General Assembly President Dennis Francis has called for reaffirming commitments “to protecting journalists and media workers worldwide”.
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s statement that “freedom of the press is a precious privilege that no country can forego”, General Assembly President Dennis Francis has called for reaffirming commitments “to protecting journalists and media workers worldwide”.
After posting the comment on the social media X on World Press Freedom Day, Friday, Francis issued a joint statement with Presidents Simona Mirela Miculescu of the UNESCO General Conference, Paula Narváez of the UN Economic and Social Council, and Omar Zneiber of the Human Rights Council, focusing on journalists covering the environment.
“We advocate for the strengthening of policies that promote free, independent, and pluralistic media, thereby fostering a vibrant and robust public sphere, a pillar of peaceful, just, inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous societies,” they said.
“We also recognise the role of journalists and media workers, including women, in raising public awareness about climate change, environmental and disaster issues,” they said.
According to Francis’s Spokesperson Monica Grayely, the World Press Freedom Day this year “is dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global environmental crisis”.
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, 'freedom of the press is a precious privilege that no country can forego.'
On #WorldPressFreedomDay, let's reaffirm our commitment to protecting journalists and media workers worldwide.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message, “The world is going through an unprecedented environmental emergency which poses an existential threat to this and future generations.”
“People need to know about this – and journalists and media workers have a key role in informing and educating them,” he said.
He said, “It is no surprise that some powerful people, companies and institutions will stop at nothing to prevent environmental journalists from doing their jobs. Media freedom is under siege. And environmental journalism is an increasingly dangerous profession.”
UNESCO reported that in the past 15 years, there have been about 750 attacks on journalists and news outlets reporting on environmental issues.
Guterres said that other journalists are also facing risks.
“Around the world, media workers are risking their lives trying to bring us news on everything from war to democracy,” he said.
“I am shocked and appalled by the high number of journalists killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza,” he said.
He said, “I call on governments, the private sector and civil society to join us in reaffirming our commitment to safeguarding press freedom and the rights of journalists and media professionals around the world.”
People on the sanctions list include journalists from the BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph newspapers, as well as prominent politicians like Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Minister of State for Defence Annabel Goldie and International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan, reports Asian Lite News
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it has banned 54 British nationals, including journalists and politicians, from entering the country due to their alleged involvement in “propaganda support of the activities of the (Ukrainian) Zelensky regime” and of being “Russophobic”.
“We would like to emphasise again that any efforts by London to further spin the anti-Russian sanctions flywheel will inevitably receive a decisive response from our side,” CNN quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement late Friday.
“Work on expanding the Russian ‘stop list’ in response to the actions of the British authorities will continue,” it added.
People on the sanctions list include journalists from the BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph newspapers, as well as prominent politicians like Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Minister of State for Defence Annabel Goldie and International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan.
In its statement, the Ministry said Khan featured on the list due to his involvement “in issuing a warrant for the arrest of the Russian leadership”.
In March this year, the International Criminal Court had issued the arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting children from Ukraine, which Moscow denies, the BBC reported.
With regards to banning Frazer, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that she was “actively lobbying for the international sports isolation of Russia.”
Lucy Frazer, UK’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Earlier this year, Frazer said in a social media post that she asked sponsors of the Olympic Games “to join 35 like-minded nations and press the IOC for a continued ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in international sporting competitions”, adding that “we must continue to ensure that Russia and Belarus cannot use sport for their propaganda purposes”, reports CNN.
Meanwhile, the Ministry accused Goldie of being “responsible for the supply of weapons to Ukraine, including depleted uranium shells”.
Russia has already barred a number of British journalists and defence figures as well as hundreds of elected MPs.
In June last year, the BBC’s Clive Myrie and Orla Guerin were among journalists who have reported from Ukraine to be banned.
BBC director general Tim Davie was also on the list.
The UK is among Western countries to have sanctioned Russia in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
These include a ban on the import of goods from Russia such as diamonds, oil and gas.
Earlier this month, the British government announced what it described as the “largest ever UK action” targeting Russia’s access to foreign military supplies, the BBC reported.
More than 1,000 Russian businesses and individuals have been sanctioned by the US, EU, UK and other countries.
Twitter 'inching closer' to finalise $46.5 bn deal with Elon Musk
The user’s post also included journalists Ryan Mac from The New York Times and Aaron Rupar from Independent…reports Asian Lite News
Twitter CEO Elon Musk has suspended accounts of several prominent journalists on the micro-blogging platform, including Donie O’Sullivan from CNN and Drew Harwell from The Washington Post as they covered the “exact real-time location” of Musk.
