29 Sep 17 | Mapping Media Freedom, Media Freedom, media freedom featured, News and features
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The government of Catalonia, the semi-autonomous northeastern-most region of Spain, is scheduled to hold an independence referendum on 1 October. Despite heavy opposition from the government in Madrid, Catalan president Carles Puigdemont says the plebiscite will go ahead.
The Spanish government has deemed the referendum illegal and unconstitutional, resulting in arrests, raids and clashes between protesters and the police. Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, has since stated that the referendum “won’t happen” after the seizing of millions of ballot papers and a crackdown on Catalan officials. Puigdemont has announced that regardless of voter turnout, a majority of the “yes” vote will result in a declaration of independence within 48 hours.
The stern reaction by the national government has caused not only much conflict within the region but also violations against media freedom.
On 9 September, Spanish police raided the headquarters of the Tarragona-based weekly magazine El Vallenc. Police were reportedly searching for material which might be used to support the vote for independence.
Francesc Fàbregas, the director for the magazine, later told reporters that police were looking for voting papers and ballots that could have been printed at the office. “We didn’t commit any crime. They didn’t take any voting papers because they didn’t find them.”
On 31 July, various reporters and photographers reported that they were insulted and threatened by Spanish unionists while they were covering a street protest in Barcelona where unionists and pro-Catalan independence demonstrators opposed each other.
About a hundred left-wing supporters of Catalan independence, summoned by anti-capitalist political party CUP, protested in front of the local police barracks. At the same time about a hundred Spanish right-wing supporters organised a counter-protest against the independence movement and supported the police.
Gemma Aguilera, a journalist for the news website El Món, received death threats as an unidentified protester shouted at her: “I will find you and kill you.” Protesters shouted at Aguilera using the word “bitch” and threatened another male reporter, telling him they would “cut [his] throat”.
Responding to these media violations, the Association of Catalan Journalists, a Barcelona-based organisation committed to protecting press freedoms in the region, released a statement reporting that since the beginning of the referendum they have “received complaints from journalists who have been coerced or forced to identify themselves during the coverage of events of public interest, pressured on writings and warned about their work”.
“These events constitute a serious and frontal attack on the freedom of expression and information. As professionals of journalism and communication, due to the respect for the society we serve and to whom we are responsible, we cannot allow silence to be the answer,” ACJ stated. “The fundamental rights of freedom of expression and information cannot be eroded, and the public and private media have the duty and the right to work freely to be able to inform about them.”
ACJ have since “demand[ed] the immediate halt” of the threats and obstructions.
Daniel Gascón, an editor for Letras Libres España, has explained in a recent article on the referendum that the Spanish authorities are simply employing its full legal arsenal to stop the unconstitutional referendum. In a statement to Index on Censorship, Gascón said: “The Spanish government’s duty is to uphold the Constitution. The Spanish state has to protect the rights of its citizens – in doing so it must obviously respect its own laws, which consecrate the principle of freedom of expression.”
In regards to the Catalan media being a part of either side’s campaigning strategy, Gascón said that “public media in Catalonia have often assumed a partial point of view”, yet “there should be a conversation about the use of TV3 as a political instrument and about the promiscuity between the media and the political sphere”.
“In June the Catalan parliament passed a notion not to pay subsidies to media that did not publicize the referendum,” Gascón added. “In the last few months, there have been some worrying instances of journalists singled out by Catalan government officials.”
Reports submitted to Index on Censorship’s Mapping Media Freedom project regarding the referendum do not just show violations from unionists. Voices critical of the Catalan government have also been silenced in the heated run-up the referendum.
On 22 July, the Barcelona-based daily newspaper La Vanguardia did not publish a column written by writer and journalist Gregorio Morán in which he criticised the regional government of Catalonia.
The piece, entitled The Media of the National Movement (Los Medios del Movimiento Nacional), mentioned Márius Carol, the director of La Vanguardia, and quoted part of one of his articles.
