Russia designates Karen Shainyan as “extremist”, opens criminal case against journalist On 14 July 2023, the Russian institution for the control of financial transactions, Rosfinmonitoring, added journalist Karen Shainyan to its list of “terrorists and extremists”, forbidding any financial transactions in Russia by the journalist. According to Russian independent media, this step indicates authorities have opened a criminal case for extremism against Shainyan, without however publishing […] Read more »
IPI welcomes Kyrgyz court decision reversing order to close Radio Azattyk July 14, 2023 IPI Contributor Rowan Humphries IPI and its global network welcome the Bishkek City Courtâs decision to annul an April shut down order for Radio Azattyk, the Kyrgyz service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. The ruling clears the way for the broadcaster to return online after being blocked since October of last year. IPI had previously condemned the decision […] Read more »
Poland: Media capture fears confirmed in new report examining PKN Orlen takeover of Polska Press July 13, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins the undersigned organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium in warning that the findings of a new report assessing the impact of the takeover of regional news publisher Polska Press by Polandâs state-controlled oil company PKN Orlen illustrate a shocking example of media capture in the […] Read more »
#IPIWoCo Recap: Media and democracy in the age of AI July 12, 2023 AI can be harnessed to help journalists do their jobs more efficiently, but is also poised to further pollute the information landscape, panelists at the opening Town Hall of the 2023 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival said. They assessed the risks of AI to independent journalism, and the information landscape more broadly, and […] Read more »
Turkey Trial Blog: Court releases 15 journalists detained for over a year in Diyarbakır July 12, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) traveled to Diyarbakır, Turkey, in July 2023 to monitor the first hearing of a case in which 17 Kurdish journalists and 1 media worker â 15 of whom are currently in pre-trial detention are charged with âmembership in a terrorist organizationâ and face a prison sentence up to 15 years. […] Read more »
Polen: Neuer Bericht ĂŒber die Ăbernahme von Polska Press durch PKN Orlen bestĂ€tigt die BefĂŒrchtungen einer Vereinnahmung des Mediums July 12, 2023 Read in English Das International Press Institute (IPI) schlieĂt sich heute den unterzeichnenden Organisationen des Konsortiums Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) an und warnt davor, dass die Ergebnisse eines neuen Berichts, der die Auswirkungen der Ăbernahme des regionalen Nachrichtenverlags Polska Press durch den staatlich kontrollierten polnischen Ălkonzern PKN Orlen bewertet, ein schockierendes Beispiel fĂŒr die Vereinnahmung […] Read more »
Mexico: IPI condemns the killing of journalist Luis MartĂn SĂĄnchez Ăñiguez July 10, 2023 IPI Contributor Rowan Humphries The IPI global network condemns the killing of Mexican journalist Luis MartĂn SĂĄnchez Ăñiguez, who was found dead in the Mexican state of Nayarit after going missing last week. He is at least the fourth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year. IPI urgently calls on the Mexican government to thoroughly investigate all cases […] Read more »
Analysis: A new global cybercrime treaty risks becoming yet another legal instrument to punish and muzzle the press July 9, 2023 By Amy Brouillette, IPI Director of Advocacy For journalists and rights advocates, much is at stake as UN-member states gather in New York next month to hammer out the final points of a new global treaty to combat cybercrime. The treaty being negotiated could hand authorities far-reaching surveillance and investigatory powers both at home and abroad â and give repressive governments even […] Read more »
Media freedom and journalist groups call on EU to secure effective Media Freedom Act July 7, 2023 To the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission On behalf of media freedom, journalists and human rights organizations across Europe, we call upon the European Union institutions to negotiate a strong and effective European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) that can counter media capture and protect editorial independence and media pluralism across Europe. […] Read more »
âJournalists are not legitimate targetsâ: Pegasus hacks amidst a war July 4, 2023 IPI contributor Rowan Humphries Researchers have been tracking the use of cyber surveillance software to target journalists for years, but until now no government has ever been caught using it during an active international conflict. New revelations from digital rights researchers and advocates uncovered the targeting of public officials and journalists with Pegasus spyware during the 2020 war between […] Read more »
Russia: IPI horrified by violent attack on journalist Elena Milashina in Chechnya July 4, 2023 IPI and its global network denounce in the firmest possible terms the violent attack on Elena Milashina, an investigative journalist with the renowned Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, who was assaulted along with lawyer Alexander Nemov as they were heading to monitor the trial of political prisoner Zarema Musayeva in Chechnya. According to Milashina, she and […] Read more »
