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Category: Media

  • Mine security guards attack media crew covering environmental degradation in Ghana

    Abuja, October 31, 2024–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ghanaian authorities to swiftly investigate and hold accountable the security guards who attacked four journalists and media workers working for the privately owned Multimedia Group conglomerate at a mining site in the country’s southern Ashanti region.

    On October 20, at least 10 armed security guards working for Edelmetallum Resources Limited, a mining company operating in Ghana, detained and beat journalist Erastus Asare Donkor, camera technician Edward Suantah, drone pilot Majid Alidu, and driver Arko Edward as they reported on alleged environmental degradation associated with one of the company’s mines, according to Donkor and Edward, who spoke with CPJ.

    “Authorities in Ghana must swiftly investigate and hold accountable the security guards of Edelmetallum Resources Limited responsible for attacking journalists and media workers Erastus Asare Donkor, Edward Suantah, Majid Alidu, and Arko Edward,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa Program, in Johannesburg. “Reporting on environmental degradation is a matter of public interest, and too often no one is held accountable when the press in Ghana is attacked.”

    The guards seized at least five phones, five drone batteries, a Lenovo tablet, a branded press jacket, and a headset, Donkor and Edward told CPJ. After forcing the crew to drive away with them, the guards deleted all information on at least two phones and made them delete their images. They also beat the media workers with their hands for at least 30 minutes. The guards later returned only the phones.

    After the attack, Donkor had difficulty using his right eye, Edward had a swollen face, and Suantah and Alidu had ringing in their ears, according to Donkor and Edward.

    The crew reported the attack to police and led them to the site, but the guards refused to go to the police station, Donkor said. Police later announced that three of the attackers had surrendered and were granted bail, he said.

    CPJ’s calls to police spokesperson Grace Ansah-Akrofi for comment on the investigation went unanswered.

    Edelmetallum’s managing director, Philip Edem Kutsienyo, said by phone that he did not want to speak with CPJ.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Islands Business publisher Samantha Magick – storyteller, risk-taker and community champion

    By Teagan Laszlo, Queensland University of Technology

    For Samantha Magick, journalism isn’t just a job. It is a lifelong commitment to storytelling, advocacy, and empowering voices often overlooked in the Pacific.

    As the managing editor and publisher at Islands Business, the Pacific Islands’ longest surviving news and business monthly magazine, Magick’s commitment to quality reporting and journalistic integrity has established her as a leading figure in the region’s news industry.

    Magick’s passion for journalism began at a young age.

    “I wanted to be a journalist when I was like 12,” Magick recalls. “When I left school, that’s all I wanted to study.”

    She remembers her family’s disapproval when she would write stories as a child, as they thought she was “sharing secrets”. Despite that early condemnation, Magick’s thriving journalism career has taken her across continents and exposed her to diverse media landscapes.

    After completing a Bachelor of Communications with a major in journalism at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Australia, Magick began her career at Communications Fiji Limited (CFL), a prominent Fijian commercial network.

    She progressed over 11 years from a cadet to CFL’s news director.

    Guidance of first boss
    Magick attributes some of her early success to the guidance of her first boss and CFL’s founder, William Parkinson. She considers herself fortunate to have had a supportive mentor who led by example and dared to take risks early in life, such as founding a radio station in his 20s.

    After leaving CFL, Magick’s career took her across the globe, including regional Pacific non-government organisations, news publications in Hawai’i and Indonesia, and even international legal organisations in Italy.

    Magick, who is of both Fijian and Australian heritage, returned to Suva in 2018, where she began her current role as Islands Business’s managing editor.

    “I’ve chosen to make my life in Fiji because I feel more myself here,” Magick says, reflecting on her deep connection to the island nation.

    Magick’s vision for Islands Business focuses on delving into the deeper, underlying narratives often overshadowed by breaking news cycles and free, readily available news content.

    “We need to be able to demonstrate the value of investigation, big picture reporting rather than the day-to-day stuff,” Magick says.

    Magick prides herself on creating a diverse and inclusive newsroom that reflects the communities it serves.

    Need for diverse newsroom
    “You have to have a diverse newsroom,” she emphasises, recognising the importance of amplifying marginalised voices. “For example, there is a conscious effort to make sure our magazine is not full of photos of men shaking hands with other men.”

    Magick also believes journalists have a responsibility to advocate for change, as demonstrated by Islands Business’s dedication to tackling pressing issues from climate change to media freedom.

    “Why would I give a climate change denier space?” Magick questions when discussing the need to balance objectivity and advocacy. “Because it’s kind of going to sell magazines? Because it’s going to create a bit of a stir online? That’s not something we believe in.”

    Despite her success, Magick’s career has not been without challenges. Magick worked through Fiji’s former draconian media restriction laws under the Media Industry Development Act 2010, while also navigating the shift to digital media.

    Islands Business general manager Samantha Magick (right)
    Islands Business managing editor Samantha Magick (right) with Fiji Times reporter Rakesh Kumar and chief editor Fred Wesley (centre) celebrating the repeal of the draconian Fiji media law last year . . . ““Why would I give a climate change denier space?” Image: Lydia Lewis/RNZ Pacific

    Magick emphasises the need to constantly upskill and re-evaluate strategies to ensure she and Islands Business can effectively navigate the constantly evolving media landscape.

    From learning to capitalise on social media analytics to locating reputable information sources when many of them feared to speak to the journalists due to the risk of legal retribution, Magick believes flexibility and perseverance are crucial to staying ahead in media.

    In her early career, Magick also faced sexism and misogyny in the media industry. “When I think back about the way I was treated as a young journalist, I feel sick,” Magick says as she reflects on how she and her female colleagues would warn each other against interviewing certain sources alone.

    Supporting aspiring journalists
    The challenges Magick has faced undoubtably contribute to her dedication to supporting aspiring journalists, as evident through Kite Pareti’s journey. Starting as a freelance writer with no newswriting experience in March 2022, Pareti has since progressed to one of two full-time reporters at Islands Business.

    Pareti expresses gratitude for the opportunities she’s had while working at Islands Business, and for the mentorship of Magick, whom she describes as “family”.

    “Samantha took a chance on me when I had zero knowledge on news writing,” Pareti says. “So I’m grateful to God for her life and for allowing me to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

    Magick reciprocates this sentiment. “Recently, I am inspired by some of our younger reporters in the field, and their ability to embrace and leverage technology — they’re teaching me.”

    Magick anticipates an exciting period ahead for Islands Business, as she aims to attract a younger, professionally driven, and regionally focused audience to their platforms.

    When asked about her aspirations for journalism in the region, Magick says she hopes to see a future where Pacific voices remain at the centre, “telling their own stories in all their diversities”.

    Teagan Laszlo was a student journalist from the Queensland University of Technology who travelled to Fiji with the support of the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan Mobility Programme. This article is published in a partnership of QUT with Asia Pacific Report, Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN) and The University of the South Pacific.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • French media outlet known for reporting on far-right comes under fresh attack

    New York, October 30, 2024—French authorities must complete their investigation and take steps to ensure the safety of journalists at Radio BIP and its online newspaper Média 25 following the recent attack on the outlet’s offices, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

    “CPJ is alarmed by the recent attack on Radio BIP/Média 25’s headquarters, which follows a disturbing pattern of harassment against this media outlet over the past two years,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Such attacks not only threaten the physical safety of journalists but also create a climate of fear that can severely impact independent reporting. French authorities must take this attack seriously, bring all perpetrators to justice, and implement measures to ensure that journalists can report on issues of public interest safely and without fear of reprisal.”

    On the evening of October 21, unidentified individuals wearing gloves kicked the front door and attempted to forcibly enter the premises of Radio BIP/Média 25’s headquarters in Besançon, eastern France. They triggered the station’s security alarm, damaging the door and lock before fleeing.

    Radio BIP/Média 25, a media outlet known for its reporting on local far-right groups in Besançon, has experienced a series of incidents over the past two years. In May 2022, unknown individuals broke into and entered its premises, robbing equipment; in another incident that same month, its garage door window was broken and an advertising banner was ripped off—followed by successive incidents in which the station received a bomb threat, had its garage door was damaged overnight, and was vandalized with painted swastikas.

    CPJ emailed the Besançon police department requesting comment on the ongoing investigation but did not receive a reply.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Julian Assange Finally Granted Freedom After Pleading “Guilty To Journalism”

    Julian Assange is a free man after spending 5 years in prison and 7 years at a consulate in England. And during a recent hearing for the Council of Europe, Assange made it clear that the only thing he was guilty of was performing journalism. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a […]

    The post Julian Assange Finally Granted Freedom After Pleading “Guilty To Journalism” appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • US elections: Editorial writers at LA Times, Washington Post resign after billionaire owners block Kamala Harris endorsements

    Writers resign from The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times in protest over the blocking of their editorials by the billionaire owners. Video: Democracy Now!

    Democracy Now!

    This is Democracy Now!, “War, Peace and the Presidency.” I am Amy Goodman, with Juan González:

    The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post newspapers are facing mounting backlash after the papers’ publishers announced no presidential endorsements would be made this year. The LA Times is owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, and The Washington Post is owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

    National Public Radio (NPR) is reporting more than 200,000 people have cancelled their Washington Post subscriptions, and counting.

    A number of journalists have also resigned, including the editorials editor at the Los Angeles Times, Mariel Garza, who wrote, “How could we spend eight years railing against Trump and the danger his leadership poses to the country and then fail to endorse the perfectly decent Democrat challenger — who we previously endorsed for the U.S. Senate?”

    Veteran journalists Robert Greene and Karin Klein have also resigned from the L.A. Times editorial board.

    At The Washington Post, David Hoffman and Molly Roberts both resigned on Monday from the Post editorial board. Michele Norris also resigned as a Washington Post columnist, and Robert Kagan resigned as editor-at-large.

    David Hoffman, who just won a Pulitzer Prize for his series “Annals of Autocracy,” wrote, “I believe we face a very real threat of autocracy in the candidacy of Donald Trump. I find it untenable and unconscionable that we have lost our voice at this perilous moment.”

    David Hoffman joins us now, along with former Los Angeles Times editorials editor Mariel Garza.

    David Hoffman, let’s begin with you. Explain why you left The Washington Post editorial board. Oh, and at the same time, congratulations on your Pulitzer Prize.

    DAVID HOFFMAN: Thank you very much.

    I worked for 12 years writing editorials in which I said over and over again, “We cannot be silent in the face of dictatorship, not anywhere.” And I wrote about dissidents who were imprisoned for speaking out.

    And I felt that I couldn’t write another editorial decrying silence if we were going to be silent in the face of Trump’s autocracy. And I feel very, very strongly that the campaign has exposed his intention to be an autocrat.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Hoffman, is there any precedent for the publisher of The Washington Post overruling their own editorial board?

    DAVID HOFFMAN: Yeah, there’s lots of precedent. It’s entirely within the right of the publisher and the owner to do this. Previous owners have often told the editorial board what to say, because we are the voice of the institution and its owner. So, there’s nothing wrong with that.

    What’s wrong here is the timing. If they had made this decision early in the year and announced, as a principle, they don’t want to issue endorsements, nobody would have even blinked. A lot of papers don’t. People have rightly questioned whether they actually have any impact.

    What matters here was, we are right on the doorstep of the most consequential election in our lifetimes. To pull the plug on the endorsement, to go silent against Trump days before the election, that to me was just unconscionable.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Mariel Garza, could you talk about the situation at the LA Times and your reaction when you heard of the owner’s decision?

    MARIEL GARZA: Certainly. It was a long conversation over the course of many weeks. We presented our proposal to endorse Kamala Harris. And, of course, there was — to us, there was no question that we would endorse her. We spent nine years talking about the dangers of Trump, called him unfit in 5 million ways, and Kamala Harris is somebody that we know. She’s a California elected official.

    We’ve had a lot of conversations with her. We’ve seen her career evolved. We were going to — we were going to endorse her. And there was no indication that we were going to suddenly shift to a neutral position, certainly not within a few weeks or months of the election.

    At first, we didn’t get a clear answer — sounds like it’s the same situation that happened at The Washington Post — until we pressed for one. We presented an outline with — these are the points we’re going to make — and an argument for why not only was it important for us, an editorial board whose mission is to speak truth to power, to stand up to tyranny — our readers expect it.

    We’re a very liberal paper. There is no — there is no question what the editorial board believes, that Donald Trump should not be president ever.

    AMY GOODMAN: Mariel, I wanted to —

    MARIEL GARZA: So, it was perplexing. It was mystifying. It was — go ahead.

    AMY GOODMAN: Mariel, I wanted to get your response to the daughter of the LA Times owner. On Saturday, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong’s daughter Nika Soon-Shiong posted a message online suggesting that her father’s decision was linked to Kamala Harris’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

    Nika wrote, “Our family made the joint decision not to endorse a presidential candidate. This was the first and only time I have been involved in the process.

    “As a citizen of a country openly financing genocide, and as a family that experienced South African Apartheid, the endorsement was an opportunity to repudiate justifications for the widespread targeting of journalists and ongoing war on children,” she wrote.

    Her father, Patrick Soon-Shiong, later disputed her claim, saying that she has no role at the Los Angeles Times. Mariel Garza, your response?

    MARIEL GARZA: Look, I really don’t know what to say, because I have — that was — if that was the case, it was never communicated to us. I do not know what goes on in the conversation in the Soon-Shiong household. I know that she is not — she does not participate in deliberations of the editorial board, as far as I know. I’ve never spoken to her.