Morán accused the Catalan media of receiving large sums of public money and added that it was no surprise to see them praising Catalan independence. He also called the Catalan government “corrupt” and described them as the “taliban who govern us”.
Morán was not given an explanation as to why his article was pulled.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1506684697693-438cce07-99f6-8″ taxonomies=”199″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
12 Sep 17 | Press Releases, Volume 46.03 Autumn 2017 Extras
The autumn 2017 Index on Censorship magazine
The retro medium of radio is back, as we explore in the autumn issue of Index on Censorship magazine 2017, which is excellent news for the delivery of well, news.
“The new rise of radio allows more opportunities to discuss and debate than ever before, but we must also fight for radio stations to be unbound from state control and to be able to broadcast news freely,” Index on Censorship magazine Editor Rachael Jolley writes in the new issue.
Listen to a radio show, and you might be provoked, informed or excited about a new subject. But in listening you are doing something that is a little out of fashion, contemplating what others are saying, not tweeting some angry instant response, or even just posting the first thought that comes into your head.
After many predictions of its death, radio is on the rise again, its audience is growing across various age groups and various countries including the US and UK, and part of the reason might be because we are all a bit tired of transmitting constantly. Instead we appear to be happier to settle down and listen to radio and, particularly its news programmes, once again, argued Jolley.
We report that in the summer of 2017, around 48.2 million people in Britain listened to the radio at least once a week, up 0.9% from 2016. And in 2017 across the Atlantic, the USA is seeing a surge in listeners for news and talk radio. Of particular interest is the steady growth in those who listen to the radio for news in the 18-35 age group. “Radio was thought to be going out of fashion as new technologies elbowed it out of the way, but instead it’s back and gathering new audiences. Part of the reason might be growing awareness that someone’s ramblings are not necessarily a reliable source of information.”
Our special report on radio and its impact in 2017 includes a report from Laura Silvia Battaglia in Mosul on the radio station that is giving a voice to the residents of the city, while Claire Kopsky interviews people behind “radio boats”, which are broadcasting information on cholera in the Central African Republic in a bid to educate the population about the disease. We report on how Somali radio journalists receive threats from Al-Shabab for doing their jobs. “I check underneath my wheels, but normally they put bombs under the seat in your car,” says radio reporter Marwan Mayow Hussein.
Then there are the stories of radio proving a perfect outlet for people to share their most private inner thoughts and experiences, as radio star Wana Udobang writes about from a Nigerian context and best-selling author Xinran remembers back in China.
“Part of the increased popularity of radio is that it’s managed to evolve and we explore how podcasts are being made in some of the least likely – and most censored – places, such as China, and smuggled into North Korea.” The magazine also have a handy guide on making your own podcasts, for those with an idea.
But radio’s ability to reach the masses also means that this powerful tool can get into the wrong hands. Then there’s Rwanda, which two decades ago saw the airwaves being monopolised by voices promoting genocide. The country has moved on a lot, but radio there is still far from free. Veteran reporter Graham Holliday who has covered the country reports on the latest challenges.
And there’s interviews with BBC World Service English director Mary Hockaday, pirate radio DJ Allan Brando, Hong Kong broadcaster Hugh Chiverton and science presenter Robin Ince.
Outside the special report on radio, the magazine publishes a special investigation into the dangers faced by journalists in Mexico, by our special correspondent Duncan Tucker, who looks at how many reporters have been murdered since 2000, as 2017 looks to record the most killings for a decade.
Plus Orwell Prize winning journalist Iona Craig argues that encrypted apps are needed to give reporters in dangerous countries more security.
Notes:
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About Index on Censorship magazine
Index on Censorship magazine was first published in 1972 and remains the only global magazine dedicated to free expression. Since then, some of the greatest names in literature and academia have written for the magazine, including Nadine Gordimer, Mario Vargas Llosa, Amartya Sen, Samuel Beckett, as well as Arthur Miller and Harold Pinter. The magazine continues to attract great writers, passionate arguments, and expose chilling stories of censorship and violence. It is the only global free expression magazine.
