Featured stories about Media
Stories about Media
Defamation lawsuit against Serbian investigative media outlet KRIK sets a dangerous precedent
Just before Serbian investigative media outlet KRIK received an EU Award for Investigative Journalism, a Serbian court sentenced it for publishing truthful news about a criminal trial.
Eight months of ‘fakes’ and ‘discreditation’: How the Kremlin’s new laws against anti-war dissent are applied online
Censorship and political repression are not new to Russia, but, in 2022, they reached new heights. Alongside new digital tools, new legislation allows the state to expedite and industrialise the repression of dissidents.
WhatsApp postpones Brazil launch of new Communities feature until after elections
Initial media reports suggested WhatsApp's decision to withhold the launch was part of an agreement with the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), with whom Bolsonaro has been at loggerheads due to his groundless remarks about fraud in the electoral system.
Twitter and Facebook have suspended accounts affiliated with the Cuban government
For the first time in Cuba, Twitter has also marked some accounts as "government-affiliated"
The tweets may flow: A look into India’s take-down requests
The tussle between social media giants, governments, and citizens raise questions about agency and power. Each stakeholder has tried to push back on the other to further their interests.
Turkish lawmakers ratify new disinformation bill
Aimed to combat fake news and disinformation, the 40-article legislation passed by Turkey's parliament, is a threat to freedom of speech say critics of the bill.
Citizen journalists face challenges in Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar
"To provide coverage of the protests, citizen journalists stepped up do the job themselves. The result was a truer coverage of events."
Will banning music glorifying violence from the airwaves reduce Jamaica's crime rate?
"The music is a reflection of the environment. Change the environment and the music will be changed."
Can citizens of democracies still trust the law? A GV Insights discussion
The flip side of regulating the internet is that this enables the state to mobilise itself and erase the existence of these communities and their identities from popular culture and discussion.
Civil society groups call for justice after a radio broadcaster is killed in the Philippines
“...the culture of impunity in the country has made members of the press easy targets by vested interest groups who want to hide the truth.”
Unfreedom Monitor report: Data Governance
Advox research on data governance as a tool of digital authoritarianism is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Under Bolsonaro, political attacks gain institutional legitimacy in Brazil
In February 2022, the Federal Police delivered a partial report to the Supreme Court detailing the structure of “digital militias” coordinating attacks against rival politicians, democratic institutions, and the dissemination of "false news."
Unfreedom Monitor report: Morocco
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Morocco is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
The Greek spyware scandal: When technology outpaces governance
This ongoing scandal in Greece highlights an issue that all countries are grappling with: the regulatory mechanisms meant to safeguard civilians’ digital rights have not kept up with the times.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Egypt
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Egypt is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Brazil's Electoral Court brings platforms closer ahead of presidential elections, but questions over companies’ commitments remain
All the agreements are non-binding, however, which means there will be no enforcement in the case a platform does not meet the actions listed in the MoU.
Unfreedom Monitor report: Tanzania
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Tanzania is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
An estate under siege: How the press in Zimbabwe is being gagged
Journalists are caught up in the crosshairs of a strategic battle to churn out narratives acceptable to either the state or opposition parties.
LIVE on September 15: Can citizens of democracies still trust the law?
As digital authoritarianism spreads globally, is the law, one of the pillars of democracy, being used to undermine people's rights?
Unfreedom Monitor report: Zimbabwe
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Zimbabwe is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