    We all know how she feels about Gaza, because she’s a prolific tweeter. So, I really can’t say. And this is part of the bigger problem, is we were never given a reason for why we were being silent.

    If there was a reason — say it was Israel — we could have explained that to readers. Instead, we remain silent. And that’s — I mean, this is not a time in American history where anybody can remain silent or neutral.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Hoffman, this whole issue has been raised by some critics of Jeff Bezos that his company has a lot of business with the US government, and whether that had any impact on Bezos’s decision. I’m wondering your thoughts.

    DAVID HOFFMAN: I can’t be inside his mind. His company does have big business, and he’s acknowledged it’s a complicating factor in his ownership. But I can’t really understand why he made this decision, and I don’t think it’s been very well explained. His explanation published today was that he wants sort of more civic quiet, and he thought an endorsement would add to the sense of anxiety and the poisonous atmosphere.

    But I disagree with that. I think, like in the LA Times, I think readers have come to expect us to be a voice of reason, and they’ve looked to endorsements at least for some clarity. So, frankly, I also feel that we’re still lacking an explanation.

    AMY GOODMAN: You know, you have subtitle, the slogan of The Washington Post, of course, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” It’s being mocked all over social media. One person wrote, “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.”

    David Hoffman, your response to that? But also, you won the Pulitzer Prize for your series “Annals of Autocracy,” and you talk about digital billionaires, as well, and what this means. How does this fit into your investigations?

    DAVID HOFFMAN: You know, I would hope everybody would understand and acknowledge that we’ve done a lot of good for democracy and human rights. You know, I’ve had governments react sharply to a single editorial. When we call them out for imprisoning dissidents, it matters that we are very widely read.

    And that’s another reason why I feel this was a big mistake, because we actually were on a path, for decades, of championing democracy and human rights as an institution.

    And, you know, I have to tell you, I wrote a book in Russia about oligarchs. I understand how difficult it is when you have a lively and independent group of journalists. And ownership really matters. And, you know, we’re not just another widget company.

    This is actually a group of very, very deep-thinking and oftentimes very aggressive people that have a desire to change the world. That’s the kind of journalism that The Washington Post has sponsored and engaged in.

    In 2023, we published a series of editorials that took a look deep inside how China, Russia, Burma, you know, other places — how these autocracies function. One of the findings was that many of these dictatorships are using technology to clamp down on dissent, even things as tiny as a single tweet.

    Young people, young college students are being thrown in prison in Cuba, in Belarus, in Vietnam. And I documented these to show how this technology actually isn’t becoming a force for freedom, but it’s being turned on its head by dictatorship.

    AMY GOODMAN: We have to leave it there, David Hoffman, Washington Post reporter, stepped down from the Post editorial board when they refused to endorse a presidential candidate; Mariel Garza, LA Times editorials editor who just resigned.

    I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

    This programme is republished under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States Licence.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Commonwealth takes bold step to protect freedom of expression

    Talamua Media

    The Commonwealth Heads of Government adopted the Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance at their summit meeting in Apia, Samoa, last week.

    These Principles highlight the importance of freedom of expression and media freedom to democracy.  They state that Commonwealth governments “should consider repealing or amending laws which unduly restrict the right to freedom of expression”.

    The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and the Commonwealth Journalists Association called on states to take practical and effective steps to end arbitrary and excessive restrictions on free expression. The Commonwealth as a whole must audit progress and engage with civil society to ensure that these Principles are implemented in reality.

    Freedom of expression is not just a right in itself — it is the foundation that allows us to exercise and defend all other human rights, and is safeguarded under international law.

    However, as we know all too well, this right is under threat.

    According to UNESCO, in Commonwealth countries alone, 178 journalists were killed between 2006 and 2020. Furthermore, the impunity rate for the killings of journalists during that same time is 96 percent — which is notably higher than the global impunity rate of 87 percent.

    Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has documented 547 journalists imprisoned globally as of the end of 2023, with legal harassment often used as a tool to stifle dissent and investigative reporting.

    Restrictive, colonial-era laws
    Many Commonwealth countries still maintain restrictive, colonial-era laws that curtail free expression, suppress diverse voices, and inhibit the transparency that is essential for democracy.

    In the Commonwealth:

    • 41 countries continue to criminalise defamation; 48 countries still retain laws related to sedition; and
    • 37 still have blasphemy or blasphemy-like laws.
    Who Controls The Narrative cover
    Who Controls The Narrative? cover. Image: APR screenshot

    These details are set out in a soon to be released report by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA), with other Commonwealth partners, entitled Who Controls the Narrative? Legal Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in the Commonwealth.

    “These laws, often enforced through criminal sanctions, have a chilling effect on activists, journalists, iand others who fear retaliation for speaking truth to power”, said William Horsley of the Commonwealth Journalists Association.

    “This has led to an alarming rise in self-censorship and a decline in the independent and dissenting voices that are vital for holding governments accountable.”

    Civil society response
    The Principles were first put forward by a group of civil society organisations in response to  a general deterioration in legal protections and the working environment for journalists.

    The CJA convened other civil society organisations, including the CHRI, Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, before Commonwealth member states reviewed and adopted the Principles in the form which was adopted by heads of government at the 2024 CHOGM.

    States are “urged to take concrete and meaningful steps to implement them within their domestic frameworks, as set out in the CHOGM Samoa Communiqué“.

    The joint report Who Controls the Narrative? Legal Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in the Commonwealth reveals the increasing use of criminal law provisions, including those related to defamation, sedition, blasphemy, and national security, to restrict freedom of expression and media freedom within the Commonwealth.

    The report is the product of extensive collaboration between Commonwealth partners, legal experts, academics, human rights advocates, and media professionals, and provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal frameworks governing freedom of expression and outlines clear pathways for reform.

    In addition to analysing legal restrictions on free speech in Commonwealth states, the report puts forward actionable recommendations for reform.

    These include regional and national-level proposals, as well as broader Commonwealth-wide recommendations aimed at strengthening legal frameworks, promoting judicial independence, encouraging media pluralism, and enhancing international accountability mechanisms.

    Reforms essential
    These reforms are essential for establishing an environment where free expression can thrive, allowing individuals to speak without fear of reprisal.

    “While many member states share a colonial legal legacy that includes repressive laws still in effect today, they also share a commitment to democratic governance and the rule of law as set out in the Commonwealth Charter,” said Sneh Aurora, director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.

    “The Commonwealth has the potential to lead by example in promoting freedom of expression through legal reform, ensuring that criminal laws are not misused to silence dissent.

    “The Principles provide an important opportunity for Commonwealth governments to bring their national laws in line with international human rights laws.”

    Republished with permission from Talamua Online.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Climate’ CHOGM success for Samoa but what’s in it for the Pacific?

    COMMENTARY: By Tess Newton Cain

    As CHOGM came to a close, Samoa rightfully basked in the resounding success for the country and people as hosts of the Commonwealth leaders’ meeting.

    Footage of Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa swaying along to the siva dance as she sat beside Britain’s King Charles III encapsulated a palpable national pride, well deserved on delivering such a high-profile gathering.

    Getting down to the business of dissecting the meeting outcomes — in the leaders’ statement and Samoa communiqué — there are several issues that are significant for the Pacific island members of this post-colonial club.

    As expected, climate change features prominently in the text, with more than 30 mentions including three that refer to the “climate crisis”. This will resonate highly for Pacific members, as will the support for COP 31 in 2026 to be jointly hosted by Australia and the Pacific.


    Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa opening CHOGM 2024. Video: Talamua Media

    One of the glaring contradictions of this joint COP bid is illustrated by the lack of any call to end fossil fuel extraction in the final outcomes.

    Tuvalu, Fiji and Vanuatu used the CHOGM to launch the latest Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative report, with a focus on Australia’s coal and gas mining. This reflects the diversity of Commonwealth membership, which includes some states whose economies remain reliant on fossil fuel extractive industries.

    As highlighted ahead of CHOGM, this multilateral gave the 56 members a chance to consider positions to take to COP 29 next month in Baku, Azerbaijan. The communiqué from the leaders highlights the importance of increased ambition when it comes to climate finance at COP 29, and particularly to address the needs of developing countries.

    Another drawcard
    That speaks to all the Pacific island nations and gives the region’s negotiators another drawcard on the international stage.

    Then came the unexpected, Papua New Guinea made a surprise announcement that it will not attend the global conference in Baku next month. Speaking at the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States, PNG’s Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko framed this decision as a stand on behalf of small island nations as a protest against “empty promises and inaction.”

    As promised, a major output of this meeting was the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration for One Resilient Common Future. This is the first oceans-focused declaration by the Commonwealth of Nations, and is somewhat belated given 49 of its 56 member states have ocean borders.

    The declaration has positions familiar to Pacific policymakers and activists, including the recognition of national maritime boundaries despite the impacts of climate change and the need to reduce emissions from global shipping. A noticeable omission is any reference to deep-sea mining, which is also a faultline within the Pacific collective.

    The text relating to reparations for trans-Atlantic slavery required extensive negotiation among the leaders, Australia’s ABC reported. While this issue has been driven by African and Caribbean states, it is one that touches the Pacific as well.

    ‘Blackbirding’ reparative justice
    South Sea Islander “blackbirding” is one of the colonial practices that will be considered within the context of reparative justice. During the period many tens-of-thousands of Pacific Islanders were indentured to Australia’s cane fields, Fiji’s coconut plantations and elsewhere.

    The trade to Queensland and New South Wales lasted from 1847 to 1904, while those destinations were British colonies until 1901. Indeed, the so-called “sugar slaves” were a way of getting cheap labour once Britain officially abolished slavery in 1834.

    The next secretary-general of the Commonwealth will be Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. Questions have been raised about the quality of her predecessor Patricia Scotland’s leadership for some time and the change will hopefully go some way in alleviating concerns.

    Notably, the CHOGM has selected another woman to lead its secretariat. This is an important endorsement of female leadership among member countries where women are often dramatically underrepresented at national levels.

    While it received little or no fanfare, the Commonwealth has also released its revised Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance. This is a welcome contribution, given the threats to media freedom in the Pacific and elsewhere. It reflects a longstanding commitment by the Commonwealth to supporting democratic resilience among its members.

    These principles do not come with any enforcement mechanism behind them, and the most that can be done is to encourage or exhort adherence. However, they provide another potential buffer against attempts to curtail their remit for publishers, journalists, and bloggers in Commonwealth countries.

    The outcomes reveal both progress and persistent challenges for Pacific island nations. While Apia’s Commonwealth Ocean Declaration emphasises oceanic issues, its lack of provisions on deep-sea mining exposes intra-Commonwealth tensions. The change in leadership offers a pivotal opportunity to prioritise equity and actionable commitments.

    Ultimately, the success of this gathering will depend on translating discussions into concrete actions that address the urgent needs of Pacific communities facing an uncertain future.

    But as the guests waved farewell, the question of what the Commonwealth really means for its Pacific members remains until leaders meet in two years time in Antigua and Barbuda, a small island state in the Caribbean.

    Tess Newton Cain is a principal consultant at Sustineo P/L and adjunct associate professor at the Griffith Asia Institute. She is a former lecturer at the University of the South Pacific and has more than 25 years of experience working in the Pacific Islands region. Republished with the permission of BenarNews.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Echoes of a Lost Gaza – Al Jazeera documentary on a brutal war

    Pacific Media Watch

    Mariam Shahin has been making films about Gaza for more than 30 years.

    She has also made many documentaries and short films for Al Jazeera English since it launched in 2006.

    When she moved to Gaza in 2005, she felt a powerful sense of optimism following the Israeli withdrawal.

    Mariam Shahin
    Mariam Shahin . . . revisiting the Gaza people and lives the film maker has met over the years. Image: MS

    But by 2009, war had badly damaged its infrastructure, neighbourhoods, businesses and communities — and that optimism had evaporated.

    Now, in the wake of the even more destructive war that began on 7 October 2023, Shahin seeks out the people she has met in Gaza over the years.

    She reflects on the wasted potential and devastated lives after 16 years of blockade and a year of one of the most destructive wars in Middle East history.


    Echoes of a Lost Gaza: 2005-2024.     Video: Al Jazeera

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Two of the US’s biggest newspapers have refused to endorse a presidential candidate. This is how democracy dies

    ANALYSIS: By Denis Muller, The University of Melbourne

    In February 2017, as Donald Trump took office, The Washington Post adopted the first slogan in its 140-year history: “Democracy Dies in Darkness”.

    How ironic, then, that it should now be helping to extinguish the flame of American democracy by refusing to endorse a candidate for the forthcoming presidential election.

    This decision, and a similar one by the second of America’s big three newspapers, the Los Angeles Times, disgraces journalism, disgraces the papers’ own heritage and represents an abandonment of civic responsibility at a moment when United States faces its most consequential presidential election since the Civil War.

    At stake is whether the United States remains a functioning democracy or descends into a corrupt plutocracy led by a convicted criminal who has already incited violence to overturn a presidential election and has shown contempt for the conventions on which democracy rests.

    Why did they do it?
    Why would two of the Western world’s finest newspapers take such a recklessly irresponsible decision?