Each quarterly magazine is filled with reports, analysis, photography and creative writing from around the world. Index on Censorship magazine is published four times a year by Sage, and is available in print, online and mobile/tablets (iPhone/iPad, Android, Kindle Fire).
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12 Sep 17 | Magazine, Magazine Contents, Volume 46.03 Autumn 2017
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Contributors include Madeleine Thien, Xinran, Peter Bazalgette, Laura Silvia Battaglia, Mahesh Rao, Chawki Amari and Amie Ferris-Rotman”][vc_column_text]
The retro medium of radio is back, as we explore in the Autumn issue of Index on Censorship magazine 2017, which is excellent news for the delivery of well, news. Laura Silvia Battaglia reports from Mosul on the radio station that is giving a voice to the people there, while Claire Kopsky interviews people behind “radio boats“, boats that are broadcasting information on cholera in the Central African Republic in a bid to educate the population about the disease.
[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”95458″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Then there are the examples of radio proving a perfect outlet for people to share their most private inner thoughts and experiences, as Wana Udobang writes about from a Nigerian context and Xinran remembers back in China.
Part of the increased popularity of radio is that it’s managed to evolve and we have an article on how podcasts are being made in some of the least likely – and most censored – places, such as China, and smuggled into North Korea. We also have a handy guide on making your own podcasts, for those with an idea.
But radio’s ability to reach the masses also means that this powerful tool can get into the wrong hands. Ismail Einashe explores this in his article on al-Shabaab in Somalia, who operate a very popular radio station. Then there’s Rwanda, which two decades ago saw the airwaves being monopolised by voices promoting genocide. The country has moved on a lot, but radio is still far from free.
Outside the special report, we take you to Russia where a seemingly innocent film about the last tsar has angered the country’s church. With Banned Books Week coming up, we ask a selection of writers to choose the books that made them think most about free speech. What would be your pick? And we have an extract from a forthcoming novel highlighting the dangers of being a journalist in Mexico, with superb illustrations to accompany.
Finally, don’t miss our cut-out-and-keep male nipple template, a handy tool to ensure female nipples are social media friendly.
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Why the rebirth of radio is delivering more news
Fear for the airwaves, by Ismail Einashe: In Somalia al-Shabaab control a prominent radio station and a fifth of the country. Meet the radio presenters who brave danger to keep reporting
Project freedom? by Sally Gimson: Radio Free Europe was at the frontline of Cold War reporting. Three decades on, is it still needed?
Sound unbound, by Oleg Shynkarenko: How a new radio station was built from scratch using crowdfunding to break away from oligarchs and government pressure
Don’t touch that dial, by Kieran Etoria-King, Rachael Jolley, Jemimah Steinfeld: Interviews with a pirate rain DJ, comedian Robin Ince, a Hong Kong presenter, the controller of BBC World Service English and the editor of a refugee radio station
Syrians speaking, by Rhodri Davies: Syrians in exile on why they set up a new radio station and what it covers
Power to the podcast, by Mark Frary: Podcasting is bringing a whole new audience to radio and giving investigative journalism a boost. Plus, our handy guide to making your own podcasts
Stripsearch cartoon, by Martin Rowson: There’s a new app out called Smart Ink. Will it become a dictator’s favourite tool?
Tuning into a brave new world, by Jan Fox: Grassroots radio is on the rise in the USA, where a 98-year-old granny is a station superstar, but it’s not without challenges
Under the rad(io)ar, by Kaya Genç: A radio station in Turkey, known for its criticism of the government, is somehow surviving the current crackdown
Taboos and telephones, by Xinran: Radio was one of the first outlets where Chinese women spoke about personal issues such as forced abortions. Is the same honesty possible today?
