Articles Written By: Lindsay Ross

UK online FOI petition launched

  • Posted on October 28, 2015
  • /Under UK
At the UK Society of Editors Conference in London, an online petition was launched to urge the Government not to detract from the Freedom of Information Act which established the broad principle that public bodies must release information if the public interest in doing so outweighs the public interest in it remaining secret. The SoE encouraged anyone with an interest in FOI to sign the petition FOI Online PetitionRead more

The British Society of Editors puts freedom of information at top of agenda

Society of Editors The new President of the Society of Editors has put freedom of information at the top of his agenda for the year ahead. Nick Turner, who is poised to take over at the Society’s helm, said the fight to protect the Freedom of Information Act from government reform would be “one of the biggest issues of the year”. It followed the launch of the Society’s ‘Hands Off FOI’ campaign in conjunction with Press Gazette and HoldtheFrontPage yesterday. Mr Turner, digital strategy manager at the CN Group and founder of the…Read more

Commonwealth Correspondent wins CNN African Journalist Award

Femi Asu, a young Commonwealth Correspondent and reporter from Nigeria, has been announced as the winner of a prestigious CNN African Journalist Award. Femi, who writes for The Punch national daily newspaper in Lagos, was presented the Ecobank Economics and Business category award by Richard Uku, former Communications Director at the Commonwealth Secretariat at a gala ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya. Femi was one of 31 finalists from 15 African countries to be shortlisted. He started his journalism career as a student reporter at the University of Ado-Ekiti and became a Commonwealth Correspondent in 2012,…Read more

India’s chilling death toll: Another journalist killed in Uttar Pradesh

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliates the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and the National Union of Journalists (India) in strongly condemning the killing of journalist Hemant Kumar Yadav in the Uttar Pradesh state, India, on Saturday, October 3, 2015. The IFJ said this is the sixth murder of journalist in India in 2015 and the third in Uttar Pradesh in 2015 and joins its India affiliates in calling on the government to immediately take steps to improve the alarming security situation for journalists in India. According to reports, the 45-year-old…Read more

Charges against journalist accused of defaming Ugandan president dropped after 5 years

Human Rights Network for Journalists–Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) is delighted that an independent journalist, Timothy Kalyegira Nyakahuuma, has finally regained his freedom after five years of battling with a criminal defamation trial, throughout which he was accused of defaming the president of Uganda. On 30 September 2015, the Grade One Magistrate at City Hall Court, Kampala Moses Nabende, dismissed criminal defamation charges brought against Mr. Kalyegira for failure by the state to adduce evidence in court for the last five years. The magistrate noted that there was “no strong and convincing reason” to continue with…Read more

Malaysia: Sedition Act upheld in further blow to free expression

Article 19 ARTICLE 19 is disappointed by Malaysia's 6 October 2015 Federal Court decision that the colonial era Sedition Act is indeed constitutional. The Sedition Act violates international human rights law on freedom of expression and contradicts democratic values. ARTICLE 19 urges its repeal. "The 1948 Sedition Act has been increasingly used to suppress legitimate offline and online dissent in Malaysia, whether by academics, cartoonists or opposition politicians. Many of those brave individuals who have spoken out against the government already have sedition charges against them, and were awaiting the outcome of this…Read more

Cartoonist Zunar targeted again under Malaysia’s Sedition Act

International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly criticizes the Malaysian government's continued attack against freedom of expression, following the investigation into political cartoonist, Zunar's latest book. The IFJ calls on the Malaysian government to repeal the archaic Sedition Act and guarantee freedom of expression in the country. On Tuesday, September 29, political cartoonist, Zulkifi 'Zunar' Anwar Uljaqur announced Malaysian police had begun an investigation into his latest book, Sapuman – Man of Steal. An online sales assistant on Zunar's website was called in for questioning next week under the Sedition…Read more

Two Indian journalists threatened by Hindu group in Mumbai

International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the threats issued to Indian journalists Nikhil Wagle and Shyamsundar Sonnar on August 22, 2015 by Sanatan Sanstha, a Hindu group in Mumbai, India. The IFJ calls on the Indian authorities to immediately investigate the threats and ensure journalist safety across the country. According to reports, Nikhil Wagle, the editor-in-chief of Maharashtra One, a Marathi-language news channel in Mumbai, received threats on his personal Twitter account and also in an article published by Sanatan Sanstha in their publication, Sanatan Prabhat. Local police also offered…Read more

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015 (CHOGM)

Commonwealth Secretariat The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held in Malta between 27-29 November 2015. The theme of this year's CHOGM is 'The Commonwealth - Adding Global Value' This year's theme focuses on how the Commonwealth’s strengths can be utilised to influence and effect change on important global issues, such as human rights, gender equality, climate finance, building resilience in small states and the empowerment of youth. The theme also reflects how the Commonwealth can make a positive difference to the lives of its citizens. To visit the official CHOGM website click CHOGM 2015  Read more

High Court judge files suit against IFEX member and prominent investigative reporter

Media Foundation For West Africa A High Court judge, Justice Paul Uuter Dery, who has been implicated in a bribery and corruption expose by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has filed a suit at a High Court, citing the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and four journalists for contempt of court. The four others cited in the suit are the investigative journalist, Anas, acting editor and deputy editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Samuel Frimpong and Ernest Addo respectively; and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Starr FM, Nathan Kwabena Anokye Adisi. The…Read more