"There are a multitude of UN legal instruments which pertain to the rights of freedom of expression and information, and this book is the first to comprehensively map them and their function. It details the chequered history of both rights within the UN system and evaluates the suitability of the sy
...
stem for overcoming contemporary challenges and threats to the rights. Leading scholars address key issues, such as how the rights to freedom of expression and information can come into conflict with other human rights and with public policy goals, such as counter-terrorism. The book's institutional focus comprises five international treaties, UNESCO and the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression." (Publisher description)
more
"Unabhängige Medien befinden sich weltweit seit über einem Jahrzehnt in einer tiefen ökonomischen Krise. In Russland kommt massiver politischer Druck hinzu. In den vergangenen zehn Jahren wurden zahlreiche kritische Journalisten und Redakteure entlassen, Fernseh- und Radiosender geschlossen, Zeit
...
ungen eingestellt. Der Grund ist immer scheinbar ökonomischer Natur. Tatsächlich aber hat der Staat die Möglichkeiten unabhängiger Finanzierung systematisch eingeschränkt. Wer überleben will, muss loyal zum Kreml sein. Medien, die dies verweigern, werden marginalisiert." (Abstract)
more
"Desde 1970, hay constancia en América Latina de más de mil periodistas asesinados o desaparecidos forzados, por razones que han variado a lo largo del tiempo. Desde las medidas represivas propias del terrorismo de Estado, en los años de las dictaduras militares, a la conjunción actual de circun
...
stancias –corrupción política y crimen organizado– que obstruyen la libertad de prensa mediante actividades propias, en ocasiones, de Estados fallidos. La impunidad de los atentados contra los medios y los periodistas aparecen como un incentivo para quienes recurren al silencio de la muerte como solución autoritaria frente a las libertades públicas de la democracia. La geografía del crimen se centra hoy en la franja que une México con Colombia a través de las naciones centroamericanas, con una extensión creciente de la violencia en Brasil." (Abstract)
more
"Drawing on his experience defending journalists on the front lines, Joel Simon calls for a global freedom-of-expression agenda. He proposes ten key priorities, including combating the murder of journalists, ending censorship, and a global free-expression charter to challenge the criminal and corrup
...
t forces that seek to manipulate the world's news." (Publisher description)
more
"This report documents attacks against journalists and the offices and facilities of media outlets since the 2011 uprising, including threats, assaults, kidnappings, and killings and addresses the failure of the government to protect journalists and the media, and hold perpetrators of attacks on the
...
m accountable. Human Rights Watch is not aware of a single instance in which officials prosecuted a perpetrator of an attack against a journalist or media outlet since 2011. The report also documents criminal prosecutions of journalists for defamation and libel, on the basis of problematic laws that continue to unduly restrict freedom of expression." (Summary)
more
"Afghanistan once housed tourists from around the world intrigued by the Silk Road stories, the poetic and mystic culture, the majestic landscape and the hospitable people. Their experience in Afghanistan was frequently captured through journalism and photojournalism of the early 1900s. However, Afg
...
hanistan’s very own media culture was born during this same time with Seraj-ul-Akhbar being the country’s first newspaper, published on 11 January 1906." (Abstract)
more
"Non-transparent ownership of media, particularly those financed by foreign capital, continues to burden Montenegrin media scene. Foreign media owners, as a rule, continue to support pro-government editorial policies. Their overall operations raise doubts of existence of clientelistic relations with
...
the government. Competition among national broadcasters remains unfair considering that affiliates of the media operating in more countries in the region do not invest even minimum resources in production of the content relevant for Montenegrin audience, although they are obliged to do as holders of national licences. Measures taken to prevent illegal media concentration have given limited results, because they failed to ensure that news and campaigns published by the connected media are not controlled and edited from a single centre." (Conclusions)
more
"Despite being a heavily-censored society, China has over 560 million active internet users, more than double that of the USA. In this book, social media expert and China-watcher Liz Carter tells the story of how the internet in China is leading to a coming together of activists, ordinary people and
...
cultural trendsetters on a scale unknown in modern history. News about protests and natural disasters, or gossip and satirical jokes, are practically uncensorable and spread quickly through Weibo – the Chinese Twitter - and the Chinese internet underground. More than that, a grassroots, foundational shift of assumptions and expectations is taking place, as Chinese men and women cast off the communist era ‘stability at all costs’ mantra and find new forms of selfexpression, creativity and communication with the world." (Publisher description)
more
"Although many observers have documented a global decline in democratic rights in recent years, people around the world nonetheless embrace fundamental democratic values, including free expression. A new Pew Research Center survey finds that majorities in nearly all 38 nations polled say it is at le
...
ast somewhat important to live in a country with free speech, a free press and freedom on the internet. And across the 38 countries, global medians of 50% or more consider these freedoms very important. Still, ideas about free expression vary widely across regions and nations. The United States stands out for its especially strong opposition to government censorship, as do countries in Latin America and Europe – particularly Argentina, Germany, Spain and Chile. Majorities in Asia, Africa and the Middle East also tend to oppose censorship, albeit with much less intensity. Indonesians, Palestinians, Burkinabe and Vietnamese are among the least likely to say free expression is very important." (Page 4)
more