In fight against extremism, press freedom must not be compromised
In an effort to counter extremists and militant groups who use a mix of violence and social media to spread their message, a summit was held in Washington, D.C. this week to discuss how to counter violent extremism. While there is little denying that these groups must be tackled, an approach must be found that…
Kuwaiti court upholds government shutdown of Al-Watan newspaper
Washington, February 19, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the official harassment of the Kuwaiti independent daily Al-Watan and calls on authorities to allow the paper to resume publishing its print edition. In the latest legal twist, a Kuwaiti court on Wednesday upheld the government’s decision to shut down the paper, according to news reports.
In Russia, media regulator uses warnings to restrict the press
In January, Russia’s state media regulator Roskomnadzor issued warnings to six news outlets that published cartoons from French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Roskomnadzor said the cartoons were “insulting the religious feelings of Muslims and inciting religious hatred,” and that the outlets had broken laws on media and extremism, Russian news agency Tass reported.
Sudan security agents confiscate print runs of 14 newspapers
New York, February 18, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the confiscation by Sudanese security agents of editions from at least 14 newspapers on Monday, in what the country’s National Council for Press and Publications described as an “unprecedented” action.
TrollBusters app takes on those seeking to silence women writers
Eight years ago Michelle Ferrier was forced to quit her job as a newspaper columnist and move to a different state after being targeted by racist hate mail. But Ferrier has managed to turn a traumatic experience into an empowering one by inspiring a team of tech-savvy media professionals and entrepreneurs to create TrollBusters, a…
South Sudan daily Nation Mirror ordered to stop publishing
Nairobi, February 10, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the ban on independent newspaper Nation Mirror, which was ordered to stop publishing by National Security Service agents in South Sudan’s capital Juba, and calls on authorities to immediately reverse the order.
In Uganda, mob assaults radio journalists
A group of about 30 men with clubs attacked journalists Gerald Kankya and Simon Amanyire in the town of Fort Portal in western Uganda on January 23, 2015, Kankya told CPJ. The assailants beat the journalists, breaking one of Kankya’s teeth and bruising his legs and arms, the journalist said. Amanyire escaped without serious injury.
Sudan passes freedom of information law but journalists remain wary
The Sudanese government has boasted that its freedom of information law, passed by parliament at the end of January, will increase transparency by giving citizens the right to access and publish public information. But with a long history of censorship and harassment from authorities, journalists suspect the law will be used as another way to…
Mission Journal: Finding a legal solution to siege of Pakistan’s media
Pakistan’s media, long under siege, face new challenges. “We had managed to get the genie out of the lamp,” was the way one Pakistani journalist explained it to me during a trip there last month. “But now, the military has pushed it back in and I’m not sure when we’ll be able to get it…