IPI Central Europe Network: Leading editors call for strong EMFA July 3, 2023 Leading editors from within the International Press Instituteâs (IPI) Central Europe Independent Media Network have today published an open letter calling on EU bodies to pass a strong and effective European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) which helps safeguard independent journalism and roll back media capture across the bloc. Read the full open letter below […] Read more »
Belarus: Amid authoritarian crackdown, journalists and the LGBTQ+ community face intersecting threats June 30, 2023 IPI Contributor Katherine Dailey In Belarus, journalists and members of the LGBTQ+ community face alarmingly restrictive landscapes. Thirty-four journalists are currently jailed in Belarus, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). Most are charged with âextremist activitiesâ or âviolating public orderâ as part of the crackdown on the press following the 2020 presidential election. More recently, BAJ was […] Read more »
Colombia: For queer journalists, identity helps inform their reporting June 30, 2023 IPI Contributor Katherine Dailey Mariana Escobar Bernoske and Felipe Morales Sierra are both reporters at El Espectador, one of Colombiaâs biggest national newspapers, working in the Gender and Diversity section and the Judicial section, respectively. Both a part of the LGBTQ+ community, they find that their identity as queer journalists informs their reporting on their respective beats. For Escobar […] Read more »
Ethiopia: âConstant terrorâ for LGBTQ+ journalists, even those in the closet June 30, 2023 IPI Contributor Katherine Dailey In Ethiopia, âwhen you’re a journalist, once or twice you will end up in jailâ, said a journalist who spoke to IPI requested anonymity. But for an LGBTQ+ journalist, they said, this could mean an investigation into oneâs personal life â and if someone is found to be queer, they could be charged and imprisoned […] Read more »
Kenya: Reporting on undercovered LGBTQ+ community brings potential scrutiny June 30, 2023 IPI Contributor Katherine Dailey Before publishing a recent project centering on the LGBTQ+ community in Africa, an anonymous Kenyan journalist prepared for backlash and harassment online. Though the negative response was not as strong as he had feared, the personal risks for a queer journalist remain high. Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, punishable by up to 21 years in […] Read more »
Russia: IPI denounces designation of Novaya Gazeta Europe as âundesirable organizationâ June 30, 2023 IPI and its global network today denounce the decision by Russian authorities to designate Novaya Gazeta Europe, a leading independent Russian media outlet, as an âundesirable organizationâ. The Russian Prosecutor-Generalâs Office claimed that Novaya Gazeta Europe âcreated and disseminated tendentious informational materials harming the interests of Russiaâ. Authorities also accused the outlet of disseminating âfalse […] Read more »
EU must prioritize media freedom in Turkey post-election June 28, 2023 The undersigned organisations call on the incoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to place media freedom and human rights front and centre of relations with the newly re-elected Government of Turkey. The May elections, which saw a parliamentary majority for the AKP and its allies and the re-election of Recep Tayyip […] Read more »
Russian Prosecutor-General designates Novaya Gazeta Europe as an “undesirable organization” On 28 June 2023, the Russian Prosecutor-General’s office designated Novaya Gazeta Europe, a leading independent Russian media outlet, as an âundesirable organizationâ. The IPI Weekly Digest & IPI Distribution List Subscribe for all IPI press freedom news and updates, opportunities for journalists, and the latest in media innovation. Join us! Authorities claimed that Novaya Gazeta Europe […] Read more »
IPI joins coalition calling on Sierra Leone to protect internet access during election June 22, 2023 The IPI global network joined dozens of other press freedom, human rights, and digital rights organizations from across the globe under the auspices of the #KeepItOn coalition to call on the Sierra Leonean government to keep the internet on during the countryâs general elections on June 24.  The letter calls on President Julius Maada Bio […] Read more »
Kenya: Government officials must cease attacks on media June 22, 2023 The IPI global network condemns the attack on Nation Media Group (NMG) by a top Kenyan government official, Cabinet Secretary for Trade, Moses Kuria, and calls on government officials to allow the media and journalists to carry out their work without fear of reprisals in any forms. According to reports, on June 19, Moses Kuria […] Read more »
Palestine: IPI condemns shooting of journalist Hazem Nasser by Israeli forces June 22, 2023 IPI Contributor Katherine Dailey IPI strongly condemns the attack on Hazem Nasser, a photojournalist at al-Ghad TV channel, who was shot and seriously wounded during an Israeli raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on June 19. Similarly to Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces in 2022, […] Read more »