    It cannot be on the basis of any rational assessment of the respective fitness for office of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

    It also cannot be on the basis of their own reporting and analysis of the candidates, where the lies and threats issued by Trump have been fearlessly recorded. In this context, the decision to not endorse a candidate is a betrayal of their own editorial staff. The Post’s editor-at-large, Robert Kagan, resigned in protest at the paper’s decision not to endorse Harris.

    This leaves, in my view, a combination of cowardice and greed as the only feasible explanation. Both newspapers are owned by billionaire American businessmen: The Post by Jeff Bezos, who owns Amazon, and the LA Times by Patrick Soon-Shiong, who made his billions through biotechnology.

    Bezos bought The Post in 2013 through his private investment company Nash Holdings, and Soon-Shiong bought the LA Times in 2018 through his investment firm Nant Capital. Both run the personal risk of suffering financially should a Trump presidency turn out to be hostile towards them.

    During the election campaign, Trump has made many threats of retaliation against those in the media who oppose him. He has indicated that if he regains the White House, he will exact vengeance on news outlets that anger him, toss reporters in jail and strip major television networks of their broadcast licenses as retribution for coverage he doesn’t like.


    Trump threatens to jail political opponents.  Video: CBS News

    Logic would suggest that in the face of these threats, the media would do all in their power to oppose a Trump presidency, if not out of respect for democracy and free speech then at least in the interests of self-preservation. But fear and greed are among the most powerful of human impulses.

    The purchase of these two giants of the American press by wealthy businessmen is a consequence of the financial pressures exerted on the professional mass media by the internet and social media.

    Bezos was welcomed with open arms by the Graham family, which had owned The Post for four generations. But the paper faced unsustainable financial losses arising from the loss of advertising to the internet.

    At first he was seen not just by the Grahams but by the executive editor, Marty Baron, as a saviour. He injected large sums of money into the paper, enabling it to regain much of the prestige and journalistic capacity it had lost.

    Baron, in his book Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos and The Washington Post, was full of praise for Bezos’s financial commitment to the paper, and for his courage in the face of Trumpian hostility. During Trump’s presidency, the paper kept a log of his lies, tallying them up at 30,573 over the four years.

    Against this history, the paper’s abdication of its responsibilities now is explicable only by reference to a loss of heart by Bezos.

    At the LA Times, the ownership of the Otis-Chandler families also spanned four generations, but the impact of the internet took a savage toll there as well. Between 2000 and 2018 its ownership passed through three hands, ending up with Soon-Shiong.

    Both newspapers reached the zenith of their journalistic accomplishments during the last three decades of the 20th century, winning Pulitzer Prices and, in the case of The Post, becoming globally famous for its coverage of the Watergate scandal.

    This, in the days when American democracy was functioning according to convention, led to the resignation of Richard Nixon as president.

    The two reporters responsible for this coverage, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, issued a statement about the decision to not endorse a candidate:

    Marty Baron, who was a ferociously tough editor, posted on X: “This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty.”

    Now, of the big three, only The New York Times is prepared to endorse a candidate for next month’s election. It has endorsed Harris, saying of Trump: “It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States.”

    Why does it matter?
    It matters because in democracies the media are the means by which voters learn not just about facts but about the informed opinion of those who, by virtue of access and close acquaintance, are well placed to make assessments of candidates between whom those voters are to choose. It is a core function of the media in democratic societies.

    Their failure is symptomatic of the malaise into which American democracy has sunk.

    In 2018, two professors of government at Harvard, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, published a book, How Democracies Die. It was both reflective and prophetic. Noting that the United States was now more polarised than at any time since the Civil War, they wrote:

    America is no longer a democratic model. A country whose president attacks the press, threatens to lock up his rival, and declares he might not accept the election results cannot credibly defend democracy. Both potential and existing autocrats are likely to be emboldened with Trump in the White House.

    Symbolically, that The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times should have gone dark at this moment is reminiscent of the remark made in 1914 by Britain’s foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey:

    The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.The Conversation

    Dr Denis Muller is senior research fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Owner Jeff Bezos Reportedly Nixes Washington Post Endorsement of Harris

    The publisher of The Washington Post announced Friday that the paper wouldn’t make an endorsement in the U.S. presidential race, with its newsroom reporting that the decision was made by billionaire owner Jeff Bezos, who intervened to stop a drafted endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. Publisher William Lewis wrote that the paper would return to its “roots” of…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • CPJ, partners’ report highlights ‘rapid’ deterioration of press freedom ahead of Georgia elections

    The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday, October 25, joined eight partner organizations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists and members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response consortium in issuing a report on the state of Georgia’s press freedom ahead of the country’s pivotal October 26 election.

    The report, which follows an October fact-finding mission to Georgia, highlights the “climate of fear” under which journalists operate following the passage of a Russian-style “foreign agents” law and issues recommendations on key challenges faced by independent media, including physical attacks, intimidation campaigns, and impunity.

    Read the full report: Press Freedom and Journalist Safety in Peril, Rising Polarisation and a Climate of Fear.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Election 2024 Lies: Money Media Misses the Mark | Meet the BIPOC Press


    This content originally appeared on Laura Flanders & Friends and was authored by Laura Flanders & Friends.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • RSF tackles Taiwan’s media freedom ‘Achilles heel’, boosts Asia Pacific monitoring action

    SPECIAL REPORT: By David Robie in Taipei

    It was a heady week for the Paris-based global media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) — celebration of seven years of its Taipei office, presenting a raft of proposals to the Taiwan government, and hosting its Asia-Pacific network of correspondents.

    Director general Thibaut Bruttin and the Taipei bureau chief Cedric Alviani primed the Taipei media scene before last week’s RSF initiatives with an op-ed in the Taiwan Times by acknowledging the country’s media freedom advances in the face of Chinese propaganda.

    Taiwan rose eight places to 27th in the RSF World Press Freedom Index this year – second only to Timor-Leste in the Asia-Pacific region.

    But the co-authors also warned over the credibility damage caused by media “too often neglect[ing] journalistic ethics for political or commercial reasons”.

    As a result, only three in 10 Taiwanese said they trusted the news media, according to a Reuters Institute survey conducted in 2022, one of the lowest percentages among democracies.

    “This climate of distrust gives disproportionate influence to platforms, in particular Facebook and Line, despite them being a major vector of false or biased information,” Bruttin and Alviani wrote.

    “This credibility deficit for traditional media, a real Achilles heel of Taiwanese democracy, puts it at risk of being exploited for malicious purposes, with potentially dramatic consequences.”

    Press freedom programme
    At a meeting with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and senior foreign affairs officials, Bruttin and his colleagues presented RSF’s innovative programme for improving press freedom, including the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), the first ISO-certified media quality standard; the Paris Charter on Artificial Intelligence and Journalism; and the Propaganda Monitor, a project aimed at combating propaganda and disinformation worldwide.

    RSF director-general Thibaut Bruttin speaking at the reception celebrating seven years of Taipei's Asia Pacific office
    RSF director-general Thibaut Bruttin speaking at the reception celebrating seven years of Taipei’s Asia Pacific office. Image: Pacific Media Watch

    The week also highlighted concerns over the export of the China’s “New World Media Order”, which is making inroads in some parts of the Asia-Pacific region, including the Pacific.

    At the opening session of the Asia-Pacific correspondents’ seminar, delegates referenced the Chinese disinformation and assaults on media freedom strategies that have been characterised as the “great leap backwards for journalism” in China.

    “Disinformation — the deliberate spreading of false or biased news to manipulate minds — is gaining ground around the world,” Bruttin and Alviani warned in their article.

    “As China and Russia sink into authoritarianism and export their methods of censorship and media control, democracies find themselves overwhelmed by an incessant flow of propaganda that threatens the integrity of their institutions.”

    Both Bruttin and Alviani spoke of these issues too at the celebration of the seventh anniversary of the Asia-Pacific office in Taipei.

    Why Taipei? Hongkong had been an “likely choice, but not safe legally”, admitted Bruttin when they were choosing their location, so the RSF team are happy with the choice of Taiwan.

    Hub for human rights activists
    “I think we were among the first NGOs to have established a presence here. We kind of made a bet that Taipei would be a hub for human rights activists, and we were right.”

    About 200 journalists, media workers and press freedom and human rights advocates attended the birthday bash in the iconic Grand Hotel’s Yuanshan Club. So it wasn’t surprising that there was a lot of media coverage raising the issues.

    RSF director-general Thibaut Bruttin (centre) with correspondents Dr David Robie and Dr Joseph Fernandez
    RSF director-general Thibaut Bruttin (centre) with correspondents Dr David Robie and Dr Joseph Fernandez in Taipei. Image: Pacific Media Watch

    In an interview with Voice of America’s Joyce Huang, Bruttin was more specific about the “insane” political propaganda threats from China faced by Taiwan.

    However, Taiwan “has demonstrated resilience and has rich experience in resisting cyber information attacks, which can be used as a reference for the world”.

    Referencing China as the world’s “biggest jailer of journalists”, Bruttin said: “We’re very worried, obviously.” He added about some specific cases: “We’ve had very troublesome reports about the situation of Zhang Zhan, for example, who was the laureate of the RSF’s [2021 press freedom] awards [in the courage category] and had been just released from jail, now is sent back to jail.

    “We know the lack of treatment if you have a medical condition in the Chinese prisons.

    “Another example is Jimmy Lai, the Hongkong press freedom mogul, he’s very likely to die in jail if nothing happens. He’s over 70.

    “And there is very little reason to believe that, despite his dual citizenship, the British government will be able to get him a safe passage to Europe.”

    Problem for Chinese public
    Bruttin also expressed concern about the problem for the general public, especially in China where he said a lot of people had been deprived of the right to information “worthy of that name”.

    “And we’re talking about hundreds of millions of people. And it’s totally scandalous to see how bad information is treated in the People’s Republic of China.”

    Seventeen countries in the Asia-Pacific region were represented in the network seminar.

    Representatives of Australia, Cambodia, Hongkog, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, Tibet, Thailand and Vietnam were present. However, three correspondents (Malaysia, Singapore and Timor-Leste) were unable to be personally present.

    Discussion and workshop topics included the RSF Global Strategy; the Asia-Pacific network and the challenges being faced; best practice as correspondents; “innovative solutions” against disinformation; public advocacy (for authoritarian regimes; emerging democracies, and “leading” democracies); “psychological support” – one of the best sessions; and the RSF Crisis Response.

    RSF Oceania colleagues Dr David Robie (left) and Dr Joseph Fernandez
    RSF Oceania colleagues Dr David Robie (left) and Dr Joseph Fernandez . . . mounting challenges. Image: Pacific Media Watch

    What about Oceania (including Australia and New Zealand) and its issues? Fortunately, the countries being represented have correspondents who can speak our publicly, unlike some in the region facing authoritarian responses.

    Australia
    Australian correspondent Dr Joseph M Fernandez, visiting associate professor at Curtin University and author of the book Journalists and Confidential Sources: Colliding Public Interests in the Age of the Leak, notes that Australia sits at 39th in the RSF World Press Freedom Index — a drop of 12 places from the previous year.

    “While this puts Australia in the top one quarter globally, it does not reflect well on a country that supposedly espouses democratic values. It ranks behind New Zealand, Taiwan, Timor-Leste and Bhutan,” he says.

    “Australia’s press freedom challenges are manifold and include deep-seated factors, including the influence of oligarchs whose own interests often collide with that of citizens.

    “While in opposition the current Australian federal government promised reforms that would have improved the conditions for press freedom, but it has failed to deliver while in government.

    “Much needs to be done in clawing back the over-reach of national security laws, and in freeing up information flow, for example, through improved whistleblower law, FOI law, source protection law, and defamation law.”

    Dr Fernandez criticises the government’s continuing culture of secrecy and says there has been little progress towards improving transparency and accountability.

    “The media’s attacks upon itself are not helping either given the constant moves by some media and their backers to undermine the efforts of some journalists and some media organisations, directly or indirectly.”

    A proposal for a “journalist register” has also stirred controversy.

    Dr Fernandez also says the war on Gaza has “highlighted the near paralysis” of many governments of the so-called established democracies in “bringing the full weight of their influence to end the loss of lives and human suffering”.

    “They have also failed to demonstrate strong support for journalists’ ability to tell important stories.”


    An English-language version of this tribute to the late RSF director-general Christophe Deloire, who died from cancer on 8 June 2024, was screened at the RSF Taipei reception. He was 53. Video: RSF

    Aotearoa New Zealand
    In New Zealand (19th in the RSF Index), although journalists work in an environment free from violence and intimidation, they have increasingly faced online harassment. Working conditions became tougher in early 2022 when, during protests against covid-19 vaccinations and restrictions and a month-long “siege” of Parliament, journalists were subjected to violence, insults and death threats, which are otherwise extremely rare in the country.

    Research published in December 2023 revealed that high rates of abuse and threats directed at journalists put the country at risk of “mob censorship” – citizen vigilantism seeking to “discipline” journalism. Women journalists bore the brunt of the online abuse with one respondent describing her inbox as a “festering heap of toxicity”.

    While New Zealand society is wholeheartedly multicultural, with mutual recognition between the Māori and European populations enshrined in the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, this balance is under threat from a draft Treaty Principles Bill.

    The nation’s bicultural dimension is not entirely reflected in the media, still dominated by the English-language press. A rebalancing is taking place, as seen in the success of the Māori Television network and many Māori-language programmes in mass media, such as Te Karere, The Hui and Te Ao Māori News.

    Media plurality and democracy is under growing threat with massive media industry cuts this year.