Stationed in the warzone, by Laura Silvia Battaglia: Radio presenters in Mosul tell Index how the station is giving a voice to the people, but it has not been easy operating under bombardment
Secrets, lies and Lagos lives, by Wana Udobang: Exorcisms and illicit affairs are just some of the topics callers to a popular talk show in Nigeria wanted to share
New waves, by Claire Kopsky: Radio took to riverboats in the Central African Republic to bring information and news about a cholera epidemic
Chat rooms, by Milton Walker: Talk about interactivity, Jamaican radio shows sometimes receive as many as 4,000 text messages
Sound and fury, by Graham Holliday. Two decades ago Rwandan radio was monopolised by voices promoting genocide, but radio is still not free from controversy
Let’s get this show on the road, by Silvia Nortes: Meet the Spanish comedians behind Radio Gaga, a television show about radio which visits overlooked communities
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”In focus”][vc_column_text]
China’s other great wall, by Madeleine Thien: 1980s Beijing saw the creation of another wall, one promoting democracy. The Booker Prize nominee discusses its legacy today
Closing access to the back door, by Iona Craig: Investigative journalists working in hostile environments need encrypted apps to work more safely. This is being forgotten in the current debate on encryption
No one owns language, by Jemimah Steinfeld: The 2016 Man Booker Prize winner Paul Beatty discusses “offensive” language and teaching styles
Risky business, by Charlotte Bailey: Amid confiscations and threats, one chain of bookstores continues to operate in Libya
Tracking down the F word in fiction, by Mahesh Rao, Sean Gallagher, Kieran Etoria-King, Grainne Maguire, Ryan McChrystal: Ahead of Banned Books Week, writers choose the books that make them think about free speech
Costume drama, by Amie Ferris-Rotman: Russia’s religious right claim God is annoyed about a film on the last tsar, just part of a new censorship culture
Bulldozing his way through the media, by Natasha Joseph: Tanzania’ current president has been nicknamed “the bulldozer” and the media is in his sight
Big brother we’re watching you, by Jason Daponte: Members of a new, hip London club claim to have empowered voters in the UK General Election
Making a killing, by Duncan Tucker: A special Index investigation looking at why Mexico is an increasingly deadly place to be a journalist as reporters face threats from corrupt police to deadly drug gangs
New tribal instinct, by Peter Bazalgette: Our pact mentality has become more pronounced as we spend more time online, the author argues
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Culture”][vc_column_text]
Parallel lives and unparalleled risks, by Tim MacGabhann: The author discusses his time reporting from Mexico, how the death of one journalist particularly affected him and introduces an excerpt from his forthcoming book
The people’s poet, by Wiji Thukul: Nearly 20 years since Indonesia’s famous poet disappeared, Eliza Vitri Handayani introduces the man and some new translations of his poems
The disappeared, by Chawki Amari: The award-winning Algerian writer talks about prison in Algeria and the media landscape in France. Plus a short story
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Column”][vc_column_text]
Index around the world, by Kieran Etoria-King: Top comedy acts discuss the importance of humour following our event Stand up for Satire, plus news of other Index summer highlights
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Endnote”][vc_column_text]
Uncovering the nipple cover-up, by Jemimah Steinfeld: The battle to give the female nipple equal rights as one woman heads to the Supreme Court. Plus, a cut-out-and-keep male nipple for social media use
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”top”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Free to air” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:24|text_align:left” link=”url:%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indexoncensorship.org%2F2017%2F09%2Ffree-to-air%2F|||”][vc_column_text]Through a range of in-depth reporting, interviews and illustrations, the autumn 2017 issue of Index on Censorship magazine explores how radio has been reborn and is innovating ways to deliver news in war zones, developing countries and online
With: Ismail Einashe, Peter Bazalgette, Wana Udobang[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”95458″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.indexoncensorship.org/magazine”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1481888488328{padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”Subscribe” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:24|text_align:left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indexoncensorship.org%2Fsubscribe%2F|||”][vc_column_text]In print, online. In your mailbox, on your iPad.
Subscription options from £18 or just £1.49 in the App Store for a digital issue.
