Tag: censorship

Bharat Bhushan: Nervous government explores ways to 'manage' media

The leaking of the alleged Report of Group of Ministers (GoM) on Government Communications is an exceptional event for a government that prides itself in being successfully opaque. Reminiscent of McCarthyism, the report suggests “neutralising” journalists who write against the government and spread “false narratives”. An incredible proposal from an establishment journalist suggests that journalists… Read More Bharat Bhushan: Nervous government explores ways to 'manage' media

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Jessica Ní Mhainín: Fighting the laws that are silencing journalists

Slapps – or strategic lawsuits against public participation – are a type of legal action undertaken not to be won but to intimidate defendants into silence or inaction. A report by Index on Censorship calls for measures, including an anti-Slapp directive, to be put in place to protect journalists from vexatious legal threats and actions.… Read More Jessica Ní Mhainín: Fighting the laws that are silencing journalists

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Martand Kaushik, Ahan Penkar: Reporting is not a crime. So why has India’s government charged our magazine?

On 26 January, India celebrated the anniversary of its constitution, which 74 years ago promised citizens a secular, democratic state and justice, equality and liberty for all. But as the traditional Republic Day parade took place in New Delhi’s centre, across the city those very values were being violated in the most egregious manner. Hundreds… Read More Martand Kaushik, Ahan Penkar: Reporting is not a crime. So why has India’s government charged our magazine?

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‘No defence for jokes’ — Kunal Kamra offers no apology to SC in reply to contempt notice

‘Should powerful people and institutions show an inability to tolerate rebuke or criticism, we would be reduced to a country of incarcerated artists and flourishing lapdogs’… About his tweets against the apex court, Kamra felt the suggestion that they could shake the foundations of the most powerful court in the world is an “over-estimation of… Read More ‘No defence for jokes’ — Kunal Kamra offers no apology to SC in reply to contempt notice

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Behind Bars: Arrests and Detentions of Journalists in India 2010-2020

The year 2020 has been a bad one for journalists in India. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused illness and death, and the lockdown resulted in salary cuts and loss of livelihood due to mass retrenchments effected by media houses. The killing and attacks on journalists have continued unabated. While self-censorship within the media remained an… Read More Behind Bars: Arrests and Detentions of Journalists in India 2010-2020

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Munawar Faruqui: Real Villain is Divisive Heartland Politics, Not Stand-up Comics. By PARSA VENKATESHWAR RAO JR

The story behind the arrest of Gujarat stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui in Indore on New Year’s Day is a clear display of proto-fascist muscle-power by the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and the city’s former mayor Malini Singh Gaur’s son, Eklavya Singh Gaur. They interrupted a show at Café Monroe and the police arrested Faruqui and… Read More Munawar Faruqui: Real Villain is Divisive Heartland Politics, Not Stand-up Comics. By PARSA VENKATESHWAR RAO JR

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Chinese journalist who documented Wuhan coronavirus outbreak jailed for 4 years

An independent Chinese journalist who reported from Wuhan at the height of the initial coronavirus outbreak has been jailed for four years by a Shanghai court, her lawyer said Monday. Zhang Zhan, 37, was found guilty of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” according to one of her defense lawyers Zhang Keke, who attended her hearing. The… Read More Chinese journalist who documented Wuhan coronavirus outbreak jailed for 4 years

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JOURNALISTS IN RUSSIA, 1993 TO 2009: Deaths and Disappearances

This database includes all the violent, premature or unexplained deaths of journalists in Russia as recorded by the country’s own media monitors since 1993. It also includes journalists and media staff who have disappeared over the same period. A report entitled Partial Justice: An investigation into the deaths of journalists in Russia, 1993-2009 has been published by the… Read More JOURNALISTS IN RUSSIA, 1993 TO 2009: Deaths and Disappearances

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Iran executes opposition activist over 2017 anti-government protests

Iran has executed a former opposition figure over his involvement in anti-government protests in 2017, state TV announced on Saturday. Ruhollah Zam had been granted political asylum in France and reportedly lived in Paris, running a website called Amadnews and a channel on the Telegram messaging app, before being “lured” back to Iran. State television… Read More Iran executes opposition activist over 2017 anti-government protests

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