    New Zealand media also play an important role as a regional communications centre for other South Pacific nations, via Tagata Pasifika, Pacific Media Network and others.

    Papua New Guinea's Belinda Kora (left) and RSF colleagues
    Papua New Guinea’s Belinda Kora (left) and RSF colleagues . . . “collaborating in our Pacific efforts in seeking the truth”. Image: Pacific Media Watch

    Papua New Guinea
    The Papua New Guinea correspondent, Belinda Kora, who is secretary of the revised PNG Media Council and an ABC correspondent in Port Moresby, succeeded former South Pacific Post Ltd chief executive Bob Howarth, the indefatigable media freedom defender of both PNG and Timor-Leste.

    Currently PNG (91st in the RSF Index) is locked in a debate over a controversial draft government media policy – now in its fifth version – that critics regard as a potential tool to crack down on media freedom. But Kora is optimistic about RSF’s role.

    “I am excited about what RSF is able and willing to bring to a young Pacific region — full of challenges against the press,” she says.

    “But more importantly, I guess, is that the biggest threat in PNG would be itself, if it continues to go down the path of not being able to adhere to simple media ethics and guidelines.

    “It must hold itself accountable before it is able to hold others in the same way.

    “We have a small number of media houses in PNG but if we are able to stand together as one and speak with one voice against the threats of ownership and influence, we can achieve better things in future for this industry.

    “We need to protect our reporters if they are to speak for themselves and their experiences as well. We need to better provide for their everyday needs before we can write the stories that need to be told.

    “And this lies with each media house.

    The biggest threat for the Pacific as a whole? “I guess the most obvious one would be being able to remain self-regulated BUT not being accountable for breaching our individual code of ethics.

    “Building public trust remains vital if we are to move forward. The lack of media awareness also contributes to the lack of ensuring media is given the attention it deserves in performing its role — no matter how big or small our islands are,” Kora says.

    “The press should remain free from government influence, which is a huge challenge for many island industries, despite state ownership.

    Kora believes that although Pacific countries are “scattered in the region”, they are able to help each other more, to better enhance capacity building and learning from their mistakes with collaboration.

    “By collaborating in our efforts in seeking the truth behind many of our big stories that is affecting our people. This I believe will enable us to improve our performance and accountability.”

    Example to the region
    Meanwhile, back in Taiwan on the day that RSF’s Thibaut Bruttin flew out, he gave a final breakfast interview to China News Agency (CNA) reporter Teng Pei-ju who wrote about the country building up its free press model as an example to the region.

    “Taiwan really is one of the test cases for the robustness of journalism in the world,” added Bruttin, reflecting on the country’s transformation from an authoritarian regime that censored information into a vibrant democracy that fights disinformation.

    Dr David Robie, convenor of the Asia Pacific Media Network’s Pacific Media Watch project and author of several media and politics books, including Don’t Spoil My Beautiful Face: Media, Mayhem and Human Rights in the Pacific, has been an RSF correspondent since 1996.

    RSF Asia Pacific correspondents and staff
    RSF Asia Pacific correspondents and staff pictured at the Grand Hotel’s Yuanshan Club. Image: RSF

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • UN rapporteur condemns Israeli ‘death sentence’ claim trying to silence last Gaza journalists

    Pacific Media Watch

    Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, says Israel’s declaration that six Al Jazeera journalists are members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad “sounds like a death sentence”.

    “These 6 Palestinians are among the last journalists surviving Israel’s onslaught in Gaza [with 130+ of their colleagues killed in the last year],” Albanese wrote on X. “They must be protected at all costs.”

    Al Jazeera Media Network has strongly condemned the “unfounded’ accusations by Israel’s military, saying it views them “as a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide”.

    The network noted that Israeli forces in Gaza have killed more than 130 journalists and media workers in the past year, including several Al Jazeera journalists, “in an attempt to silence the messenger”.

    Al Jazeera has strongly rejected the Israeli military claim.

    In a post on X, the Israeli military had accused some of the named Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents as “operatives” working for Hamas’s armed wing to promote the group’s “propaganda” in the besieged and bombarded enclave.

    The six named journalists are Anas al-Sharif, Talal Aruki, Alaa Salama, Hosam Shabat, Ismail Farid, and Ashraf Saraj.

    According to an Al Jazeera Network statement, the military published “documents” that it claimed proved the “integration of Hamas terrorists within” Al Jazeera. The military claimed the papers showed lists of people who have completed training courses and salaries.

    ‘Fabicated evidence’
    “Al Jazeera categorically rejects the Israeli occupation forces’ portrayal of our journalists as terrorists and denounces their use of fabricated evidence,” the network said.

    “The network views these fabricated accusations as a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide,” the statement read.

    It said the “baseless” accusations came following a recent report by Al Jazeera’s investigative unit that revealed potential war crimes committed by Israeli forces during the continuing assault on Gaza, where more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed — many of them women and children.

    Al Jazeera said its correspondents had been reporting from northern Gaza and documenting the dire humanitarian situation unfolding “as the sole international media” outlet there.

    Israel has severely restricted access to Gaza for international media outlets since it launched its assault on the Palestinian territory on October 7, 2023, in response to a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.


    Gaza: The Al Jazeera investigation into Israeli war crimes.

    Northern Gaza has been under siege for 19 days as Israeli forces continue a renewed ground offensive in the area.

    About 770 people have been killed in Jabalia since the renewed assault began, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, with Israel blocking the entry of aid and food from reaching some 400,000 people trapped in the area.

    ‘Wider pattern of hostility’
    “The network sees these accusations as part of a wider pattern of hostility towards Al Jazeera, stemming from its unwavering commitment to broadcasting the unvarnished truth about the situation in Gaza and elsewhere.”

    Last month, Israeli forces raided Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and ordered its immediate closure following the decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet in May 2024 to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations within Israel.

    Israeli forces have killed at least three Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza since October last year.

    In July, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed in an Israeli air attack on the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. The pair were wearing media vests and there were identifying signs on their vehicle when they were attacked.

    In December, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Samer Abudaqa was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Dahdouh, was also wounded in that attack.

    Dadouh’s wife, son, daughter and grandson had been killed in an Israeli air raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp in October last year.

    In January, Dahdouh’s son, Hamza, who was also an Al Jazeera journalist, was killed in an Israeli missile strike in Khan Younis.

    Prior to the war on Gaza, veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by Israeli forces as she covered an Israeli raid in Jenin in the West Bank in May 2022.

    Republished from Al Jazeera.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Independent media could disappear’: Georgian journalists on the country’s high stakes elections

    On October 26, Georgia heads into what is widely viewed as its most critical election since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The incumbent party Georgian Dream is pitted against a loose coalition of pro-Western parties united under the Georgian Charter, a roadmap for Georgian integration into the European Union.

    Georgia’s relation to the EU is a central issue of the vote. While the population is overwhelmingly in favor of joining the union — the country was granted EU candidate status last year  — Georgian Dream has taken a sharply anti-Western turn, sparking fears it is steering the country into neighboring Russia’s embrace. In May, parliament overrode a presidential veto to pass a Russian-style “foreign agents” law, directly targeting the heavily donor-reliant independent press. If Georgian Dream wins the parliamentary election, it has vowed to crack down on what it calls the “collective” opposition, a threat many fear extends to the pro-opposition press.

    On a fact-finding mission to Georgia this month with several partner groups, CPJ asked  local journalists, advocates, and a journalist turned opposition politician what they feel is at stake in the upcoming vote. Their answers have been edited for length and clarity.

    CPJ emailed the Georgian Dream party for comment on the concerns raised by interviewees, but did not receive a reply.

    Mamuka Andguladze (Photo: Courtesy of Media Advocacy Coalition)

    Mamuka Andguladze, chair of Media Advocacy Coalition, which promotes media rights

    How important are this month’s elections for press freedom in Georgia?

    The upcoming elections represent a critical juncture for press freedom in Georgia. At stake is not only the integrity of our democratic processes but also the very foundation of independent Georgian journalism. In what is already a very challenging landscape, the adoption of the “Russian law” [the “foreign agents” law] poses a severe threat to independent media’s survival. The law stigmatizes media outlets as “organizations pursuing the interests of a foreign power” essentially as “foreign agents.” It subjects them to invasive monitoring and an obligation to provide authorities with any information they demand, which could threaten outlets’ sources and contacts, making it impossible for them to operate. This is not to mention heavy fines for alleged violations.

    Georgian journalists are frequently the target of violence, as we saw during the terrible events of July 2021 [when anti-LGBT demonstrators attacked dozens of journalists] and the tragic death of camera operator Aleksandre Lashkarava [who was beaten at the protests]. They are subject to verbal attacks from officials and orchestrated intimidation campaigns. This creates a climate of fear which diminishes the quality of reporting, as journalists are less likely to investigate sensitive topics. Online harassment and disinformation campaigns against critical journalists and media are rampant. Longstanding issues of impunity for attacks against journalists fuel further violence. The ongoing boycott by the ruling party toward independent and critical media and severe problems with access to official information remain existential threats. Economic pressures are intense, with many outlets struggling for funding.

    Despite all these challenges, past experiences — when the media actively covered mass protests against the “Russian law” and contributed to increasing public awareness — give me hope. I have great faith in our independent media and am confident that they are capable of defending their own rights and the historical choice of the Georgian people to join the European family.

    Nino Zuriashvili (Photo: Courtesy of Studio Monitor)

    Nino Zuriashvili, head of Studio Monitor, an independent outlet making investigative documentaries

    What is at stake for independent media in the upcoming elections?

    We in Georgia have never had such an important election. After 33 years of independence from the Soviet Union, it’s a shame, but we are once again deciding our direction, our orientation – either we will again be a province of Russia or we will join the European Union as an equal country.

    It means we’ll either have a Russian-style government or a European-style one. And we know what they do with journalists in Russia.

    What does this “orientation” mean for the media? It’s not just a word. It means we’ll either have a Russian-style government or a European-style one. And we know what they do with journalists in Russia. Dozens of journalists have been killed. Journalists are not free there, they are intimidated, they are forced out of the country. In the media we face two possible futures: independence, the freedom to work and grow, to develop as professionals, or be intimidated, imprisoned, killed, to flee and seek asylum.

    What difficulties has Studio Monitor faced under the current authorities, and what problems might you face after the elections?

    We already know that if the current government remains in power, Studio Monitor will be a major target of the “Russian law.” We specialize in investigations into corruption, nepotism, and official abuses. We also took the lead in organizing media protests against the “Russian law.” We know that many in the government are irritated by us. A ruling party politician who is widely thought to have organized a campaign of intimidation against opponents of the [“foreign agents”] law publicly named us as a key target. They stencil graffitied “Agents’ HQ” outside our office, put up dozens of posters of me outside our office and outside my apartment with slogans like “No place in Georgia for agents,” and graffitied my car with obscene images calling me a prostitute and an agent. Like many others, I received dozens of abusive calls, swearing at me and telling me to stop calling the [“foreign agents”] law a “Russian law.” They even called my sister and threatened her over my opposition to the law. This all happened at the same time as leading opponents of the law were severely beaten outside their homes. So it was deeply intimidating, even if we continue to resist.

    So we know what to expect if the ruling party stays in power. Even if they haven’t used the [“foreign agents”] law ahead of the elections, we know they will start to use it afterwards, and we know that over time, they will make this law more and more strict. We’ve seen how this went in Russia and we know what awaits.

    That’s why this election is different. This election will decide our fate. Independent media could disappear.

    Nika Gvaramia (Photo: Reuters/David Mdzinarishvili)

    Nika Gvaramia, former director of broadcaster Mtavari Arkhi and 2023 CPJ International Press Freedom Award winner, now a leader of opposition group Coalition for Change

    You left the media earlier this year to become an opposition leader, but you still keep a close eye on the press. How important are these elections for media freedom in Georgia?

    These elections are crucial, not just for media freedom in Georgia, but for every kind of freedom. This is not a regular election, where you’re choosing between better or worse governance; it’s about authoritarianism, it’s about choosing between Western civilization or Russia and some kind of political Mordor [the realm of Dark Lord Sauron in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”]. Under authoritarianism, there is no special space for different kinds of freedom. And there is no chance that a Russian-backed regime could be favorable to freedoms of speech and the media. That means that everything is at stake in these elections, including perhaps first of all freedom of speech.

    If there is no change of government in a few weeks, it means that [independent] media will be shut down. The “Russian law” is about closing down media outlets, closing down critical NGOs. And one of the promises of the ruling party if they win a constitutional majority is to abolish all opposition parties. If they are abolishing opposition parties, what do you think they will do with the media? Georgian media is highly professional, highly devoted, and pretty fearless, so the media is a number one target. If Georgian Dream prevails, there will be no opposition parties, they will be shutting down media and NGOs, and there will be tens or hundreds of political prisoners – as a former political prisoner myself, I know. [Gvaramia served more than a year of a three and a half year sentence in retaliation for his reporting before being released from prison in May 2023.]

    How will you reform the press freedom environment if your coalition comes to power?

    International pressure played a crucial role in my release, especially the efforts of CPJ. Following this, I set up the Ahali [“New”] party, because I feel I can make more of a difference being directly engaged in politics. When we win – not if – we will open negotiations with the EU, we will repeal any law that is against the European understanding of democracy.  We’ve signed a charter pledging to do this, and we will follow it.

