ACM passes resolutions on impunity, media self-regulation October 30, 2013 | Leave a Comment The need to combat impunity and the importance of media self-regulation were the guiding themes in a pair of resolutions approved this weekend by the Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers (ACM), an IPI strategic partner. Gathered in Trinidad and Tobago for the organisation’s biennial General Assembly, ACM members representing 11 countries called on regional governments to […] Read more »
Firsthand accounts document mistreatment of Turkish journalists October 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) and its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), today reiterated their call for Turkish authorities to identify and hold accountable police officers and others responsible for the brutal treatment of journalists covering demonstrations that gripped the country this year. “Numerous journalists reported that elements of the security forces […] Read more »
Moroccan editor released on bond October 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) welcomed today’s release on bail of Moroccan editor Ali Anouzla more than a month after he was arrested in connection with an article published on a leading Internet news site. But IPI called for prosecutors to drop charges of supporting terrorism that he still faces. The investigative judge’s decision to […] Read more »
IPI urges release of jailed Jordanian publisher, editor October 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) today urged the Jordanian government to release the publisher and chief editor of an Internet news site who were arrested and jailed for linking to an online video of a man identified as a prince frolicking with women. Jafra News publisher Nidhal al-Faraneh and editor Amjad Muala were arrested under […] Read more »
Media freedom groups urge Queen not to sign Royal Charter October 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined with six other global media freedom groups in calling on Queen Elizabeth II not to sign a proposed Royal Charter that could re-impose statutory regulation of the press in the United Kingdom. The full text of the letter appears below. *********************************************************** COMMONWEALTH PRESS UNION MEDIA TRUST, London, UK […] Read more »
IPI Blog: A glimmer of hope in Africa’s Sahel region October 23, 2013 Timothy Spence | Leave a Comment The European Parliament has signed off on a lengthy resolution that challenges nations in Africa’s Sahel region to improve their record on press freedom, journalists’ safety and human rights. Though the resolution adopted on Oct. 22 lacks any real muscle, its sends an important message that nations getting development and humanitarian support from the European Union should […] Read more »
Analysis: South Sudan’s draft media law October 22, 2013 Shadi Alkasim, IPI Li Fellow | Leave a Comment Following lengthy efforts to establish laws on public broadcasting, media regulation and freedom of information in South Sudan, a package of media legislation is now awaiting approval by President Salva Kiir. Some local media organisations see the measures as a step in the right. In a review carried out by the International Press Institute (IPI) […] Read more »
St. Lucia radio station sued over article criticising officials October 17, 2013 | Leave a Comment At least three high-ranking Saint Lucian public officials have announced plans to sue a local radio broadcaster for defamation after the broadcaster read on-air an investigative news article alluding to possible wrongdoing by members of the current governing party. The International Press Institute (IPI) today expressed concern over the intent behind the lawsuits, noting that […] Read more »
Ending Internet restrictions in Jordan October 8, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) and 21 other media and human rights organisations urged the king of Jordan to reconsider restrictions placed on Internet news sites, nearly five months after regulators blocked some 300 sites under a new licensing provision of the Press and Publications Law. In the letter to King Abdullah II, the organisations […] Read more »
IPI joins open appeal to Moroccan authorities September 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) on Friday joined more than 50 freedom of expression organisations in an open appeal to Moroccan authorities calling for the immediate release of editor Ali Anouzla. The full text of the statement appears below. *********************************************************** Open appeal to the Moroccan authorities Over 50 freedom of expression organisations call for immediate […] Read more »
IPI director condemns Egypt’s ‘efforts to silence news organisations’ September 19, 2013 | Leave a Comment Underscoring the challenges facing journalists in Egypt, International Press Institute (IPI) Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie today urged Cairo to live up to its international commitments to press freedom. McKenzie, speaking in Geneva on a panel discussing the crackdown on news media during the recent turmoil in Egypt, pressed the military-backed government to free jailed […] Read more »
Slovak blogger decries pressure to reveal sources September 17, 2013 | Leave a Comment Slovak authorities should stop pressuring a Slovak journalist to divulge his sources for reports on wiretapped conversations between alleged organised crime figures and senior police officials, the International Press Institute (IPI) and its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), said today. Journalist Tom Nicholson told IPI that prosecutors investigating the leak of transcripts […] Read more »
IPI concerned by declining press freedom in Sri Lanka September 7, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) expresses today its concern about recent attacks against journalists and an overall deterioration of press freedom in Sri Lanka. On Sept. 2, BBC Tamil’s journalist Ponnaiah Manikavasagam, was questioned by the anti-terror police in relation to a telephone conversation he had with two Tamil prisoners in Colombo. IPI Press Freedom […] Read more »
Fresh start for press freedom in Mali August 28, 2013 | Leave a Comment Mali’s next president must seize the opportunity to improve the country’s record on press freedom, which suffered under months of political and sectarian conflict, the International Press Institute said today. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a Sorbonne-educated former foreign minister, is due to take office on Sept. 4. He has pledged to restore democracy and stability in […] Read more »
IPI’s German committee criticises Turkish journalists’ convictions August 8, 2013 | Leave a Comment The German National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI) yesterday spoke out against the conviction of numerous Turkish journalists in the alleged “Ergenekon” coup plot case. The committee’s chairman, former IPI Executive Board Chairman Prof. Dr. Carl-Eugen Eberle, said in a statement that the convictions raised the spectre of continued intimidation of journalists that […] Read more »
Turkish court sentences nearly two dozen journalists to prison August 6, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) and its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), today expressed alarm over a Turkish court’s convictions of journalists in connection with the alleged “Ergenekon” coup plot. A special court set up at the Silivri Prison west of Istanbul yesterday convicted all but 21 of the 275 defendants implicated […] Read more »
