International Press Institute (IPI)’s Post

During and ahead of #Georgia’s parliamentary elections, journalists have faced alarming levels of harassment, physical attacks, and even entry bans for foreign reporters. The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) documented at least 30 media freedom violations linked to election coverage. We call on Georgian authorities to end these attacks, allow press access, and uphold their commitment to international press freedom standards. Free elections require a safe environment for the press. https://lnkd.in/eM-CFVHZ

𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐀 𝐙𝐈𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐖𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 (𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞!!!) Introduction The United Nations Plan of Action on The Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity is anchored on four fundamental pillars of Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnerships. With these four pillars in mind, MISA Zimbabwe accelerated and intensified the implementation of the Police-Media Action Plan of December 2017 to secure the safety and security of journalists/media workers ahead of Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections. Implementing the Police-Media Action Plan undoubtedly improved Zimbabwe’s Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index. Zimbabwe moved 10 places from 126 in 2023 to 116 in 2024. #StateOfTheMedia #MediaFreedom #JournalismIsNotACrime 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 : https://lnkd.in/dUbKAVWi

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have just published an excellent list of 10 priority areas for the incoming UK government to support #mediafreedom domestically and internationally. Highlights include: Taking stronger action on SLAPPs, introducing an emergency visas scheme for journalists in danger, and speeding up work on the UK's National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists. This list is also a good overview of the current threats to / politics of media freedom. https://lnkd.in/eXhi9zMs

In the past two years, I had the privilege of training and mentoring journalists from Belarus who are living in exile, primarily in Poland and Latvia. Knowing their challenges, I deeply admire their dedication to media freedom and democracy. This article is an essential read for journalists living in exile. #MediaFreedom #JournalismInExile #Belarus #Democracy #PressFreedom #Mentorship #ExiledJournalists #Poland #Latvia #MediaChallenges

SLOVAKIA'S CHIEF DISINFORMER GETS COZY WITH BEIJING 🇨🇳 #China has been building relations with #Slovakia's far-right for many years, but Tibor Eliot Rostas provides a particularly compelling opportunity. Not only is he in charge of one of the most prominent disinformation outlets in the country, but he will soon run in the European Parliament elections, with the potential to become another vessel of Chinese #interference in the #EU. Read more in my latest piece for Visegrad Insight: https://lnkd.in/ezJu8NUV

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium is embarking on a mission to Bucharest on June 17-18, to address pressing challenges in Romania's media landscape during this pivotal election year. With European, local, presidential, and parliamentary elections all taking place, the mission is more important than ever. Key issues to be addressed: 📰 Media Capture: Assessing political influence over Romanian media and the effectiveness of regulatory bodies. ⚖️ Legal Threats: Investigating the rise of #SLAPPs aimed at silencing journalists. 🔒 Safety Concerns: Addressing threats, harassment, and physical attacks on journalists, with notable cases like that of investigative journalist Emilia Sercan. This mission, jointly organised by the International Press Institute (IPI) and Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), will include partners from the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU). 📣 Join us for a press conversation on June 18 at 2 PM in Bucharest to hear our initial observations and recommendations. 📌 Press registration is open until June 17, 12:00 PM. For more details and to request meetings, please contact us with your full name and media affiliation. https://lnkd.in/gNghTfBz

To mark #WorldPressFreedomDay, Center for News, Technology & Innovation - CNTI released a new analysis of press freedoms around the globe, which shows that after reaching a peak in 2012, press freedoms have fallen back to 1993 levels. Protections from government censorship and harassment have backslid significantly in all types of government regimes, from democracies to autocracies. Declining press freedoms are especially concerning in 2024 – a year with a record number of national elections.   Read the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/etyAdQmY

Tunisia’s media is under severe pressure as the government escalates its crackdown on journalists in the lead-up to the presidential election. With increasing arrests and legal actions against media professionals, the country is witnessing a disturbing erosion of press freedom. Prominent journalists have been imprisoned, and critical voices are being systematically silenced, leading to a sharp decline in political debate and diversity of opinion on the airwaves. As the election approaches, concerns are mounting over the impact of this repression on the integrity of the electoral process and the future of free speech in Tunisia. Read full news at https://lnkd.in/dzKD2f7p #Tunisia #PressFreedom #Journalism #MediaCrackdown #FreeSpeech #HumanRights #TunisiaElection #JournalistsUnderThreat #MediaSuppression #Authoritarianism #ElyesGharbi #TunisiaNews

A post from Robert B. that should terrify all national security experts, yet they ignore this. Those of us who have attempted to make the national security community learn about and to operate with narrative are simply saying, “I told you so.” Still, all manner of alleged experts, claiming narrative experience while selling highly funded programs to the national security community, are clueless. There is zero technology solution if and as Einstein demanded, you don’t first properly define the problem. Never are experienced practitioners consulted and there are damn few of us. The United States Department of Defense U.S. Department of State and the IC have wasted 40 years worth of funding to overpaid and underperforming “experts.” Not one damn thing of significance had been achieved. Whoever is managing this from OSD is either ignorant of the profession of influence or profiting from the contracts that OSD offers to their nepotistic stable of failed expertise. In fact, I dare OSD to provide a comprehensive list comparing their meager successes to our overwhelming failures… forty plus years worth! No, I don’t want a job or contract, but you at least need to hear what I am saying. I have the documented successes and they do not! In late Spring, I will have a new book out fully explaining the failures and why. If you want a preview, a new edition of my last book introducing people to this topic will be available in the next few weeks. My brilliant publisher, has full control of this, and the timing. Now, with western democracy holding on by a thread, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and State continue down the path of failure. WTH!? There is no chance of mitigating our threats such as discussed in this article, until leadership removes their collective heads from their… well, finish the sentence yourselves! The White House National Security Council, The White House Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) ARLIS Atlantic Council German Marshall Fund of the United States Information Professionals Association Robert Bair

Amid elections and political turmoil, #PressFreedom in Eastern Europe is in peril. 🎙️In the latest episode of Media Freedom in Focus, we discuss the state #PressFreedom in Poland, Slovakia, and Bulgaria with Patrycja Maciejewicz of Wyborcza.pl, Peter Hanák of Aktuality.sk and Angel Petrov of Дневник.