    Georgian media has been deeply damaged by this regime, especially financially. As former director of Georgia’s leading independent broadcaster, I can say that they have deliberately passed laws restricting the advertising market, which is vital for independent TV, put pressure on broadcasters’ financial backers and on those who place ads. They have hit broadcasters with SLAPP suits [Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation] and fines from the broadcast regulator that is under their control. Not to mention mob violence, incited and orchestrated by the government. Georgian media desperately needs more income, and we need to bolster the media’s financial situation by bringing in special tax regulations and restoring a properly functioning advertising market. And simply more free speech. On paper, Georgia has great laws on press freedom and freedom of speech, on a par with the United States; they just need to be put into effect. We will do that.

    Independent media, opposition parties, NGOs, and most importantly – Georgian society itself, especially the young, what we call the BIG generations, “Born In Georgia” [after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991] – we are all united. We must and we will prevail.

    Nestan Tsetskhladze (Photo: Anka Gujabidze)

    Nestan Tsetskhladze, editor-in-chief of independent news website Netgazeti

    How are you viewing these elections in terms of the press’s ability to function?

    Independent Georgian media have never had an easy time, but now things are particularly bad. If the law passed in 2024 on “foreign agents”—which we call the “Russian law”—and the law on the protection of “family values” [which allows for fines against media outlets found “promoting” LGBT issues] are not repealed after the elections, these laws — which amount to the legalization of censorship — will prevent independent media outlets from continuing their activities in Georgia, just as happened in Russia after the adoption of similar legislation.

    This is the first election out of many that we have covered which could decide our own fate, as journalists and free people in Georgia.

    This is the first election out of many that we have covered which could decide our own fate, as journalists and free people in Georgia. So it’s an unusual situation for us too — the result of this election could abolish our profession and everything we’ve been working on for two decades, as journalists and as media outlets. However, I don’t think that will happen, and I believe that the citizens of this country will not choose repression, the disappearance of the media, and civil society.

    How is Netgazeti navigating current challenges, including the “foreign agents” law?

    Netgazeti has not registered as a “foreign agent.” This is our editorial decision because we believe that continuing our journalistic activities under the label of a “foreign agent” damages our professional reputation and portrays us as a media outlet without editorial independence, which is not the case. In addition, working under such a label endangers the physical safety of all journalists working here. So far, we have not been fined for not registering as “agents,” but we will appeal any such step at the European Court of Human Rights. We intend to legally fight for our rights as long as possible while continuing to inform the Georgian people.

    We in the media are not burying our heads in the sand during the pre-election period; we do not artificially balance the news, and we do not pretend that the results of the elections are irrelevant. No, we are saying that the worst times will come for journalism if the authorities who support Russian-style laws remain in power and wish for us, independent media and citizens, to disappear. Independent online media do not have a lot of resources for this, unlike the official propaganda, but we do everything we can. And I personally believe that we will be able to hold fair elections and stay in this country. We have worked hard for this for many years, and we are not afraid.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Nick Lewis.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Studies Have Linked Multiple Cancers To Hair Relaxers & Hillary Continues To Rant Over Russia

    Lawsuits have been filed against the makers of chemical hair relaxers after decades’ worth of studies have shown that the chemicals in these products can cause cancers and other serious health problems in women. Then, during a recent interview with Rachel Maddow, Hillary Clinton said that any American caught using Russian talking points should be […]

    The post Studies Have Linked Multiple Cancers To Hair Relaxers & Hillary Continues To Rant Over Russia appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • YouTube Caught Pushing Right Wing Religious Content & Trump Poll Numbers Worry Democrats

    A new study has found that there’s something definitely off about YouTube’s video recommendation algorithm, and left-leaning videos get recommended far less than videos from right-leaning creators. Plus, Democrats are warning their base that the polls could be wildly off base and that Donald Trump could over perform the polls like he did in 2016 […]

    The post YouTube Caught Pushing Right Wing Religious Content & Trump Poll Numbers Worry Democrats appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • At media summit, China blasts Western coverage of Uyghurs

    China hosted a global media summit in Xinjiang this week, bringing together over 500 participants to discuss artificial intelligence, but also used the event to criticize Western reports about the forced labor of Uyghurs and an ongoing genocide were “fabricated lies.”

    Representatives from over 200 media outlets — including executives from Reuters and The Associated Press — government agencies and international organizations attended the 6th World Media Summit, which opened Monday in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, to discuss how artificial intelligence, or AI, is transforming the media industry.

    The summit was organized by China’s official Xinhua News Agency and the Xinjiang regional government.

    In addition to speeches about AI, Chinese officials blasted Western news reports that have shed light on the oppression of the 12 million Uyghurs who live in Xinjiang, or East Turkistan, as Uyghurs prefer to call it.

    Journalists work at the opening ceremony of the 6th World Media Summit in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China's Xinjiang region, Oct. 14, 2024. (Chen Yehua/Xinhua via Getty Images)
    Journalists work at the opening ceremony of the 6th World Media Summit in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China’s Xinjiang region, Oct. 14, 2024. (Chen Yehua/Xinhua via Getty Images)

    The United States and some Western parliaments have said there is credible evidence that China’s treatment of the Uyghurs is a “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.” The U.S. Congress has also passed a law banning the import of goods and materials suspected of being made by Uyghur forced labor.

    But Ma Xingrui, Communist Party secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, rejected the accusations, saying all ethnic groups in the region live peacefully.

    “Some anti-China forces in the world have disregarded the facts, wantonly fabricated lies such as ‘genocide’ and ‘forced labor’ in Xinjiang, China, and maliciously imposed unilateral sanctions,” he said in a speech, according to a post on the Xinjiang government website.

    “At present, Xinjiang has a stable society, a prosperous economy, and people of all ethnic groups live and work in peace and contentment, and the development situation continues to improve,” he continued.

    Amplifying a narrative

    Ma’s comments are an example of how China is amplifying its own narrative about the Uyghurs living happily and enjoying prosperity despite evidence to the contrary, including many stories by Radio Free Asia.

    China does not permit journalists to travel freely in Xinjiang and convincing Uyghurs contacted by phone to talk to reporters outside the country puts them at considerable risk of punishment.

    Representatives from Al Jazeera, Russian news agency TASS, the Malaysian National News Agency, the Kyrgyz State News Agency, South Africa’s Independent Media, Hungary’s ATV and media organizations from China-friendly countries also attended the event.

    RELATED STORIES

    Uyghurs sentenced to cumulative 4.4 million years in prison: study

    China pushes ‘Sinicization of Islam’ in Xinjiang as Ramadan arrives

    Visiting Xinjiang, Xi Jinping doubles down on hard-line policies against Uyghurs

    “Their fundamental purpose is to drag the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang into poverty and backwardness, and then realize the plot of ‘using Xinjiang to control China,’” Ma said, according to comments from the speech published in Chinese by the Xinjiang government. 

    The report went on to make comments that weren’t clearly attributed to any one person, saying, “Everyone appreciates China’s Xinjiang’s remarkable achievements in various fields and fully recognizes Xinjiang’s important contributions to regional social stability, economic development and cultural prosperity.

    It said that “China’s Xinjiang has repeatedly been the target of false propaganda and malicious attacks. But it turns out that the narrative about human rights violations in Xinjiang is based on false information and is purely for political purposes.”

    Harnessing AI

    Also, it comes as no surprise that China is interested in harnessing the power of AI — the theme of the conference — to spread its narratives, said Henryk Szadziewski, research director at the Uyghur Human Rights Project in Washington.

    The 6th World Media Summit opens in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China's Xinjiang region, Oct. 14, 2024. (Li Xiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
    The 6th World Media Summit opens in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China’s Xinjiang region, Oct. 14, 2024. (Li Xiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

    “Urumqi is, of course, a strategic place because the Uyghur region is one of the leading spaces in China where China is spreading disinformation about conditions on the ground,” he told RFA. “It’s a leading part in China’s messaging to the globe.” 

    China’s efforts to promote its narrative appears to be paying off.

    Bassam Zakarneh, a member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council of Palestine, who led a delegation of Palestinian and other Arab politicians on a visit to Xinjiang in March, told Xinhua in an interview on Monday that the West was “trying to exploit anything to undermine China’s progress and development” through a smear campaign against Beijing’s Xinjiang policy.  

    “Our visit and observation on the ground were proof that Western propaganda is false,” he said.   

    Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Shadia Suzuk for RFA Uyghur.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • At media summit, China blasts Western coverage of Uyghurs

    China hosted a global media summit in Xinjiang this week, bringing together over 500 participants to discuss artificial intelligence, but also used the event to criticize Western reports about the forced labor of Uyghurs and an ongoing genocide were “fabricated lies.”

    Representatives from over 200 media outlets — including executives from Reuters and The Associated Press — government agencies and international organizations attended the 6th World Media Summit, which opened Monday in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, to discuss how artificial intelligence, or AI, is transforming the media industry.

    The summit was organized by China’s official Xinhua News Agency and the Xinjiang regional government.

    In addition to speeches about AI, Chinese officials blasted Western news reports that have shed light on the oppression of the 12 million Uyghurs who live in Xinjiang, or East Turkistan, as Uyghurs prefer to call it.

    Journalists work at the opening ceremony of the 6th World Media Summit in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China's Xinjiang region, Oct. 14, 2024. (Chen Yehua/Xinhua via Getty Images)
    Journalists work at the opening ceremony of the 6th World Media Summit in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China’s Xinjiang region, Oct. 14, 2024. (Chen Yehua/Xinhua via Getty Images)

    The United States and some Western parliaments have said there is credible evidence that China’s treatment of the Uyghurs is a “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.” The U.S. Congress has also passed a law banning the import of goods and materials suspected of being made by Uyghur forced labor.

    But Ma Xingrui, Communist Party secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, rejected the accusations, saying all ethnic groups in the region live peacefully.

    “Some anti-China forces in the world have disregarded the facts, wantonly fabricated lies such as ‘genocide’ and ‘forced labor’ in Xinjiang, China, and maliciously imposed unilateral sanctions,” he said in a speech, according to a post on the Xinjiang government website.

    “At present, Xinjiang has a stable society, a prosperous economy, and people of all ethnic groups live and work in peace and contentment, and the development situation continues to improve,” he continued.

    Amplifying a narrative

    Ma’s comments are an example of how China is amplifying its own narrative about the Uyghurs living happily and enjoying prosperity despite evidence to the contrary, including many stories by Radio Free Asia.

    China does not permit journalists to travel freely in Xinjiang and convincing Uyghurs contacted by phone to talk to reporters outside the country puts them at considerable risk of punishment.

    Representatives from Al Jazeera, Russian news agency TASS, the Malaysian National News Agency, the Kyrgyz State News Agency, South Africa’s Independent Media, Hungary’s ATV and media organizations from China-friendly countries also attended the event.

    RELATED STORIES

    Uyghurs sentenced to cumulative 4.4 million years in prison: study

    China pushes ‘Sinicization of Islam’ in Xinjiang as Ramadan arrives

    Visiting Xinjiang, Xi Jinping doubles down on hard-line policies against Uyghurs

    “Their fundamental purpose is to drag the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang into poverty and backwardness, and then realize the plot of ‘using Xinjiang to control China,’” Ma said, according to comments from the speech published in Chinese by the Xinjiang government. 

    The report went on to make comments that weren’t clearly attributed to any one person, saying, “Everyone appreciates China’s Xinjiang’s remarkable achievements in various fields and fully recognizes Xinjiang’s important contributions to regional social stability, economic development and cultural prosperity.

    It said that “China’s Xinjiang has repeatedly been the target of false propaganda and malicious attacks. But it turns out that the narrative about human rights violations in Xinjiang is based on false information and is purely for political purposes.”

    Harnessing AI

    Also, it comes as no surprise that China is interested in harnessing the power of AI — the theme of the conference — to spread its narratives, said Henryk Szadziewski, research director at the Uyghur Human Rights Project in Washington.

    The 6th World Media Summit opens in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China's Xinjiang region, Oct. 14, 2024. (Li Xiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
    The 6th World Media Summit opens in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China’s Xinjiang region, Oct. 14, 2024. (Li Xiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

    “Urumqi is, of course, a strategic place because the Uyghur region is one of the leading spaces in China where China is spreading disinformation about conditions on the ground,” he told RFA. “It’s a leading part in China’s messaging to the globe.” 

    China’s efforts to promote its narrative appears to be paying off.

    Bassam Zakarneh, a member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council of Palestine, who led a delegation of Palestinian and other Arab politicians on a visit to Xinjiang in March, told Xinhua in an interview on Monday that the West was “trying to exploit anything to undermine China’s progress and development” through a smear campaign against Beijing’s Xinjiang policy.  

    “Our visit and observation on the ground were proof that Western propaganda is false,” he said.   

    Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Shadia Suzuk for RFA Uyghur.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Chad media regulator restricts online broadcasts under threat of shutdown

    Dakar, October 16, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Chadian authorities to reverse a directive announcedon October 9 by Abderamane Barka, president of the High Authority for Media and Audiovisual (HAMA) regulator, to suspend or revoke the licenses of outlets that share online content outside of narrowly defined circumstances.

    “Chad’s media regulator should immediately reverse its directive to suspend outlets for sharing news in ways outside of those narrowly defined by authorities and cease efforts to censor the press ahead of elections,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program, in New York. “As Chadians go to the polls later this year, they should be given access to a plurality of diverse media sources and content, not a constricted version of the news.”