Turkish groups cite continuing decline in press freedom July 26, 2013 | Leave a Comment Turkish free expression groups, gathering in Istanbul Wednesday on the 105th anniversary of the country’s official abolition of censorship, took the Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led government to task for a continuing decline in press freedom. The second Congress of the Freedom for Journalists Platform (GOP) – an umbrella group representing local and national free […] Read more »
Honduran television journalist assaulted with baseball bat, threatened with shooting July 26, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) urges authorities in Honduras to thoroughly investigate a brutal attack on a television journalist and bring those responsible to justice. According to local reports, Joel Coca, 34, correspondent for Canal 11 and coordinator for the “Más Noticias” (More News) television program on the MultiCable television station, was attacked by two […] Read more »
Yemeni reporter accused of al-Qaeda links freed from prison after three years July 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) expressed satisfaction today at the release of Yemeni journalist Abdulelah Haider Shaye from prison after three years, but urged authorities in Yemen not to further restrict the journalist by placing him under house arrest. Previously, the United States government had reportedly pressured Yemeni authorities not to free Shaye, who covered […] Read more »
Group launches campaign in response to deteriorating press freedom in Gambia July 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) today marked the 19th anniversary of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s rise to power with the launch of a campaign to highlight the continued deterioration of press freedom in the country. The MFWA’s “Gambia Day of Action” calls on Internet users worldwide to protest a “new draconian Internet law” […] Read more »
In Americas, the power of advocacy still strong July 11, 2013 Scott Griffen | Leave a Comment Sometimes making a little noise can make a big difference. That may have been the case yesterday in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, where members of the upper house of Parliament, the Senate, have reportedly returned a controversial electronic defamation bill back to the lower house (House of Representatives) for further deliberations. IPI warmly […] Read more »
Coordinating committee resolution expresses concern over Ecuador media law July 3, 2013 | Leave a Comment A number of members of the Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations have approved a resolution expressing concern over a new media law recently implemented by the Republic of Ecuador. Among other troubling provisions, the law establishes a state media council with the power to punish the press. IPI will shortly publish a comprehensive analysis […] Read more »
IPI and partners complete joint Jordan emergency press freedom mission June 26, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) last week completed a two-day emergency press freedom mission to Jordan, as a direct response to the suspension of more than 200 online news websites by the Jordanian authorities. The move came just two weeks after IPI’s World Congress in Amman May 19-21, and appears to place Jordan at odds […] Read more »
Freelance photographer detained by Chinese authorities June 19, 2013 Sasu Siegelbaum | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) today strongly condemned the recent detention of freelance photographer and filmmaker Du Bin by Chinese authorities and called for his immediate release. Du Bin, 41, a past contributor to numerous Western media outlets, disappeared days before the 24th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown on June 4, and was later […] Read more »
IPI Turkish National Committee, other groups protest alleged police targeting of press June 13, 2013 Scott Griffen | Leave a Comment The Freedom for Journalists Platform, an Turkish umbrella group that includes the International Press Institute’s (IPI) Turkish National Committee, released a statement today demanding an end to alleged police brutality against journalists covering the ongoing protests in Istanbul. The statement details recent reported incidents involving both local and foreign journalists, and strongly criticised Prime Minister […] Read more »
Angolan journalist faces criminal libel charges June 11, 2013 Sasu Siegelbaum | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) today denounced criminal defamation proceedings brought by Angola’s attorney general against Angolan journalist and activist Rafael Marques on June 6. IPI calls on Angolan authorities to drop all charges against Marques and to ensure that journalists are not targeted for publishing information of public importance. In 2011 Marques published a […] Read more »
Daily Monitor, other media outlets re-open in Uganda after 10-day police occupation May 31, 2013 Sasu Siegelbaum | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) welcomed the news that four Ugandan media outlets were allowed to re-open in the capital Kampala after 10 days of police occupation, protest, and physical confrontations between journalists and press freedom organisations on the one hand, and the police on the other. IPI urges the Ugandan government to respect the rights […] Read more »
Security forces suspend Sudan daily May 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemned the Sudanese government’s suspension of a newspaper that has reported on allegations of high-level corruption, the latest move by the authorities to muzzle independent news media. Sudan’s state intelligence agency, or NISS, announced the suspension of the Al-Sayha daily on May 20 after confiscating its press run. It […] Read more »
IPI releases 2013 Ecuador press freedom report on heels of controversial new media law May 21, 2013 | Leave a Comment Excessive state regulation established by Ecuador’s newly passed media law poses a serious and immediate threat to independent journalism, the International Press Institute (IPI) stated in a special report released today. The report, a comprehensive review of press freedom developments in Ecuador since IPI’s visit to the country in May 2012, concludes that the situation […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2018 Members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 67th General Assembly during the 2018 IPI World Congress in Abuja, Nigeria, unanimously passed four resolutions urging action on press freedom issues in Africa, Egypt, Turkey and in relation to the online harassment of journalists. IPI members: – called on African governments to protect the […] Read more »
International Declaration on the Protection of Journalists The International Press Institute (IPI), in cooperation with the Al Jazeera Media Network, the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and the Africa Media Initiative (AMI), is leading a global effort to promote a culture of safety within the media industry both by raising awareness among journalists about international standards in this area as well as […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2014: Ethiopia The members of the International Press Institute, meeting at their 63rd Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on April 14, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on the Ethiopian government to end its practice of arresting journalists under anti-terrorism laws and to review its anti-terror statutes […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2013: Journalist Safety The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 62nd Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on May 20, 2013 in Amman, Jordan, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on states to implement laws and policies aimed at promoting a safe environment for journalists and fighting impunity in cases of […] Read more »