When a Twitter user posted screenshots of suspended accounts of some journalists, Musk said on Friday: “Same doxxing rules apply to journalists as to everyone else.
“They posted my exact real-time location, basically assassination coordinates, in (obvious) direct violation of Twitter terms of service.”
The user’s post also included journalists Ryan Mac from The New York Times and Aaron Rupar from Independent.
Several users expressed their thoughts on Musk’s tweet.
While one user commented, “Most regular users come here for the journalists. Once they’re gone, so is your audience”, another said: “When are you going suspend @weatherchannel & @JMichaelsNews for doxxing the real live locations of all these tornado survivors in Gretna, Louisiana? You promised a dedication to free speech & now you are the suppressor.”
Meanwhile, the micro-blogging platform also suspended the official account of Mastodon, a platform for people seeking a Twitter-like alternative.
Musk reactsto press criticism
The CEO of Twitter hasn’t held back on responding to accusations of him hampering the microblogging site’s ‘freedom of speech’. Taking to Twitter, the multi-billionaire reacted with a sarcastic comment at the criticism being hurled at him.
“So inspiring to see the newfound love of freedom of speech by the press,” he wrote. According to a report by US-based Tech portal The Verge, a statement was released by CNN on the banning of one of its own journalists.
“The impulsive and unjustified suspension of a number of reporters, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, is concerning but not surprising. Twitter’s increasing instability and volatility should be of incredible concern for everyone who uses Twitter. We have asked Twitter for an explanation, and we will reevaluate our relationship based on that response,” the statement read.
Twitter recently suspended accounts of roughly half a dozen prominent journalists, who have been covering the social media site and Musk, citing they had violated rules against “doxxing.” The suspended accounts include those of Ryan Mac of The New York Times, Donie O’Sullivan of CNN, Drew Harwell of The Washington Post, Matt Binder of Mashable, Micah Lee of The Intercept, political journalist Keith Olbermann, Aaron Rupar and Tony Webster, both independent journalists, the New York Times reported.
The social media platform on Thursday (local time) displayed “account suspended” notices on the accounts of these journalists. The development follows a policy update made by Twitter on Thursday (local time) prohibiting the sharing of “live location information, including information shared on Twitter directly or links to 3rd-party URL(s) of travel routes.” (ANI)
Koo’s Twitter handle suspended
Microblogging site Twitter has suspended the account of Indian microblogging platform Koo. The Twitter handle @kooeminence was suspended on Friday, a development that came in the wake of billionaire Elon Musk-owned Twitter suspending the accounts of several prominent global journalists, including those from the New York Times, CNN and Washington Post. Taking to Twitter, Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder of the homegrown microblogging platform said, “I forgot. There’s more! – Banning Mastodon account. – Not allowing mastodon links saying it’s unsafe. – Banning Koo’s eminence handle. I mean seriously. How much more control does the guy need?” Mastodon is the social media rival of Twitter.
In a series of tweets, Bidawatka questioned the rationale behind suspending the @kooeminence account, which has been set up only a few days ago for queries posed by celebrities and VIPs wanting to use the Indian social media platform. “1. Posting publicly available info isn’t doxxing. Why shoot the messenger? 2. Journalists that posted links did nothing wrong. Posting a link to publicly available info isn’t doxxing the way posting a link to an online article isn’t plagiarism,” Koo co-founder Bidawtka said.
“3. Leaving spaces without answering journalists is bad. 4. Creating policies out of thin air to suit yourself is worse. 5. Changing your stance every other day is inconsistent. 6. Posting a video of an unknown car on Twitter with the car plate showing – how’s that allowed?” he added. The Koo cofounder said that Twitter killed spaces overnight to control conversations.
“He further added that there are other things that Twitter had done in the past week which is not a democracy. One needs to speak up,” he said. While promoting Koo, Bidawatka said that the home-grown microblogging platform is the best alternative to Twitter. “This place is what it is because of you and millions of other users like us. Let’s not fuel this guy’s ego,” he added. Bidawatka also said, “And guess what! Suddenly. Almost suddenly #ElonIsDestroyingTwitter has been removed from the trending section. Twitter is a publisher. Not a platform anymore!”