    Barka ordered the suspension or revocation of licenses of private newspapers that broadcast audiovisual content online instead of written articles and of private outlets that broadcast content on Facebook that was not first distributed via their traditional newspaper, radio, or TV channels. He also demanded that all media outlets only employ journalists who have official press identity cards.

    Barka said these measures are part of the ongoing cleaning up of Chad’s media landscape as the country heads towards legislative, provincial, and municipal elections on December 29.

    The Chadian Online Media Association said in a statement that the directive appears “to go beyond the existing legal framework” and could pose a risk to freedom of expression, noting that the country’s press law states that the online press provides “mainly written and audiovisual” content.

    Earlier in October, HAMA banned two managers of the private newspaper Le Visionnaire from practicing journalism for not having press cards and suspended the paper for three months over a report into government mismanagement.

    CPJ’s calls to Barka for comment on the directive went unanswered.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • CPJ, partners demand justice for Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina

    The Committee to Protect Journalists joined nine media and civil society organizations, including five members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response consortium in a letter welcoming the opening of an investigation into the killing of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina, whose death in Russian custody was confirmed to her father by authorities and multiple reports.

    The signatories urged Russian authorities to make the circumstances of Roshchina’s death public and to conduct a full investigation so that those responsible can be held to account.

    Roshchina, a freelance reporter who covered the ongoing war in Ukraine for several Ukrainian media outlets, went missing on August 3, 2023, in eastern Ukraine; Russian authorities confirmed her detention April 2024. The journalist died September 19 while being transferred from the southwestern Russian city of Taganrog to Moscow, the capital, for a prisoner exchange, according to those reports.

    Read the full letter here.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Warnings Increase Over Social Media’s Impact On Kids & SCOTUS Overturns Trump’s Bump Stock Ban

    The surgeon general is calling on Congress to approve warning labels for social media websites and apps, alerting parents and young users to the dangers these sites can pose. Also, the Supreme Court has overturned a signature accomplishment of the Trump administration by reversing the order that banned bump stocks on non-automatic weapons. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss […]

    The post Warnings Increase Over Social Media’s Impact On Kids & SCOTUS Overturns Trump’s Bump Stock Ban appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Tanzania’s regulator bans media outlets as journalists harassed

    Kampala, October 15, 2024—Instead of providing the latest news updates, the homepages of three leading Tanzanian newspapers are focused on their own suspension over a video seen as critical of the president, as concerns mount over deteriorating press freedom ahead of elections.

    On October 2, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) issued a 30-day suspension order for Mwananchi Communications Limited’s (MCL) online publications affecting the websites of its newspapers — the English-language daily The Citizen, the Swahili-language Mwananchi and the sports-focused Mwanaspoti — and their social media pages. The TCRA accused MCL of publishing prohibited content on social media that “aimed to ridicule and harm the reputation, prestige and status” of the country. The three newspapers’ print editions continue to hit the newsstands.

    The one-month ban is part of a series of recent press freedom violations in Tanzania, as human rights organizations have warned of narrowing civic space ahead of November’s local elections and next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections, in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan will stand.

    The Citizen’s October 1 animated video showed a woman resembling the president flipping through television reports in which people complained about abductions and killings. Tanzanians have been shocked by September’s murder of opposition politician Ali Mohamed Kibao, after being taken off a bus, beaten, and doused in acid — the latest in a wave of high-profile opposition figures to “disappear.”

    On October 2, MCL said it had removed the animation because “it depicted events that raised concerns regarding the safety and security of individuals in Tanzania.” However, the deleted video has been shared widely online.

    Separately, on October 9, the TCRA  accused  the privately owned YouTube-based Jambo TV, of breaking the law in its broadcast of criticism of two telecoms companies.

    The regulator objected to the news channel airing a claim by Tundu Lissu, vice chairperson of the opposition Chadema party, that Tigo shared his location data with the government prior to a 2017 attempt to assassinate him, as well as journalist Erick Kabendera’s claim that Vodacom Tanzania shared his data with security personnel who arrested him in 2019.

    A British court heard this month from Tigo’s former parent company Millicom that it had concerns “about a local politician’s mobile phone data being passed to a government agency.” In court filings responding to a former Tigo employee’s claim that he was dismissed for raising concerns about surveillance, Millicom said the individuals involved had been disciplined.

    The TCRA said that Jambo TV should “submit a written defense” and appear before its Content Committee on October 17 “to explain why legal action should not be taken against it.”

    Kabendera had sued Vodacom, alleging that the company “facilitated” his arrest, but his case was dismissed in September. He intends to appeal.

    Samia, who succeeded President John Pombe Magufuli after his death in 2021, initially lifted media bans and promised to improve conditions for the press. However, her government has fallen short of overhauling restrictive laws, such as the 2020 online content regulations cited in this month’s ban on MCL and the case against Jambo TV.

    In violations reminiscent of the anti-press tactics used under Magufuli, at least eight journalists have been arrested while covering opposition events in recent weeks:

    ●     August 11

    Journalists Ramadhan Khamis and Fadhil Kirundwa of privately owned Jambo TV were arrested while covering a Chadema event in the southern city of Mbeya. Kirundwa and Khamis told CPJ they were released the following day on condition that they did not publish footage of the youth rally, in which more than 500 people were arrested.

    ●     September 23

    Police assaulted MCL journalists Lawrence Mnubi, Michael Matemanga, and Baraka Loshilaa and detained them for hours in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam while covering a banned Chadema protest over alleged killings and abductions.

    Police also briefly detained reporter Mariam Shaban of privately owned East Africa TV, and privately owned Nipashe newspaper’s Jenifer Gilla and Jumanne Juma, Shaban and Gilla told CPJ.

    On October 7, government spokesperson Thobias Makoba told CPJ by phone that he could not immediately respond to questions and did not answer subsequent calls and messages. Makoba previously told the U.S. Congress-funded Voice of America Africa that the Tanzanian government supports freedom of speech and encourages responsible journalism, while noting that freedom comes with responsibility.

    TCRA spokesperson Rolf Kibaja told CPJ via email that the regulator had invited MCL to a hearing on October 10 “after which further regulatory actions would follow.” He did not respond to requests for clarification or subsequent queries about Jambo TV.

    CPJ requested comment via email and messaging app from Vodacom Tanzania; and via email from its South Africa-based parent company Vodacom Group; Tigo Tanzania; and Luxembourg-based Millicom, which owned Tigo Tanzania in 2017, but did not receive any replies. Police spokesperson David Misime did not respond to CPJ’s requests for comment via messaging app.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Unraveling the Mystery of the Middle East Crisis

    There are other issues I would prefer to write about; all are affected by the Middle East crisis.

    Economics

    Economics is a “dismal science” that has a postulate ─ all money is debt. This postulate leads to the realization that the capitalist economy grows and survives with mounting debt and only the government can carry the debt burden. Debt forces the government to manage the economy and a more managed economy continually develops. U.S. Middle East policy generates constant wars, promotes an arms race, and is partly responsible for the continually increasing debt and managed economy.

    Foreign Policy

    Establishing hegemony by making the world recognize American exceptionalism, regardless of opponents are killed in the process, defines U.S. foreign policy. This one-sided and arrogant policy aligns with Israel’s modus operandi. It has been historical, counterproductive in several adventures, is doomed to failure in the present crisis, and will continue to harm the American people.

    Politics

    Extravagant divisions in the electorate and political system demonstrate a lack of comprehension of the political system by government officials and political strategists. Israel’s supporters take advantage of the mayhem in the political system and influence politicians and voters.

    Media

    Knowledge leading to capable decisions has not accompanied the rapid expansion in communications. Money talks and media squawks. Media is a convenient means of controlling and manipulating minds. Israel supporters are adept in using the media to manipulate the American public.

    The Middle East crisis, engineered by Israel and the United States, overrides all other issues. It is unfathomable, an artificial construct that is incomprehensible. The issue can be resolved in one minute of time ─ stop the oppression of the Palestinians and grant them equal rights. Instead, deliberate destructions of the Palestinian community and of those who attempt to aid the Palestinians are the avenues of resolution. A spillover into greater destruction of other peoples, including the perpetrators of the genocide, is predicted. Get rid of everyone and the world’s problems will vanish.

    The unending crises are a mystery and unraveling the mystery has become more of a detective story than an academic pursuit. Why is there a genocide, why is it supported, and can it be stopped? Historians, foreign policy experts, journalists, political commentators, and wise old men have not provided adequate answers to the questions. There is more to committing genocide than power politics.

    At 10:54 PM, October 6, 2024, the world population was 8,226,477,186. Take a guess and estimate that 1.5 billion have sufficient awareness (not knowledge) of the Middle East crisis to attach themselves to a side in the crisis. Only a portion of inhabitants of the western world and India would favor the Israeli aggressive tactics; maybe 100 million in India and 200 million in the western world, compared to 1.2 billion in the rest of the Arab, African, Latin American, Central and Southeast Asia, and China worlds.

    Take a more rigid perspective on what is definitely a genocide ─ no mistake in characterizing the violence against the Palestinians by that term. How does the number of those who know it is a genocide and still favor Israel compare with those who view it as a genocide and want it stopped? My guess is that a small clique of 7 million Zionist Jews (the Christian Zionists may favor Israel but do not influence others) actively influence 100 million people to favor their cause, and a billion of the world’s population react in horror to the genocide. A small clique of 7 million people are moving the world to enormous destruction and one billion remain powerless to prevent it. How can that be?

    The mystery deepens with the revelation that this scenario has no reason. The argument that Jews, who are the wealthiest group in almost all western nations and occupy positions of prestige and importance in much greater portion than others, fear attack and need a land for themselves falls flat. In the land called Israel, only a small portion of the Jewish population can gain excessive wealth and dominance, while all live in constant fear of attack and animosity from much of the universe.

    A one-state Israel, where all ethnicities live together and have equal rights can function as any democratic state. The Israeli Palestinians and Druze have been good citizens. Palestinians in all parts of the world — Chile, United States, Germany, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon — have pursued activities that benefitted their adopted nations. If the Jews in the one-state followed a similar pattern of dominance that Jews in the western world exhibit, then a greater portion of Israeli Jews will achieve enhanced prosperity in the expanded economy. The one-state might benefit the lesser advantaged Israeli Jews.

    Let’s clarify nonsense. Jews can live almost any place throughout the western world and not be oppressed or subjected to violent anti-Jewish attacks. In 2020, Mexico had a population of 126,799,054 and a Jewish population of 58,876 people, 0.05 percent, and an infinitesimal part of the Mexican citizenry. On Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum, one of the relatively few Jews in Mexico, was sworn in as president without incident. Worshippers of contrived anti-Semitism statistics, please explain that happening. There are few cases of physical attacks against Jews, and the ADL promotes the U.S. as a hotbed of anti-Semitism. Compare Jewish life in the United States with the centuries of life of African Americans, who live at the economic margin, are subjected to periodic police attacks that take their lives, and do not consider establishing a land of their own. Anti-Semitism is trivial compared to the discrimination that severely disrupts the lives of other Americans. Let’s not confuse anti-Jewish feeling, due to Jewish support of the genocide of the Palestinian people, with arbitrary prejudice against Jews.

    Why is there a genocide?

    Israeli murderous rampages lack compassion for Palestinian suffering, show no sympathy for the killed and no remorse for even “accidental” killings. Calculated dehumanization of the civilized, educated, endurable, and heroic Palestinian people certifies the inhumanity and criminal bent of the Zionist Jews.

    Israel’s genocidal reaction to Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, a day that will be pressed forever in the American conscience, was unnecessary. The preferred strategy for a responsible military that values life is to reinforce the border, which could easily be made impenetrable. Using Mossad’s network of informers, infiltrators, and military drone and satellite surveillance, the Israeli military has mapped locations and movements of Hamas’ military leaders and fighting wing. Selective targets for drone and commando raids could have disrupted Hamas’ fighting capability. After crippling Hamas, the military could have developed a strategy that totally immobilizes Hamas and minimizes civilian casualties.

    Israeli tank battalions could have surrounded schools, apartment buildings, hospital and refugee centers before broadcasting evacuation and surrender orders. After evacuation, which saves civilian lives, the tanks could have probed or shelled buildings they claimed harvested Hamas. No armed brigades surrounded buildings, no evacuation advisories occurred, and no Hamas operatives have been shown to be present in the wreckage. Just the opposite has happened; the Gazans have been told to flee and then have been shot by snipers. Doctors are shocked at the casualties and reports that have an unusual number of children shot in the head. Whole extended families of 30-70 people have been killed without warning. Israel is fighting an army that has no antitank guns, no heavy weapons, and just a few cadres still willing to fight. There is no Hamas army and there is no real war.

    The Gaza campaign is not a military campaign; it is an excuse for a deliberate genocide. It has nothing to do with political and military strategies that are developed from able and astute minds. It comes from these minds — depraved, egocentric, inhuman, and criminal bent.

    These criminal bent cannot distinguish between right and wrong, are trained to attach themselves to a unique tribe, and emotionally detach themselves from others. The criminal mind drives a great portion of the Israel community. This was shown in an interview by Christine Amanpour with an Israeli woman whose daughter was kidnapped by Hamas. The woman tells Christine Amanpour that “October 7 was a catastrophe for the whole world. Hamas is terrorist and terrorizing its own people. The world thanks us for fighting for them. Hamas is seeking to eliminate us and the free world.”

