World Press Freedom Day

To mark World Press Freedom Day, ARTICLE 19 staff and volunteers blog about the situation of free media, including new media.

“Though we have generally escaped the worst impacts of impunity, violence and official aggression, Caribbean social communicators and journalists have not eluded the potentially muting impacts of self-censorship, unenlightened regulation and challenging economic, social and political circumstances,” said ACM.

CPJ, CAFOD and The Guardian have developed ‘The Silenced: Fighting for Press Freedom in Mexico’, a photo exhibition that will mark the courage and determination of ‘The Silenced’ and those who continue to fight to tell the truth about the Latin American drug cartels, despite the risks.

To mark World Press Freedom Day, RSF has also named new six members to its infamous list of press freedom predators.

For Palestinian journalists, the day highlights the daily challenges they face, with increasing violations against media freedoms by the Israeli forces and Palestinian parties in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The current treaties, action plans and standards to protect journalists aren’t working, says IPI. It’s time we looked at other means to keep our reporters safe.

“We are witnessing unprecedented levels of criminal litigation against journalists in many countries. Governments must repeal criminal defamation laws and review anti-terror laws, which represent a major obstacle to genuine press freedom,” said IFJ.

WAN-IFRA releases exclusive interviews, photos and materials about the importance of press freedom and the risks facing professional and citizen journalists.

The information published on the map is public information on cases of restrictions or alleged restrictions of the right to freedom of expression involving the media.

As part of the IFJ’s Turkish campaign, the organisation has encouraged its affiliates to “adopt” a journalist in prison. This involves following news on the journalist’s case, corresponding with the journalist in jail, and highlighting the case to other members.

These rights are persistently denied by repressive regimes often in collusion, implicit or otherwise, with powerful non-state players.

CPJ’s report details how censorship works in each nation and highlights some trends among the censored countries, including disputed legitimacy of leadership and lagging economic development.

IAPA voices concerns on the direct and subtle economic, legal, and judicial means used against the news media in a number of countries in the region that result in prior restraint and self-censorship, harming not only the news media itself, but most importantly, weakening the public’s right to receive information.

Examining issues including privacy and anonymity on the Internet, cyber surveillance, whistleblowers, access to information, and collaborative journalism, CJFE’s third annual Review of Free Expression in Canada provides an overview of issues facing Canadians from coast to coast.

The current edition of So This Is Democracy? documents numerous media freedom and freedom of expression violations that MISA recorded in Southern Africa during the course of 2011.

MFWA notes with special concern the harrowing experience of media rights defenders in countries like Guinea Bissau and Mali who have had to perform their duties under harsh conditions imposed as a result of the recent coups in both countries.