This comes a day after Twitter suspended the accounts of roughly half a dozen prominent journalists, who have been covering the social media site and Musk, citing they had violated rules against “doxxing.” The suspended accounts include those of Ryan Mac of The New York Times, Donie O’Sullivan of CNN, Drew Harwell of The Washington Post, Matt Binder of Mashable, Micah Lee of The Intercept, political journalist Keith Olbermann, Aaron Rupar and Tony Webster, both independent journalists, the New York Times reported. The social media platform on Thursday (local time) displayed “account suspended” notices on the accounts of these journalists. Twitter also updated its policy update on Thursday (local time) prohibiting the sharing of “live location information, including information shared on Twitter directly or links to 3rd-party URL(s) of travel routes.” Meanwhile, the United Nations and the European Union has threatened to sanction Musk on the actions taken by Twitter. (ANI)
After registering nine cases of intimidation of Pakistani journalists by army-related agencies since Shehbaz Sharif took over as Prime Minister in late April, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has cautioned the army high command against further harassment of the media, which would seriously undermine Pakistani democracy.
“The many cases of harassment that RSF has registered in the past two months have one thing in common – all the journalists concerned had, in one way or another, criticised the army’s role in Pakistani politics,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk.
“It is clear from the data that the armed forces have launched a major campaign to intimidate critical journalists. This kind of interference, which is absolutely intolerable, must stop at once or else the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, will be held directly responsible for the decline in press freedom in Pakistan.”
The latest case of violence registered by RSF was on July 9, when BOL News anchor Sami Ibrahim was attacked by three people outside the TV channel’s studios in Melody, a district in Islamabad, the capital.
In a video, Ibrahim said they were waiting for him outside the TV channel in order to harass him while filming the scene. They then left in a car with green licence plates, the sign of a state-owned vehicle.
The incident comes six weeks after judicial proceedings were opened against Ibrahim under articles 499, 505 and 131 of the penal code, which penalise defamation, statements conducive to public mischief and “abetting mutiny”, respectively. The latter charge carries a possible life sentence.
By way of mutiny, Ibrahim simply questioned the internal mechanisms of the Pakistani state apparatus and, in particular, the army’s role in politics. The proceedings were initiated as a result of complaints filed with the police in Attock, a city in Punjab province that is 70 km west of Islamabad
It was in Attock that another well-known TV journalist, Express News TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan, was intercepted and arrested by a dozen policemen accompanied by members of a Punjab special elite force on the evening of July 5 at a toll plaza on the road to Islamabad, where he had planned to obtain pre-arrest bail to avoid the arrest he knew was imminent if he remained in Punjab.
‘Harassment Manager’ allows users to document and manage abuse targeted at them on social media, starting with Twitter…reports Asian Lite News
Google on Tuesday launched an open source anti-harassment tool called ‘Harassment Manager’ to help women journalists and activists, especially those covering controversial topics or living under autocratic governments, manage online abuse.
Google’s Jigsaw unit has released the code for the open source anti-harassment tool on Microsoft-owned open source repository GitHub.
‘Harassment Manager’ allows users to document and manage abuse targeted at them on social media, starting with Twitter.
“It helps users easily identify and document harmful posts, mute or block perpetrators of harassment and hide harassing replies to their own tweets. Individuals can review tweets based on hashtag, username, keyword or date, and leverage our Perspective API to detect comments that are most likely to be toxic,” Jigsaw said in a post.
In addition to the partnership with Twitter, the effort also involved collaborations with several NGOs in the journalism and human rights space.
The Harassment Manager code is now available on Github, open sourced for developers and non-governmental organisations to build and adapt for free.
“Our hope is that this technology provides a resource for people who are facing harassment online, especially female journalists, activists, politicians and other public figures, who deal with disproportionately high toxicity online,” Jigsaw noted.
The company also looks forward to seeing developers and organisations tailor it to their specific needs and use the technology to help other at-risk populations.
They used the Otter app to record the interview call and, a day later, the journalist received a message from Otter, asking about the purpose of the conversation with Aksu…reports Asian Lite News
Popular automated transcription service Otter.ai which is very popular among journalists to record interviews with real-time transcription may be listening to your recordings.
A report in Politico suggests that Cloud-based real-time transcriptions — being adopted worldwide for their ease and simplicity — are not entirely safe.
Politico journalist Phelim Kine interviewed Mustafa Aksu, an outspoken Uyghur human rights activist who could be a target of surveillance from the Chinese government. Aksu is with the Washington, DC-based Uyghur Human Rights Project.
They used the Otter app to record the interview call and, a day later, the journalist received a message from Otter, asking about the purpose of the conversation with Aksu.
