Safety and security of media workers on the decline in Pakistan, says PPF report

Pakistan Press Foundation Over the last decade media in Pakistan have experienced a remarkable growth and transformation in its role. Though there have been serious reversals in recent years, Pakistan continues to enjoy a vibrant, independent and fairly free media. The advent of private TV channels since 2002 revolutionized Pakistan's media environment. Almost one hundred private television channels are currently broadcasting, reaching a wide section of the society. Private television channels have opened a new discourse in the society which for many years was monopolistic and one sided. Open and candid discussions on…Read more

Journalist arrested in restive Chhattisgarh state in India

Committee to Protect Journalists On September 29, 2015, police in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh arrested a journalist on what his colleagues said were fabricated charges in connection with his reporting on human rights abuses by local authorities, according to news reports. Santosh Yadav, a freelance journalist based in Bastar district, contributes reports and photos to several local, privately owned dailies including Dainik Navbharat, Patrika, and Dainik Chhattisgarh. He reported on human rights abuses by the police against tribal communities in the region, according to his lawyer, Isha Khandelwal, who spoke to CPJ. Yadav had…Read more

Journalist shot in the head while covering NRM party elections in Uganda

Human Rights Network for Journalists - Uganda Enoch Matovu, a correspondent for a local television station (NTV, in the Mityana District), was reportedly shot in the head while covering an incident of vote rigging during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party elections at Bulera police station in the Mityana district. He sustained a bullet injury to the head. Matovu told HRNJ-Uganda that he was covering the incident and never saw who shot at him in the scuffle: “I saw the local people opening the car and removing the ballot papers which they scattered…Read more

155 Ghanaian journalists call for sanctions against top presidential aide

Media Foundation for West Africa Some 155 journalists from over 40 media organisations across Ghana have joined the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to petition President John Dramani Mahama to demand sanctions against his staffer, Mr. Stan Dodge. The petition follows Mr. Dogbe's assault of Mr. Yahayah Kwamoah, a journalist with state-owned Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) nearly two months ago. In an incident that many have described as shameful and embarrassing, the presidential staffer seized and destroyed the journalist's recording equipment at the 37 Military Hospital. The GBC journalist had gone to…Read more

Rony Koven, long-time defender of press freedom, dies

Following the passing of Ronald "Rony" Koven, Lord Black Chairman of the CPU Media Trust and Executive Director, Telegraph Media Group said: "Rony was one of the bravest Field Marshalls in the battles to protect press freedom over many decades. "His commitment to free speech and freedom of expression was unrivalled. His tenacity in standing up for the free press - and shaming those who tried to undermine it - was exemplary. We have lost a very fine, and very brave, colleague, and also a dear friend."Read more

Indian television journalist shot dead in Uttar Pradesh

Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on authorities in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to thoroughly investigate the shooting death of journalist Hemant Yadav, determine a motive, and bring the perpetrators to justice. The attack follows the killing of another journalist in the state in June. Yadav, 45, was a reporter for the Hindi-language news channel TV 24. He was shot near his home on Saturday night in Chandauli district in Uttar Pradesh. His attackers fired at him from a motorcycle and then fled the scene, according…Read more

In threatening e-mail, Bangladeshi media ordered to fire women

Reporters without Borders Reporters Without Borders condemns the threats against news media and bloggers contained in a email that was sent to a score of Bangladeshi print and broadcast media outlets on 19 October 2015, and calls on the authorities to take concrete measures to protect all those targeted. Sent by Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a militant Islamist group that has claimed the murders of four bloggers this year, and signed by a person identifying himself as ABT spokesman Abdullah bin Salim, the Bengali-language email constituted a clear threat to all media that…Read more

Radio Phoenix could have licence revoked over alleged “anti-government” agenda

Media Institute of Southern Africa Zambia's Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Chishimba Kambwili, on October 22, 2015, threatened to revoke the operating licence of Radio Phoenix, the country's oldest private broadcasting station, if it (allegedly) continues to be influenced by the opposition. The minister has warned the owners of Radio Phoenix that an investigation has been instituted in that regard, and if it is found that it is true that the political party is interfering in the running of the station, they [the government] would be left with no option but to revoke…Read more

Concern over media restrictions on Australia’s asylum seeker policy

International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) in raising strong concerns about the media restrictions that surround Australia's asylum seeker policy and its offshore immigration detention centres. The IFJ and MEAA call on the Australian government to end the restrictions on media access and access to information. Since the launch of the government's militarised Operation Sovereign Borders in September 2013, the media's access to detention centres in Australia has been severely restricted, as well as at the two offshore centres…Read more

SoE Conference 2015 Highlights

The Society of Editors returned to London for this year’s annual conference with a clear focus on the business of journalism and how editors can make the best use of digital news platforms. Full details of the Conference can be found here: SoE Conference 2015Read more