    It is obvious the woman is reciting a script prepared by the Israeli propaganda machine. She does not concentrate on the travails of her daughter and displays a mind trained to attach itself to a unique tribe and emotionally detach itself from others. Only Israelis matter, and the world should recognize that damage to Israelis is damage to the entire word. Israelis are rescuing all of us. Hamas and its slingshots are “seeking to eliminate nuclear armed Israel and the free world.”

    Here is the difference between terrorist Hamas that terrorizes its own people and benevolent Israel.


    Image Courtesy of CNN Gaza before October 7


    Image courtesy of Reuters  Gaza after October 7

    Terrorist Hamas has terrorized the population by constructing housing, schools, universities, hospitals, sports arenas, and given Gazans the tools to live, while Israel did all it could to disrupt their lives. Benevolent Israel has no compunction in destroying housing, schools, universities, hospitals, and tools that terrorist Hamas has given its people to survive the continuous onslaught against them.

    It’s Gresham’s law ─ bad money drives out good money ─ applied to human existence — bad people drive out good people; in this case, the worst constantly replacing the less worst. There are many Israelis, even settlers, who want to cooperate with the Palestinians, but the plurality that gained government control permits and encourages robbery and murder of Palestinians. The settlers take advantage of the opportunities.

    The genocide proceeds from a criminal bent leadership that organizes criminal activities, which is rationalized. Provoke the Palestinians to respond to an attack and then accuse them of attacking ─ a favorite and successful trickster investment by the Zionist Jews, which has given them huge dividends. The Zionists expect those robbed and harmed will seek justice, from within and from without. Way to stop that is to get rid of them. With no them, there is nothing to worry about. There is no resurrection.

    Why are nations and groups supporting the genocide?

    All those who support the genocide of the Palestinian people are inflicted with the criminal bent plus gene — might makes right and anyone who does not recognize your might has no right to live. Bill Maher, a political comedian who posed as a human rights advocate, revealed how the American conscience reflects the Zionist conscience. In an HBO episode, Maher exclaimed, “The State of Israel is here to stay and the Palestinians will need to get used to it.” At other times, he defended Israel’s war on the Gazans and defended his positions with,

    History is brutal, and humans are not good people, and, I would submit that Israel did not steal anybody’s land. This is another thing I’ve heard the last couple of weeks, words like ‘occupiers’ and ‘colonizers’ and ‘apartheid,’ which I don’t think people understand the history there. The Jews have been in that area of the world since about 1200 BC, way before the first Muslim or Arab walked the earth. Other people do not understand the history there.

    Bill Maher is considered a political satirist with a large following. He must have been satirizing when stating, “The Jews have been in that area of the world since about 1200 BC, way before the first Muslim or Arab walked the earth.” Any existing Neanderthals to claim the land? Where have the Palestinians prevented Israel’s existence? If they did, how did Israel get so strong? Aren’t the Zionist Jews attempting to prevent Palestinian existence? Aren’t the Palestinians here to stay and shouldn’t the Jews get over it? Maher follows the usual Zionist scheme ─ attribute to the adversary the iniquities and guilt of the Zionists.

    The United States, beginning with the landing of the Pilgrims, and Israel, beginning with the landing of the Zionists, follow identical patterns of history. Both obtained assistance from the indigenous people and then obliterated them. Continuous wars, always in defense, never compromising, always killing mercilessly, and each convinced of their exceptionalism categorize the Israelis and Americans ─ partners in crime against humanity, willing accomplices to genocide.

    Can the genocide be stopped?

    Rays of hope indicate nations will take a firm stand against the genocide and rally support for the Palestinians.

    • China has taken an active role in promoting a ceasefire.
    • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the United Nations General Assembly it should recommend use of force if the UN Security Council fails to stop Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.
    • Russia has shown sympathy for the Palestinian cause but is unable to act while being tied up in Ukraine.
    • France’s President Macron has asked all nations to stop sending arms to Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response to President Macron’s plea revealed his lack of responsible executive behavior in international relations, his twisted mind, escape from reality, and superior attitude.

    As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side….Yet President Macron and some other Western leaders are now calling for an arms embargo against Israel. Shame on them.

    Let me tell you this, Israel will win with or without their support, but their shame will continue long after the war is won.

    • Spain, Norway and Ireland have recognized Palestine statehood. Spain announced it would join South Africa’s genocide case before the International Court of Justice against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

    Response from Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz repeated Netanyahu’s’ obsessive behavior, the twisted mind, the escape from reality, and the superior attitude. In an X message, addressed to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Katz wrote,

    Hamas thanks you for your service….Khamenei, Sinwar, and deputy PM Yolanda Diaz (Spain’s deputy PM) call for the elimination of Israel and for the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian terror state from the river to the sea….Sanchez, when you don’t fire your deputy and declare recognition of a Palestinian state — you are a partner to incitement to the genocide of Jews and to war crimes.

    • Iran has entered the hostilities and defiantly said it will not back down. Does Iran have a power that allows its defiance?

    The minds and authorities that gave us genocide of the Native Americans, slavery, and genocide of the Palestinians cannot be changed. There is little hope that revolutions in the United States and Israel will occur and correct the situation. Where are the Obamas? Unfortunately, Israel, together with its supplicating ally, the mighty U.S., feels comfortable. It has destroyed its antagonists. Hamas is impotent, Hezbollah is in disarray, with Netanyahu boasting that “Lebanon could face destruction like Gaza,” a confession that destruction of Gaza and not Hamas guides Israel’s military actions. Iran awaits an attack that Defense Minister Gallant describes as “deadly, precise and, above all, surprising. They will not understand what happened and how it happened. They will see the results.”

    The rays of hope that indicate nations will take a firm stand against the genocide and rally support for the Palestinians is blocked by the knowledge that all will burn. The world is trapped. Israel has nuclear weapons and will not hesitate to use them, knowing that by its small size and close location to other nations, opponents realize that radioactive fallout from atomic bombs falling on Tel Aviv will jeopardize surrounding nations. The military option is not plausible.

    Israel has always posed the crisis as “it’s us or them,” another departure from reality that is used to justify its criminal behavior. “Us” refers to, “They intend to destroy us”(Israel.)” “Them “refers to, “We destroy them before we are destroyed.” Nobody has shown the power or proclivity to have it “us.” Battle maps show Arab nations with large arrows thrusting huge armies to batter Israel. Where are any of them?

    With Israel having atomic weapons and a mentality that will use them, stopping the genocide by military means predicts it will be “us” and “them,” where “us” are the peace loving people of the world and them are all the Israelis — Jews, Muslims and Christians. Israel has the world in a “lose-lose” situation and will never accept a “win-win” situation. This leaves little room to maneuver and ability to save the Palestinians. Social isolation and economic deprivation, including sanctions of the criminal nation, are paths to forcing the issue. They are long and difficult and have not proven effective in past genocides.

    The solution to stopping Israel’s massacre of the Palestinians lies with the Israelis and Jews around the world. Israel’s genocidal policies have generated internal detractors, social unrest, political divides, an economic decline, and military disagreements. All combat is neutralized by “us” or “them,” supplied by the constant war against the Palestinians, which demands absolute loyalty to the state that is shielding its Jews from another Holocaust. This steady stream of propaganda is similar to the manner in which the Nazi state convinced a plurality of Germans to support the Nazis until the end. It’s a toss up as to who better fits the image of Nazism ─ Deutschland or Zionistland?

    The “us” or “them,” reinforced by a population that has been nurtured on a daily cereal of holocaust and enjoys being a victim, explains the bewildering Israeli Jewish position on blithely, and it is blithely, committing genocide. The real Jews, those in the Western world, who understand Judaism and the struggles of their immigrant ancestors, have been thrust into a battle to rescue Judaism and the Palestinians.

    As mentioned before, Jews live well and peacefully everywhere, except in Israel. If their sleep is disturbed, it is because of Israel and its partners in crime. The anti-defamation League (ADL), better named the Defamation League, is a business; it exists to find anti-Jewish expressions and the more it can manufacture, the more successful it is as a business. The Israel Lobby is a conspiratorial lobbying arm of the Israeli government, reaching deeply into media, DC “Think Tanks,” government agencies, religious institutions, cultural institutions, and households, providing an invisible army of millions, many born in Israel and sent by Israel to corrode the political system, influence the electoral system, and delude the central nervous systems. Defeating the anti-Judaism branches of the anti-Jewish Zionist extremists is a challenge that is met by numbers, dollars, resources, energy, demonstrations, public relations, media advertisements and strategic thinking, which translates to being one step ahead of the most conniving, lying, cheating, and deceiving assortment of killers the world now sees. In the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald,

    Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us.

    It has eluded us now;
    Tomorrow, we will run a little faster,
    Stretch our arms a little longer.

    Boats against the current,
    Borne back ceaselessly into the Past.

    The post Unraveling the Mystery of the Middle East Crisis first appeared on Dissident Voice.

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.

  • Iranian journalists who covered Mahsa Amini’s death face five years in prison

    Hopes of pardon dashed for Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who were cleared of collaboration with US

    Two young female journalists who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for reporting on the death of Mahsa Amini have been cleared of charges of collaborating with the United States government but will still spend up to five more years behind bars, the Iranian authorities have announced.

    Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi were arrested in 2022 after reporting on the death and funeral of Amini, the young Kurdish woman who died in police custody in 2022, sparking the nationwide Women, Life, Freedom protests.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • One year of war in Gaza – protect journalists now, says IPI

    Pacific Media Watch

    This week marked the grim one-year anniversary of the surprise October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza — a conflict that has taken a devastating toll on journalists and media outlets in Palestine, reports the International Press Institute.

    In Gaza, Israeli strikes have killed at least 123 journalists (Gaza media sources say 178 killed) — the largest number of journalists to be killed in any armed conflict in this span of time to date.

    Dozens of media outlets have been leveled. Independent investigations such as those conducted by Forbidden Stories have found that in several of these cases journalists were intentionally targeted by the Israeli military — which constitutes a war crime.

    Over the past year IPI has stood with its press freedom partners calling for an immediate end to the killing of journalists in Gaza as well as for international media to be allowed unfettered access to report independently from inside Gaza.

    In May, IPI and its partner IMS jointly presented the 2024 World Press Freedom Hero award to Palestinian journalists in Gaza. The award recognised the extraordinary courage and resilience that Palestinian journalists have demonstrated in being the world’s eyes and ears in Gaza.

    This week, IPI renewed its call on the international community to protect journalists in Gaza as well as in the West Bank and Lebanon. Allies of Israel, including Media Freedom Coalition members, must pressure the Israeli government to protect journalist safety and stop attacks on the press.

    This also includes the growing media censorship demonstrated by Israel’s recent closure of Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau.

    Raising awareness
    IPI was at the UN in Geneva this week with its partners Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters without Borders (RSF), and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and others for high-level meetings aimed at raising awareness of the continued attacks on the press and urging the international community to protect journalists.

    Among the key messages: The continued killings of journalists in Gaza — and corresponding impunity — endangers journalists and press freedom everyone.

    On this sombre anniversary, the joint advert in this week’s Washington Post honours the journalists bravely reporting on the war, often at great personal risk, and underscores IPI’s solidarity with those that dedicate their lives to uncovering the truth.

    “But it is clear that solidarity is not enough. Action is needed,” said IPI in its statement.

    “The international community must place effective pressure on the Israeli authorities to comply with international law; protect the safety of journalists; investigate the killing of journalists by its forces and secure accountability; and grant international media outlets immediate and unfettered access to report independently from Gaza.

    “We urge the international community to meet this moment of crisis and stand up for the protection of journalists and freedom of the press in Gaza.

    “An attack against journalists anywhere is an attack against freedom and democracy everywhere.”


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Published by the Star – the genocide advert that Stuff didn’t want you to see

    By John Minto

    Published in the Christchurch Star newspaper yesterday — this was the advert rejected last week by Stuff, New Zealand’s major news website, by an editorial management which apparently thinks pro-Israel sympathies are more important than the industrial-scale slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanon.

    Stuff told the Palestinian Solidarity Movement Aotearoa (PSNA) on Thursday last week it would not print this full-page “genocide in their own words” advertisement which had been booked and paid to go in all Stuff newspapers this week.

    Stuff gave no “official” reason for banning the advert about Israel’s war in Gaza aside from saying they would not do so “while the ongoing conflict is developing”.

    It seems that for Stuff, pro-Israel sympathies are more important that Palestinian realities.

    It’s worth pointing out that Stuff has, over many years, printed full page advertisements from a Christian Zionist, Pastor Nigel Woodley, from Hastings.

    Woodley’s advertisements have been full of the most egregious, fanciful, misinformation and anti-Palestinian racism.

    Our advertisement on the other hand is 100 percent factual and speaks truth to power – demanding the New Zealand government hold Israel to account for its war crimes and 76-years of brutal military occupation of Palestine.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Media Watch: Taiwanese YouTubers’ visit to Xinjiang, genuine or propaganda?

    In late August, a Taiwanese YouTuber named Chang Shao-qun, who goes by “Han Guo Ren”, with more than half a million followers posted a video on YouTube of his tour of a large bazaar in Xinjiang’s capital of Urumqi, accompanied by two other Taiwanese online celebrities. 

    At around the video’s five-minute mark, Chang abruptly asks one of his guests: “First time in the bazaar? See any ‘extermination’ going on?” 