“Hey Phelim, to help us improve your Otter’s experience, what was the purpose of this particular recording with titled ‘Mustafa Aksu’ created at “2021-11-08 11:02:41′?” the journalist was asked.
Three responses were offered: “Personal transcription,” “Meeting or group collaboration,” and “Other.”
“I froze. Was this a phishing attack? Was Otter or some entity that had access to Otter’s servers spying on my conversations?” said Kine.
He contacted Otter to verify if this was indeed a real survey or some clever phishing ruse.
An initial confirmation that the survey was legitimate was followed by a denial from the same Otter representative, laced with a warning that I “not respond to that survey and delete it.”
“My communications with Otter were all restricted to email and were sporadic, often confusing and contradictory”.
Otter’s Public Relations Manager, Mitchell Woodrow, told The Verge: “To be clear, unless we are legally compelled to do so by a valid United States legal subpoena, we will not ever share any of your data, including data files, with any foreign government or law enforcement agencies.”
It’s, however, an important wake up call as automated transcription services are being widely used globally.
“We have not and would not share any data, including data files, of yours with any foreign government or law enforcement agencies,” Otter said.
According to Kine, “savvy, skeptical journalists who take robust efforts to protect sources have found themselves in the thrall of Otter, a transcription app powered by artificial intelligence, and which has virtually eliminated the once-painstaking task of writing up interview notes”.
“That’s an overlooked vulnerability that puts data and sources at risk,” say experts.
“The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is intended to underscore the importance of protecting and defending these fundamental rights,” the Committee said…reports Asian Lite News.
Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov were on Friday conferred the Nobel Peace Prize 2021 for “their courageous fight for freedom of expression” in their homeland, the Philippines and Russia, respectively and as “representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions”.
Maria Ressa
Announcing the coveted prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said it chose Ressa, the founder and chief of Rappler, digital media company for investigative journalism, and Muratov, the founder of Russian daily Novaya Gazeta, for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, “which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”.
Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, whose digital investigative media outfit has been chronicling abuses and excesses of power in the Phillipines, especially in the present, and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, who is heading a free paper taking a critical view of the government for nearly a quarter-century now in face of all challenges, were on Friday conferred the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021.
Honour for the courageous fight for freedom of expression
Announcing the 2021 laureates, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said that it chose Ressa, the founder and chief of Rappler, and Muratov, the founder of Russian daily Novaya Gazeta, for “their courageous fight for freedom of expression”, and as “representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions”.
Stressing that “free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies, and war propaganda”, it said it “is convinced that freedom of expression and freedom of information help ensure an informed public” and that these rights are “crucial prerequisites for democracy and protect against war and conflict”.
“The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is intended to underscore the importance of protecting and defending these fundamental rights,” the Committee said.
It noted that without freedom of expression and freedom of the press, it will be difficult to successfully promote fraternity between nations, disarmament and a better world order to succeed in our time, and thus, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize award “is therefore firmly anchored in the provisions of Alfred Nobel’s will”.
The Committee said Ressa has used freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines. As a journalist and CEO of the Rapplers, which she co-founded in 2012, she has “shown herself to be a fearless defender of freedom of expression”.
Dmitry Muratov
Rappler has focused critical attention on the Rodrigo Duterte regime’s “controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign”, which has led to so many deaths that it “resembles a war waged against the country’s own population”.
Ressa and Rappler have also documented how social media is being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse, it added.
The Committee said that Muratov has, for decades, defended freedom of speech in Russia “under increasingly challenging conditions”.
Muratov was one of the founders in 1993, and Editor-in-Chief since 1995, of the Novaya Gazeta, whose “fact-based journalism and professional integrity have made it an important source of information on censurable aspects of Russian society rarely mentioned by other media”.
“Since its start-up in 1993, Novaya Gazeta has published critical articles on subjects ranging from corruption, police violence, unlawful arrests, electoral fraud and ‘troll factories’ to the use of Russian military forces both within and outside Russia,” it said, despite its opponents having “responded with harassment, threats, violence, and murder” with six of its top journalists killed, including Anna Politkovskaya who wrote revealing articles on the war in Chechnya.
However, “Muratov has refused to abandon the newspaper’s independent policy. He has consistently defended the right of journalists to write anything they want about whatever they want, as long as they comply with the professional and ethical standards of journalism,” the Committee said.
