War, peace, and journalism: Reflecting on the siege of Sarajevo 30 years later Drawing from their experiences reporting during the Siege of Sarajevo, leading journalists and editors share the lessons they learned amidst the chaos of conflict. We explore the profound implications and lessons of their work for contemporary war reporting and reflect on the critical importance of safeguarding journalists and societies during times of upheaval. M) Michael […] Read more »
Newspaper in Crimea fined for “discrediting” the Russian army On 7 June 2024, a Russian court in Simferopol, the capital of Russian-occupied Crimea, fined the legal entity of regional newspaper Qirim 300 thousand rubles on grounds of allegedly “discrediting” the Russian army. The news was reported on by activist Elnaz Akimova (Qirimli), who wrote about the decision on Facebook, quoting the newspaper’s lawyer Lila […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution: Calling for protection of journalists in Gaza, unimpeded access by international media June 6, 2024 | Leave a Comment The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 73nd annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on May 23, 2024 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted by vote a resolution calling on Israel and the international community to take immediate measures to protect the safety of all journalists in Gaza. We […] Read more » TaggedGaza safety of journalists
IPI demands end to use of spyware against journalists in Europe June 4, 2024 | Leave a Comment The IPI global network today once again calls for an end to the use of spyware against journalists in Europe, following new revelations by NGO Access Now, which found that seven more Russian and Belarusian journalists and activists in exile in Europe had been targeted by Pegasus spyware. In its statement, Access Now drew up […] Read more »
Africa Media Monitoring April 2024: Threats to press freedom in Burkina Faso, Somalia and Togo June 3, 2024 | Leave a Comment In April 2024, IPI documented at least 23 incidents of threats to press freedom in 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. State-sponsored censorship was the most common violation recorded, followed by the arrest and detention of journalists. The highest number of violations was recorded in Burkina Faso. State actors remain the main perpetrators, responsible for 96 […] Read more »
China: IPI welcomes release of journalist Zhang Zhan June 3, 2024 Veera Nikkilä, Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Journalism Fellow at IPI | Leave a Comment The IPI global network welcomes the release on May 13 of Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan, after serving a four year prison sentence for reporting on the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan. However, IPI calls for the immediate removal of all restrictions on Zhan’s freedom, including continued state surveillance. In February 2020, Zhang was among a handful […] Read more »
Chad: IPI calls on President Mahamat Idriss Deby to open new chapter for media June 3, 2024 | Leave a Comment On May 23, Mahamat Idriss Deby was sworn in as president of Chad following his victory in the May 6 elections. This moment marked the country’s formal return to constitutional rule after three years of transitional military government. The IPI global network uses this opportunity to call on the president to open a new chapter […] Read more » TaggedChad press freedom safety of journalists
IPI, partners call on ICJ to order unimpeded media access to Gaza following South Africa’s urgent request May 22, 2024 | Leave a Comment IPI today joined 8 rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and ARTICLE 19, to issue a joint statement in support of South Africa’s urgent request to the International Court of Justice to order Israel to allow unimpeded media access to Gaza. Read full statement below. International Court of Justice: Protect evidence in the […] Read more »
Defending press freedom in Georgia as foreign agent bill passes third reading May 21, 2024 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined press freedom and journalists organizations in writing to President of the European Council Charles Michel and EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczyński, urging them to call on the Georgian government to withdraw the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and to guarantee the safety of journalists reporting on […] Read more »
Media Advisory: IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival May 17, 2024 | Leave a Comment MEDIA ADVISORY IPI World Congress in Sarajevo to highlight journalism’s role in addressing global crises (May 22-24) Leading journalists, editors, and publishers from over 65 countries and six continents will gather in Sarajevo from May 22-24 for the International Press Institute (IPI) World Congress and Media Innovation Festival. Hosted at Sarajevo’s historically significant Hotel Holiday, […] Read more »
Georgian PM urged to withdraw the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, guarantee the safety of journalists and uphold press freedom in Georgia May 10, 2024 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined press freedom, journalists and human rights organizations in writing to Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, urging him to withdraw the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, guarantee the safety of journalists and uphold press freedom in Georgia. Irakli Kobakhidze Prime Minister of Georgia 7 Ingorokva Street State […] Read more »