    Chang’s remark was a sarcastic reference to concerns of some Western governments and international organizations about genocide in Xinjiang, home to many members of the Uyghur Muslim community and other ethnic minorities. 

    The Chinese government has been accused of ethnic genocide there, involving mass detentions, forced labor, and cultural suppression. Beijing denies the accusations, framing its actions as counter-terrorism efforts.

    Chang is not alone in promoting the message that Xinjiang is a safe place to travel with no abuses to be seen.

    AFCL found several other Taiwanese YouTubers who made trips to Xinjiang to promote a message that Xinjiang was a safe place to travel or there were “no concentration camps” there because they didn’t see them.

    2 (17).png
    Several Taiwanese YouTubers posted videos walking through Xinjiang. (Graphic/AFCL)

    Who paid for their trips?

    Some of the videos posted by Taiwanese YouTubers sparked online debate among Chinese-speaking users, with many questioning whether the content creators were paid by the Chinese government. Some accused the creators of being a mouthpiece for the state, while others defended the content as independent and genuine.

    In one of the videos, a young man mentioned spending about 66,000 Taiwanese dollars (US$2,094) to join a tour of Xinjiang, but AFCL has not been able to independently verify whether the YouTubers’ trips were self-funded or sponsored by the Chinese government. 

    As of press time, none of the YouTubers had responded to inquiries on  their trips.

    However, AFCL found that the Chinese government has used the  comments and content from those Taiwanese YouTubers to promote its political narratives about Xinjiang and Taiwan on social media and in reports published by state media, as seen here.

    5 (3).png
    Both Taiwanese and Chinese media outlets posted coverage supporting the YouTubers’ comments  (Screenshots/CTI YouTube and China Daily’s official X account)

    “Although the [video’s] production is rough and its logic weak, it still gives an air of ‘authenticity’ that attracts many young viewers,” said Su Chiao-ning, an associate professor of journalism at Oakland University, after watching one of the videos. 

    “The videos give the impression that Chinese policies in Xinjiang are doing great,” Su told AFCL, adding that this is meant to make Taiwanese less wary of China, in line with Beijing’s goal of unifying Taiwan with mainland China.

    The overarching goal of Chinese propaganda is to uphold the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party in the face of international criticism, Su said. 

    Narratives about Xinjiang in particular were aimed at portraying it in a positive light to deflect international criticism and accusations of rights abuses, she said.

    China has been accused of cultivating foreign influencers who promote the Communist Party line and counter global narratives.

    A Canberra-based think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute said China had “cultivated” a large pool of foreign influencers and content creators who push the Chinese government’s online propaganda and sell the China dream.

    Beijing has set up multilingual influencer incubator studios, tapped into a  network of international students at Chinese universities, and created competitions among ambitious creators to push the pro- party-state’s narrative and combat global perception of China, the think tank added. 

    No concentration camps?

    A claim made by one of the YouTubers that there are no concentration camps in Xinjiang because he or she didn’t see them is misleading. 

    Evidence and testimonials strongly suggest the existence of concentration camps in Xinjiang, where Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities are detained. 

    Former detainees have reported being subjected to forced labor, indoctrination, and severe human rights abuses, including torture. 

    Satellite imagery, leaked government documents, and investigative reports have also provided further proof of these camps, which Beijing describes as “vocational training centers” but are widely seen as part of a broader campaign to suppress and control the Uyghur population.

    ‘Safe’ for travel?

    The claim that Xinjiang is a safe place to travel is also misleading, at least for Taiwanese people. 

    Taiwan raised its travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to the second-highest orange alert in June, advising its citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to those regions due to increasing safety concerns. 

    This came after a set of newly issued guidelines by China, which allows individuals advocating for Taiwanese independence to be sentenced to life imprisonment or even death.

    Taiwan maintains that it is a sovereign state with its own government and democratic system, though it stops short of formally declaring independence to avoid escalating tensions with China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. 

    Figures compiled by the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and several other non-government groups showed that 857 Taiwan nationals have been “forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily arrested” in China over the past 10 years. 

    3 (8).png
    Screenshot from one of the vloggers’ trips to Urumqi. (Screenshot/YouTube)

    Uygher language 

    One Taiwanese YouTuber claimed that there was no suppression of the Uyghur language in Xinjiang, citing the fact that the names of Urumqi metro stations were written in both Chinese and Uyghur.

    Chinese law stipulates that signs at public facilities in autonomous regions across China such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia must be written in both Chinese and the local minority language. 

    However, it is flawed reasoning to use this as evidence that the Chinese government is not suppressing the Uyghur language, as there have been clear signs that such suppression is taking place. For instance, in 2017, Radio Free Asia reported that Xinjiang’s Department of Education instructed schools across the region to stop using supplementary teaching materials in Uyghur and Kazakh.

    Mosques

    Some YouTubers claimed to have seen many mosques near the Urumqi metro, using this as evidence to argue that there had been no destruction of religious sites in the region.

    However, they failed to provide enough evidence, such as visual evidence, to back their claim. 

    Multiple media reports have highlighted the Chinese Communist Party’s crackdown on Islam, including a 2023 Financial Times investigation that revealed more than 1,700 mosques had been torn down or “sinicized” between 2018 and 2023. This process involved modifying visible Islamic elements and replacing them with Chinese-style architecture.

    These actions align with an RFA report indicating that, during his second visit to Xinjiang in August 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed officials to “promote the Sinicization of Islam” and “effectively control various illegal religious activities.”

    Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Taejun Kang.

    Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.

    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Rita Cheng for Asia Fact Check Lab.

  • Mauritius clamps down on social media ‘whale-chasing’ craze

    Authorities in Mauritius are cracking down on “whale-chasers” — influencers from China and Taiwan who go on whale-watching cruises and swim with cetaceans in quest of iconic photos for their social media accounts.

    The Indian Ocean island nation is home to an internationally important whale habitat, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN. Humpback whales come to breed there from June to October each year, and it is also an important habitat for sperm whales.

    In recent months, China’s Xiaohongshu social media platform has been packed with spectacular photos of people, some dressed in mermaid costumes, diving or swimming with whales, who sometimes have calves in tow.

    “I got face-to-face with a sperm whale!” reads one recent Xiaohongshu post, while another offers a list of gear needed for followers planning to “go whale-chasing in Mauritius.” 

    Others mention whale-chasing in Tonga, in the Pacific, another popular location.

    The craze had gotten to the point where it was disturbing whales around breeding time, so Mauritius has recently moved to implement curbs on tourist activity in cetacean habitats, according to Cindy Koon, secretary general of Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in Mauritius.

    Warning

    The Mauritius Tourism Authority recently warned boat skippers: “It is an offense to allow persons under their responsibility onboard their craft to swim, dive or snorkel with whales while conducting the activity Dolphin and Whale Watching.”

    Boat captains who fail to comply with laws governing the activity could lose their pleasure craft license and their skipper’s license, the authority warned in a July 4 statement on its website.

    20240925-WHALE-CHASING-CHINA-TAIWAN-TONGA-002.jpg
    A humpback whale breaches the water’s surface. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

    Yet the whale-chasing craze continues, largely driven by social media accounts from China and democratic Taiwan, said Koon, whose father is Mauritian and mother Taiwanese.

    “This has gotten chaotic too quickly, and government enforcement hasn’t been able to keep up, so the chaos has gotten worse,” she said, adding that while divers from around the world come to Mauritius for whale-viewing, the sheer weight of demand from East Asia has driven tour operators beyond legal and ethical limits in search of a profit.

    Whale-viewing tours in Mauritius are expected to remain at least 100 meters (yards) from whales at all times. 

    But recent media reports have shown whales surrounded by boats full of tourists with cameras, and some people jumping into the water to get photos of them swimming with the whales, or even touching them, she said.

    The Mauritian government banned swimming with whales at the end of October 2023, enacting a new law that carries bigger fines and a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment for anyone caught doing it.

    ‘You can see them at the airport’

    Since Aug. 1, signs have been on display at airports reminding tourists of the ban, with warnings also due to be promoted to passengers taking Air Mauritius flights.

    Yet the would-be whale-swimmers keep coming, according to Koon.

    “You can see them coming in at the airport — you can tell the Chinese [and Taiwanese] are going to swim with sperm whales just by looking at the equipment they’re carrying,” Koon said, who has also spoken with some of the whale tourists.

    “If you ask them, they will tell you that they plan to go swim with the whales,” she said.

    20240925-WHALE-CHASING-CHINA-TAIWAN-TONGA-003.jpg
    Water pours off the tail of a humpback whale as it dives. (Charles Krupa/AP)

    Meanwhile, in the Pacific Ocean, the Tonga Tourism Authority advertises whale-swimming tours on the front page of its official website, although restrictions do apply, according to promotional material posted by tour operators.

    “Our Regulations allow us 4 swimmers in the water with our certified guide,” the operator Endangered Encounters says on its advertisement on the Authority website, adding that whether or not people are allowed to swim with whales is entirely at the captain’s discretion. However, it adds: “We prefer our guests to have EVERY opportunity to swim if possible.”

    Yu Hsin-yee, research manager at Taiwan’s marine education non-profit Kuroshio Marine Education Foundation, said Australian research in Tonga had found that if a swimmer jumps into the water less than 50 meters (yards) from a whale, splashing water and kicking with flippers, the mother whale will sometimes react by leaving. When the distance is more than 100 meters (yards), there is much less of a reaction from the mother and calf.

    Yu said operators had taken cues from the whales themselves when she visited Tonga in 2016. 

    “A dive guide told me that a tourist in a previous group wanted to dive down to get close to a baby whale, but … he stopped him from disturbing the cetaceans,” Yu said.

    She said the boat captain and the dive guide would first observe the whales before deciding whether or not to allow tourists to dive near them.

    She was impressed that the boatman and the dive guide also left the decision of interaction to the whales. 

    “Once they spotted signs of humpback whales, they would observe the animals first, to assess whether swimming with them would be appropriate,” Yu said.

    Mother and calf

    Taiwanese whale and dolphin photographer Ray Chin told Radio Free Asia in a recent interview that 70-80% of humpback pods encountered by tourist boats include mothers and calves, in his experience.

    Chin said he has followed whales for long periods in Tonga, in the hope of being allowed closer to a mother and calf, but was eventually warned off after the boat captain decided against further contact, as the whales were being somewhat evasive.

    20240925-WHALE-CHASING-CHINA-TAIWAN-TONGA-004.jpg
    Two humpback whales at the Banco De La Plata beach in Dominican Republic. (Maximiliano Bello/MISSION BLUE NGO/AFP)

    “The boat captains wouldn’t do illegal things if people didn’t put pressure on them to see or photograph specific things, or to dive next to the whales,” he said. 

    “Consumers should have their own awareness of conservation, and recognize that whales and dolphins are wild animals, not just objects to pose next to for selfies,” he said.

    Whale numbers

    Whale numbers are gradually increasing around the world, yet declining in the waters around Mauritius, according to the Mauritius Marine Conservation Organization, which believes the downturn could be due to human activity.

    And while there are an estimated 4,000 humpback whales around Oceania, putting the species in the category “of least concern” on the IUCN’s Red List, those around Tonga are in greater danger, Yu said.

    Chin cites the Caribbean island of Dominica as an example of sustainable whale-watching, with permits required for every trip, and boat operators helping out with local research projects on what is now the world’s first sperm whale marine reserve.

    Argentina’s approach is also worth a look, with tourists in the marine world heritage site there accompanied by guides who have the final say in whether tourists are allowed in the water, based on the behavior of the whales, he said.

    And authorities in Western Australia have limited whale-watching numbers after observing the impact of having more than one licensee on local bottlenose dolphins, Yu said.

    Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Mai Xiaotian for RFA Mandarin.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Ethiopian state media journalist detained at unknown location

    Nairobi, October 4, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the wellbeing of journalist Yeshihasab Abera, who has yet to appear in court after security personnel took him from his office on September 30 in Amhara State, which has been engulfed in conflict since 2023.

    Yeshihasab, deputy editor of the state-owned Bekur newspaper, was arrested at the offices of the Amhara Media Corporation, the newspaper’s parent company, in the regional capital Bahir Dar, according to his wife, Meseret Hunegnaw, and media reports.

    Authorities initially held him at a makeshift military station before transferring him on the same day to a police station, Meseret told CPJ. On October 3, he was moved again to an unknown location but officials had yet to explain the reasons for his detention, she said.

    “Authorities in Ethiopia should produce Yeshihasab Abera in court and present credible charges against him, or release him immediately and unconditionally,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo. “His detention at an unknown location is alarming and sends a message of fear to other journalists in the restive Amhara region.”

    Amnesty International has described arbitrary detentions of hundreds of people, including civil servants and academics, in Amhara since September 28.

    On October 1, Amhara regional government and Ethiopian National Defense Force officials said they were engaged in a “law enforcement operation” targeting armed groups and their “logistical and intelligence” networks within the government and private sector. CPJ could not determine whether Yeshihasab’s detention was part of these mass arrests.

    Conflict broke out in the region more than a year ago, between government forces and regional Fano militia who felt the Amhara were betrayed by the terms of a peace agreement to end an earlier conflict, the country’s 2020-2022 civil war, and who have contested federal control of parts of the region.

    CPJ did not receive any replies to its emails requesting comment from the Amhara Amhara Regional State Government Communication Bureau, Bekur newspaper, or the Amhara Media Corporation.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.