Biden must raise press freedom issues during Modi state visit June 21, 2023 IPI Contributor Rowan Humphries The IPI global network calls for U.S. President Joe Biden to prioritize press freedom issues in India while he hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week. The alarming deterioration of press freedom in India must be halted, and Biden must make tackling these issues at home and abroad a priority. Modi is in the […] Read more »
#IPIWoCo Recap: Cybercrime laws: A new frontline for press freedom June 21, 2023 With the abuse of cybercrime laws to target journalists on the rise globally, states must ensure that a planned U.N. cybercrime treaty does not undermine freedom of expression, a panel of experts said at the 2023 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival. Cybercrime laws are increasingly being used to criminalize a wide scope of […] Read more »
IPI condemns recent internet shutdowns and mobile network disruptions in Mauritania, Guinea, and Senegal June 21, 2023 The IPI global network condemns the recent ordering of network disruptions and internet shutdowns by governments Mauritania, Guinea, and Senegal, where access to the internet has been either partially or completely restricted in recent months amid public protests. Internet shutdowns are a disproportionate restriction on the publicâs right to access to information, including during times […] Read more »
Turkey: International groups condemn attack against journalist Sinan AygĂŒl June 20, 2023 The undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression and human rights organizations strongly condemn the appalling attack on journalist Sinan AygĂŒl that took place in Tatvan, a city in eastern Turkey, on June 17. Two people were arrested the following day charged with âintentional injury with a weaponâ. While we welcome the swift arrests, we call […] Read more »
Benin: Journalist given suspended prison term for âfalse newsâ June 19, 2023 The IPI global network condemns the one-year suspended prison term given to Benin journalist Virgile Ahouanse of the online radio Crystal News after being found guilty of publishing false news on his online media platform. IPI calls for the decision to be reversed and urges authorities to stop using the country’s digital code to crack […] Read more »
IPI joins call to EU Council to reconsider EMFA spyware position June 19, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins a civil society and journalists organisations in voicing our concerns about proposals to weaken protections for journalists against spyware surveillance envisioned in the draft European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). IPI joins these groups in jointly calling on the Council of the European Union to reconsider its current position […] Read more »
#IPIWoCo Recap: The chilling effect of surveillance on journalism June 16, 2023 IPI Contributor Katherine Dailey Surveillance technologies of all kinds â from facial recognition cameras to spyware technology â are increasingly being used to target journalists around the world. Speakers at the IPI World Congress panel titled âJournalism and surveillance: A brave new worldâ explained how these technologies threaten freedom of the press, and how journalists can protect themselves. The COVID-19 […] Read more »
Guatemala: IPI condemns sentencing of journalist JosĂ© RubĂ©n Zamora June 15, 2023 IPI Contributors Katherine Dailey and Rowan Humphries Guatemalan journalist and IPI World Press Freedom Hero JosĂ© RubĂ©n Zamora, head of the now-shuttered elPeriĂłdico newspaper, has been convicted on charges of money laundering and sentenced to six years in prison. The IPI global press freedom network strongly condemns this verdict as a serious attack on press freedom and calls on Guatemala and states […] Read more »
IPI condemns use of Pegasus spyware against journalists amidst Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict June 14, 2023 By IPI contributor Rowan Humphries The IPI global network is alarmed by a new report by internet watchdogs and digital rights advocacy groups uncovering the use of Pegasus, a controversial spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group, to target journalists and other civil society actors during the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The latest revelations are another […] Read more »
#IPIWoCo Recap: Cutting loose from media capture June 13, 2023 Jamie Wiseman There is a light at the end of the tunnel after media capture, and different strategies are being developed at the political and economic level to help safeguard independent media from hostile takeovers, panellists agreed during a discussion at the IPI World Congress in Vienna on May 26. While undemocratic models of controlling media ecosystems […] Read more »
IPI Africa press freedom monitoring: Journalists in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan face censorship, arrests, and violence June 7, 2023 Journalists in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan faced significant pressure, including censorship, arrests, and violence, according to IPI monitoring of press freedom threats and violations for the month of April. In total, IPI documented 60 incidents across 13 countries during this month, with a vast majority of press freedom threats or violations occurring at the hands […] Read more »
