A group of Italian and international press freedom groups have released an open letter calling on Pope Francis to address Turkey’s crackdown on independent journalism during a meeting in Rome with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The letter calls on the pope to engage in a “frank” discussion with Erdoğan about the dramatic decline in the rule […]

The International Press Institute (IPI) today called on authorities in Kenya to immediately lift a ban on a group of private broadcasters forced off air earlier this week over their coverage of an opposition leader’s symbolic presidential “inauguration”. The ban was enacted as thousands gathered early Tuesday morning in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park to witness the […]

“Opposition with no offer for voters”. “Poles want changes in courts, not protests”. “Total opposition’s total hysteria”. The next day: “Total opposition in total disarray”. And, two days later, “Total opposition totally divided”. These are not the headlines of a marginal right-wing website or, indeed, a satirical show. They are taken from Wiadomości, the main […]

The misuse of defamation law to silence journalists remains a problem in Malta, even as the Maltese government is currently discussing a new bill to repeal the country’s criminal libel law. In particular, several Maltese media houses have been the target of “SLAPPs” (strategic lawsuits against public participation) over the past year. SLAPPs are generally […]