New Media Incubator: The Italian journalism network using Twitch to reach young audiences May 8, 2024 Centro di giornalismo permanente | Leave a Comment This article was written by the Centro di giornalismo permanente team and lightly edited by IPI for length and clarity. Receive regular updates on IPI’s innovation and media sustainability work by subscribing to our newsletter, The Outlook: Media Innovation Unlocked. Founded in 2018, the Centro di giornalismo permanente is an Italian collective of freelance journalists created […] Read more » Taggedinnovation local journalism local media
Serbia: MFRR partners demand Belgrade court set Belarusian journalist free May 6, 2024 | Leave a Comment The undersigned partner organizations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) demand the immediate release of Andrey Gniot, a Belarusian journalist and pro-democracy activist who is being held in custody by Serbian authorities on politically motivated charges formulated by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. Since October, Serbian courts have been deliberating upon a request to […] Read more »
Burkina Faso bans media over critical coverage of military May 3, 2024 | Leave a Comment The IPI global network condemns the Burkina Faso government’s suspension of three foreign broadcasters for covering a report on alleged military killings of civilians. Authorities also blocked access to the websites of several news outlets. IPI calls on Burkina Faso’s transitional government to reverse the bans and allow journalists to do their jobs. Burkina Faso’s […] Read more » TaggedAfrica attacks on journalists press freedom
Advocacy World Press Freedom Day’s interview with Věra Jourová May 3, 2024 | Leave a Comment Over the past five years, Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, has been leading the Commission’s efforts to strengthen media freedom under its Democracy Action Plan. This has resulted in an unprecedented array of legislative initiatives through the completion of the European Media Freedom Act, the Anti-SLAPP Directive, the issuing […] Read more » TaggedEuropean Commission European Union interview vera jourova World Press Freedom Day
11 trailblazing organizations shortlisted for 2024 Free Media Pioneer award May 2, 2024 | Leave a Comment Ahead of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, IPI and IMS are proud to announce the 11 organizations shortlisted for the 2024 IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer award. These outstanding organizations from around the globe are meeting the moment by defending press freedom, filling crucial gaps in quality, investigative reporting, or driving media innovation. Amid growing […] Read more »
Terrorism investigation into Catalan journalist raises concerns ahead of elections April 30, 2024 | Leave a Comment Journalists and media freedom organizations express concern over the investigation for terrorism of Catalan journalist Jesús Rodríguez Sellés, now residing in Switzerland. The investigation, lasting for four years after the alleged crime, coincides with negotiations over the amnesty law for pro-independence leaders. Fearing politicization of the case, the Media Freedom Rapid Response partners call for […] Read more » Taggedamnesty law Catalonia independence la directa Spain tsunami democrátic
IJ4EU awards €540,000 to 17 cross-border investigations April 29, 2024 | Leave a Comment An independent jury has allocated almost €540,000 in grant funding to 17 cross-border reporting teams under the latest round of the flagship grant scheme of IPI’s IJ4EU fund. The grants will allow dozens of journalists based in 30 countries in Europe and beyond to join forces to probe subjects of public interest, ranging from artificial […] Read more » Taggedgrants ij4eu
Twelve years: No justice for Mexican journalist Regina Martínez April 25, 2024 Veera Nikkilä, Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Journalism Fellow at IPI | Leave a Comment Leer en español April 28 marks 12 years since Mexican investigative journalist Regina Martínez Pérez was beaten and strangled to death in her home. Authorities have failed to credibly solve the murder. The IPI global network calls for justice. President Andrés Manuel Lopéz Obrador must honor his commitment to reopen the case and end impunity. […] Read more »
Bulgaria Minister urged to drop defamation lawsuit April 24, 2024 | Leave a Comment The Media Freedom Rapid Response consortium partners criticize the criminal defamation lawsuit filed by Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov against investigative journalists Atanas Chobanov and Dimitar Stoyanov of the Bureau for Investigative Reporting and Data (BIRD). The undersigned organisations believe that the lawsuit is designed to silence legitimate investigative reporting and should be immediately withdrawn. The […] Read more » TaggedBulgaria investigative journalism lawsuit SLAPP
Appello contro gli attacchi a Domani e per la libertà di stampa in Italia April 23, 2024 | Leave a Comment Tre giornalisti del quotidiano italiano Domani – Giovanni Tizian, Nello Trocchia, Stefano Vergine – rischiano fino a 9 anni di carcere. Sono indagati dai magistrati della procura di Perugia con l’accusa di aver chiesto e ricevuto documenti riservati da un pubblico ufficiale, e di aver violato il segreto istruttorio attraverso la richiesta e la pubblicazione […] Read more » TaggedDomani Italy SLAPP
Petition against attacks on Domani newspaper, and for media freedom in Italy April 23, 2024 | Leave a Comment Three reporters at Domani – Giovanni Tizian, Nello Trocchia, Stefano Vergine – are facing up to 9 years in prison. They are under investigation by Perugia Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly having requested and received confidential documents from a public official, and for allegedly breaching the secrecy of the investigation through the request and publication of […] Read more » TaggedDomani Italy media freedom SLAPP
