All Cybersecurity, All the Time
Suddenly cyber everything is all the rage in Washington. This month there have been several panel discussions and book launches around town having to do with government cyber surveillance, cybersecurity, and their effect on freedom of expression and journalism. And more are scheduled. The Washington... |
Keeping Score on Censorship: #JeSuisCharlie in L...
Guest post by Ariana Szepesi-Colmenares#JeSuisCharlie In January 2015, the targeted assassination of French cartoonists working for the satirical journal Charlie Hebdo in Paris moved and alarmed the international community. Voices have been silenced. Censorship 1 – Pencils 0. #YoSoyRayma In Se... |
National Press Club Examines the Crackdown on Pr...
Given the political tumult in Turkey and the dramatic crackdown on independent media, which reached new heights in December, the National Press Club organized a panel session to discuss this and other challenges for the sector. The Panelists included: Tolga Tanis, Washington correspondent for Hurri... |
Attack on Charlie Hebdo Magazine is an Attack on...
The attack on Charlie Hebdo today is an attack on free expression everywhere. At least 12 were killed and several others wounded when gunmen invaded the Paris office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo early this morning. Though the perpetrators are still unknown, officials believe it is the wor... |
A New World Order: Journalists versus ‘Democra...
Journalists are no longer special. That is Joel Simon’s sad but all-too-true assessment of why journalists are becoming an endangered species in many parts of the world. By CPJ’s count 60 journalists around the world were killed in 2014. “We live in an information age, and yet the people who b... |
Turmoil in Turkey: Raids on Media Outlets
The media in Turkey has had a difficult year. Following last December’s corruption scandal human rights and press freedom groups from around the world have condemned the Turkish governments’ actions against the media. In March, Twitter and YouTube were shuttered following a leaked recording ... |
Soft Censorship in Argentina
In Argentina, there are plenty of news outlets that freely criticize and question the government, which many would argue is a sign of a healthy media environment. According to Freedom House’s 2014 figures for Freedom of the Press, however, Argentina only ranks as “partly free.” T... |
Draconian Secrecy Law Threatens Japan’s Media ...
Thousands of people took to the streets in Japan’s major cities last week to protest against a controversial new secrecy law that took effect on December 10th, one year after its passage in the Diet. The law, formally called the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets (SDS), has be... |
UN Secretary General Calls for Media in Post-201...
The campaign for media and access to information’s inclusion in the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals gained a new advocate last week in UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who reaffirmed their importance in a synthesis report for the SDGs. The report, noting the evolving information needs of ... |
It’s time for a special rapporteur for freedom...
“Every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information, whether orally, in writing or through any other medium of that person’s choice.” – ASEAN Human Rights Declaration As ... |