Taliban threats came as the United States have begun drawdown of its troops in Afghanistan and violence have escalated in the country….reports Asian Lite News
Taliban have issued a threat to Afghan media outlets and have accused them of siding with Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, saying “media must be aware” to maintain their neutrality and avoid becoming the Kabul administration’s propaganda tool.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Taliban spokesman Zabullah Mujahid said the Kabul administration’s National Directorate of Security is directly involved in activities to distort public views, Khamma Press reported.
He said that “media must be aware” to maintain their neutrality, and that in such a sensitive situation media should avoid becoming the Kabul administration’s propaganda tool.
Taliban threats came as the United States have begun drawdown of its troops in Afghanistan and violence have escalated in the country.
Earlier in June of 2019, the Taliban had issued a threat to the Afghan media outlets saying journalists will be targeted unless news outlets stop publishing and broadcasting what they call government propaganda against the insurgents.
Since then, journalists, media professionals and staffers came under attacks and fell victims to targeted killings.
According to reports at least 20 Journalists and media workers have been the victims of Targeted attacks in the past six months including eight including four women were killed and dozens have received death threats for their work.
United Mission in a report on February 2021 said at least 11 human rights defenders and media workers were killed in targeted attacks between September 2020 to January 2021.
Taliban have launched a new wave of offensive in several Afghan cities and are resorting to bombings and heavy weapons after the United States missed May 1 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
Several cities around Afghanistan are witnessing the wrath of the Taliban’s attacks. The Afghan forces have suffered heavy casualties in the past few days as they fought back the terror group offensive.
Taliban fighters have captured a key district in northern Afghanistan while thousands of civilians have fled their homes in the southern part of the country to escape violent attacks by the group after the withdrawal of US forces from a military base in the area, officials said on Wednesday.
The rugged Burka district in Baghlan, one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban overnight after the militant group staged an attack on government forces, Javid Basharat, a spokesman for Baghlan’s governor, told Arab News. (ANI)
The deadly attack on Alam attracted condemnation from journalists and politicians alike…reports Asian Lite News.
Pakistan continues to remain as one of the most unsafe countries for journalists, as targeted attacks, abductions, killings and assassination attempts on senior scribes continue unabated.
In the latest tragic incident in the capital Islamabad, senior journalist and former chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (PEMRA), Absar Alam, was shot in broad daylight by unknown attackers.
In a video message shared on social media, Absar Alam could be seen stating that he was shot outside his house.
“I have been shot in my ribs,” said Absar Alam while being taken to the hospital after being shot at.
“My message to those who did this is that I am not going to be scared by such tactics,” he added.
Alam was rushed to the hospital immediately where his condition has stabilised.
The incident prompted immediate response from the Islamabad Police, which stated that the capital police chief has constituted a special team under the command of the SSP (investigation) to probe the attack.
Federal Minister for Interior, Sheikh Rasheed, also took notice of the attack and ordered the Islamabad IG to investigate the matter with immediate effect.
“Those involved in the firing should be arrested as soon as possible,” he said.
“Those who fired at Absar Alam will not be able to escape the law. Very soon they will be within the ambit of the law,” he added.
Lahore HC removes PEMRA chairman (ANI)
The deadly attack on Alam attracted condemnation from journalists and politicians alike.
“Silencing the voice of dissent is cancer that has plagued this country for many years. Absar Alam Sahab is the latest victim of this cruel & barbaric crime. May Allah SWT heal his wounds and the wounds of this country. Ameen,” tweeted Maryam Nawaz, the Vice President of opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) also lashed out at the government, stating that it seems like the deep state is at large against the journalist community.
Absar Alam (ANI)
“It seems that the deep state is at large against the journalist community who are victims of rising crime and terrorism in the country,” PFUJ said in a statement.
“Such incidents cannot deter the journalist community from raising the voices against lawlessness and for freedom of press in the country,” it added.
The PFUJ has demanded that a judicial commission be set up to investigate the attack on Alam and crimes committed against other journalists, calling on parliamentarians and politicians to raise their voices for the protection of journalists.
Media persons in Pakistan continue to become targets of threats, abductions, torture, arrests, and murders. In 2020, at least 10 journalists were murdered while several others were threatened, kidnapped, tortured and arrested, while performing their professional duties.
As per the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) Media Freedom Report 2020, “No action has so far been taken against those responsible for torturing and killing journalists and it seems that such persons enjoy impunity.”
“It is a matter of grave concern that the legal system of the country has become useless in protecting and providing justice to journalists,” the report stated.