Somalia: IPI condemns freezing of SJS bank accounts April 23, 2024 | Leave a Comment The IPI global network condemns Somali authorities’ freezing of bank accounts belonging to IPI member Somali Journalists Syndicate. Somalia must cease its harassment of SJS and its staff and allow the organization to operate freely. A court on April 9 ordered Premier Bank So to freeze accounts belonging to SJS, claiming that SJS was not […] Read more »
Malabo at 10: Africa’s Cyber Security Convention 10 Years Later The International Press Institute (IPI) is hosting a side session at the 2024 Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum in Accra, Ghana, on the 10th anniversary of the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Protection of Personal Information, also known as the Malabo Convention. The Malabo Convention was adopted in 2014 to address the need […] Read more »
Ukraine: IPI sends letter to authorities on apparent intimidation of journalists April 12, 2024 | Leave a Comment On April 6, investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info reported that one of its journalists, Yevheny Shulhat, had recently been targeted in what appeared to be an intimidation attempt by authorities. Several days earlier, military recruitment officials approached Shulhat at a mall near his home in Kyiv, attempting to hand him a summons notice which could have led […] Read more »
Safety and justice: demanding accountability for attacks against journalists in Serbia April 11, 2024 | Leave a Comment Commemorating 25 years since the brutal murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, media freedom organizations unite to condemn continued impunity in this case and demand accountability for all acts of violence against journalists in Serbia. The recent acquittal of security officers accused of Ćuruvija’s murder, as well as the escalating attacks against journalists in Novi […] Read more » Taggedimpunity safety of journalists Serbia
Fighting SLAPPs: Milestone new recommendations in Europe April 5, 2024 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) joins other members of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) in welcoming recommendations by the Council of Europe to combat SLAPPs, or strategic lawsuits against public participation, which are increasingly used to target journalists. The recommendations are comprehensive and, if effectively implemented, could significantly limit the damage caused by […] Read more » TaggedCoE SLAPP
Belarus: IPI condemns prison sentences handed to two more journalists April 3, 2024 | Leave a Comment The IPI global network condemns the prison terms handed last month to two more Belarusians in relation to their past work as independent journalists. Former reporter Ihar Karney was sentenced to three years in a penal colony while camera operator Andrey Tolchyn received a 2.5 year sentence. “The sentences against Ihar Karney and Andrey Tolchyn […] Read more »
Russia: 83 IPI members send letter to imprisoned reporter Evan Gershkovich March 28, 2024 | Leave a Comment On March 29, 2023, Russian authorities detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Soon after, he was transferred to Moscow’s Lefortovo prison and charged with espionage, an accusation which he and his colleagues have strongly rejected and for which Russian authorities have produced no evidence. Today, one year after these events, 83 IPI members from […] Read more »
IPI Nigeria calls on authorities to produce abducted FirstNews editor Segun Olatunji March 27, 2024 | Leave a Comment The International Press Institute (IPI) joins its Nigerian National Committee in expressing urgent concern about the safety and security of FirstNews editor Segun Olatunji, who was taken from his home on March 15 by men in military-style uniforms. The IPI global network is closely following this case, and we join the call on Nigeria’s military […] Read more »
Joint statement on the European Commission’s 2024 rule of law report March 27, 2024 | Leave a Comment The publication of the European Commission’s annual rule of law report serves as a crucial mechanism for assessing the state of press freedom, democracy, and human rights within EU Member States. In an era marked by escalating challenges to press freedom across Europe, our coalition stresses the need for concrete dialogue and robust measures for […] Read more » Taggeddemocracy European Commission human rights joint statement rule of law
The Outlook: Find out what your audience wants from your journalism with user interviews March 27, 2024 IPI Media Innovation and Sustainability | Leave a Comment This text comes from IPI’s newsletter The Outlook. Click here to sign up to receive future editions direct to your inbox. This is The Outlook, IPI’s media innovation newsletter, where we take a look at tools and strategies for innovation, and learn from newsrooms that are implementing them. In this newsletter we write about developing audience-first […] Read more »
IPI joins 38 other rights groups calling on Media Freedom Coalition states to take concrete action for the safety of journalists in Gaza March 25, 2024 | Leave a Comment The IPI global network today joined 38 other civil society groups from around the world calling on the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) member states to take meaningful action to protect the safety of journalists and access to information in Gaza. The MFC is a group of 50 states that commit to protect the safety of […] Read more »
