Index on Censorship

Free expression organisations have sent a joint letter to all candidates in the upcoming presidential elections, calling on the future president to protect and strengthen press independence in Turkey.

The United States media – one of the best protected in the world – is facing challenges that threaten the freedom of the press. This is the finding of an unprecedented press freedom mission that took place in January 2018, one year after President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration.

For some journalists under threat, going into exile is the only option; this brings its own unique set of challenges and opportunities.

The Court found that the journalists’ rights to liberty, security and free expression had been violated and that the two men should be released.

UK-based freedom of expression organisation Index on Censorship recorded its 4,000th case of a media freedom violation in 42 countries around Europe since 2014.

In a joint open letter to Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, organisations urge EC officials to ensure that police investigations are full, thorough and independent in Slovakia and Malta.

As there is no expectation of independent or effective justice in Turkey, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is the last hope for justice for the writers – and indeed, for Turkish society as a whole.

“News is something which somebody wants suppressed: all the rest is advertising.” Variations on this quote, originally attributed to William Randolph Hearst, have echoed around newsrooms for decades, with advertising and editorial kept separate. Nowadays, though, the line is becoming more blurred for the UK’s regional media.