverse media sphere. To continue this progress, reforms efforts must work to undo the legaci... |
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Social Media Taxes: A Financial Barrier for Inde...
With press freedom and freedom of speech increasingly under attack, social media is often the last space in many countries for independent voices. This has been especially true in countries where governments are openly hostile to news organizations. More recently, however, many governments have begu... |
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Mapping Trends in Freedom of Expression Legislat...
By Agustina del Campo Regulation of the internet is on the rise worldwide. In particular, lawmakers are drafting bills and laws that seek to address a perceived flaw in the digital ecosystem. Keeping track of these new regulations can be quite tedious for journalists and researchers. Furthermore, ... |
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Decline in attacks masks a deeper challenge for ...
In Pakistan, press freedom has ticked up amid a decline in attacks on journalists over the past year, but recent reports suggest the promising numbers mask a deeper challenge of self-censorship. One recent study by Media Matters for Democracy found that roughly 88 percent of Pakistani journalists ad... |
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Ethiopia is Unshackling the Media, but True Inde...
By Henok Fente Just a few months ago, Ethiopia was one of the countries with the highest number of imprisoned and exiled journalists. Now, a new prime minister is promising that his government will respect freedom of speech as part of a swift move toward democracy. “Building democratic institutio... |
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Defending Digital Rights in the Democratic Repub...
By Morgan Frost While the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the fourth largest country in Africa in terms of population, it has one of the lowest levels of internet accessibility across the continent. Weak democratic governance and the prevalence of several armed groups has left the DRC to f... |
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In the run-up to elections in Zimbabwe, social m...
By Alex T. Magaisa On July 30th, Zimbabweans will go to the polls to elect a president, parliamentarians, and local authorities. The forthcoming election is remarkable for at least two reasons. First, it will be the first time since independence that ousted leader Robert Mugabe will not be a candid... |
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Mission Creep: The Expanding Scope of the “Rig...
Two recent judicial rulings in Spain and Brazil have significantly expanded the scope of the Right to be Forgotten in ways that directly impinge on the news media’s ability to report stories and serve as what many have called the “first rough draft of history.” By mandating that news organizat... |