Black History Month: Celebrating Black Women-Led Organisations Advancing Freedom of Expression
This Black History Month, we’re proud to highlight two inspiring Black women-led organisations that are dedicated to safeguarding and advancing freedom of expression. Founded or co-founded by exceptional women lawyers in our network, these organisations are dedicated to protecting free speech and empowering communities at heightened risk. Afia Amani Grands-Lacs Co-Founded by Congolese journalist and […]
Histories, Hegemonies & Hate: Journalists’ Challenge in Addressing the Politics of Mass Distraction in the Global Electoral Cycle
This article was kindly written for us by Joshua Castellino, Executive Co-Director & Professor of Law of Minority Rights Group International and is the first in our series; Journalism and Democracy in the Super-Election year. Journalists under siege in reporting from frontlines of heavily polarized societies are facing an even bigger challenge as 2024 […]
Focus on Turkey: Arbitrary Arrests and Abuse of the Legal System
The precarious state of press freedom in Turkey, entwined with a deteriorating democratic environment, poses significant challenges to journalists. Increasingly they face arbitrary arrests, legal threats, and increasing violence in their pursuit of reporting truth. In response to these threats, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), our partner, actively defends press freedom and human […]
Why did Internet go down in Cali, Colombia during the 2021 protests? A High Court ordered the government to find out
Author: Emmanuel Vargas Penagos* On the 4th and 5th of May 2021, amid massive national anti-government protests, Internet connectivity was lost in parts of Cali, Colombia. This city, one of the largest in the country, was one of the epicentres of the demonstrations. It was never clear who caused this outage or the reasons for […]
Ending Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
November 2nd marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. The threats and dangers that constitute a stark reality for many journalists reinforce the importance of this day. Every year journalists are killed, tortured, and harassed for carrying out their work. Over 1,600 journalists have been killed since 2003 with a sharp […]
Black History Month: Talking Freedom of Information with Journalist and Lawyer, President Aigbokhan
October is Black History Month. We continue to celebrate the exceptional black journalists and lawyers around the world who make history through their work. We recently spoke with President Aigbokhan, a prominent Nigerian citizen journalist and public interest lawyer. When researching Nigeria’s 2011 Freedom of Information Act, Aigbokhan found that, despite the law making public […]
The Killing of Arshad Sharif: One Year On, Justice Remains Elusive
23 October 2023 marks one year since the killing of prominent Pakistani journalist and news anchor for Pakistani broadcaster, ARY News, Arshad Sharif. Sharif was fatally shot at close range by Kenyan Police at a roadblock near Nairobi. To this day, a transparent, independent and effective investigation into the circumstances of his death has not […]
Focus on Kyrgyzstan: Erosion of Press Freedom
Freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan is under serious threat, with journalists, media institutions, and human rights defenders facing repressive conditions and regulations. We spoke with Aigul Adzhieva from the Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan (SFK) and lawyers Nurbek Sydykov and Altynai Isaeva from our partner organisation, Media Policy Institute (MPI), to get their expert insights into the recent […]
Eroding the Cornerstone – Attacking Media Freedom Imperils All Human Rights
World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2023: Journalists at the forefront of protecting human rights Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, enshrined in international treaties and conventions and in constitutions around the world. These laws and standards, as well as those specifically addressing the rights and protections of journalists, are in place not […]
¿Son las leyes sobre noticias falsas la mejor manera de enfrentar la desinformación?
A finales de 2021, Grecia se unió a la creciente lista de países que legislan contra las noticias falsas. Una enmienda aprobada al Código Penal se introdujo para procesar a los ciudadanos griegos que difundan información falsa durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Cualquier ciudadano que difunda información falsa sobre salud pública podría enfrentarse a penas […]
Women’s History Month: Journalists who inspire us
Threats and violence against women journalists endanger important democratic values, including freedom of expression and the right to information. Despite significant risks, women continue to investigate abuses of power—and we applaud those who are laying the groundwork for a better future. Whether covering instability wrought by war or how corruption impacts local farmers, every journalist […]
15 Years of Media Defence: Unwavering focus on legal support for journalists
15 years ago, Media Defence was established. To celebrate our 15th anniversary, we highlight some developments in freedom of expression over the past 15 years of our work. This piece is written by Bob Jobbins, who was the Chair of our Board of Trustees for 8 years, between 2013 – 2021. Previously, Bob Jobbins worked […]