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06 Jul 17 | Magazine, News and features, Student Reading Lists, Volume 46.02 Summer 2017 Extras
Mexican journalist Javier Valdez who was recently shot and killed. Credit: Gobierno Cholula/Flickr
For years, Index on Censorship has covered stories of violence against the media in Mexico. In the first six months of 2017, seven journalists have been killed, a terrifying statistic. To help those researching media freedom in Mexico, we have compiled a reading list of articles from the past five years. It includes details of threats, punishments and pressures faced by Mexican journalists. Students and academics whose universities subscribe to Sage Journals will find all these articles free to read.
Making a killing: A special Index investigation looking at why Mexico is an increasingly deadly place to be a journalist as reporters face threats from corrupt police to deadly drug gangs
Vol 46, Issue 3, 2017
Ahead of Mexico’s elections next year, in a special investigation for Index, Duncan Tucker looks at threats to journalists over the past decade.
Read the full article here
Parallel lives and unparalleled risks: The author discusses his time reporting from Mexico, how the death of one journalist particularly affected him and introduces an excerpt from his forthcoming novel
Vol 46, Issue 3, 2017
Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries to be a reporter today, but these dangers are not spread evenly between local and foreign reporters. Author Tim MacGabhann speaks to Jemimah Steinfeld about why this is the backdrop to his new book and introduces an extract from it
Read the full article here
Documenting the truth: Documentaries are all the rage in Mexico, providing a truthful alternative to an often biased media
Vol 47, Issue 3, 2018
Documentaries are growing in popularity in Mexico, and have more freedom to broadcast facts and challenge government lies.
Read the full article here
Between a rock and a hard place: Mexico’s journalists face threats from cartels, the government and even each other
Vol 46, Issue 1, 2017
Alberto Escorcia and Javier Valdez discuss the pressures on Mexican media from all sides: drug cartels, government agencies, and even from other media outlets. These two reporters explain the difficulties journalists face and note that often there is little police protection from cartels. Valdez, a globally known journalist, was shot and killed in May 2017.
Read the full article here
Shooting from the hip: A new mayor in a Mexican border city believes he will make it less dangerous for journalists
Vol 46, Issue 1, 2017
Does local Mexican government have the ability or will to protect journalists? In an interview with Armando Cabada Alvídrez, the mayor of the largest city in Chihuahua (on the border of the United States), and Gabriela Minjares, a co-founder of the Juárez Journalists’ Network, Index on Censorship explores government promises and speculation from journalists on Mexico’s imminent potential for improvement of journalist security.
Read the full article here
Shooting the messengers: Women investigating sex trafficking in Mexico
Vol 45, Issue 2, 2016
Mexican journalists investigating sex trafficking, prostitution or child pornography often encounter threats and pressure not to cover stories. Journalists Lydia Cacho, Sanjuana Martínez and Shaila Rosagel discuss the retaliation they faced for uncovering unsavoury relationships between sex crimes and government officials.
Read the full article here
Mexican airwaves: Interviews with radio journalists who were shut down after investigating presidental property deals
Vol 44, Issue 4, 2015
“The level of violence against Mexican journalists has been well documented, but comparatively little is known about the pressures that reporters and their bosses come under when dealing with the government.” Carmen Aristegui, one of Mexico’s most renowned journalists, lost her job and ability to report in Mexico after uncovering allegations of property fraud against President Peña Nieto.
Read the full article here
Mexican stand-off
Vol 44, Issue 2, 2015
Since the abduction of 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa training college, tensions between Mexico’s academic institutions and government have been at an all time high. In this article, Dr Rossana Reguillo Cruz discusses the case of the missing students, along with the threats she receives on a daily basis after discussing her support for investigations into their disappearance.
Read the full article here
Constitutionally challenged: Mexico’s struggle with state power
Vol 43, Issue 4, 2014
In addition to threats and cover-ups, Mexican journalists face increasing pressure from other directions. While much censorship occurs without regard to the law, this article explores how suppression of speech is becoming further integrated into Mexican society.
Read the full article here
On the ground: In Mexico City
Vol 42, Issue 2, 2013
The Mexican office of Article 19 (the right to freedom of expression), has documented 900 incidents of suppressed expression, aided 100 targeted journalists and received dozens of threats since 2006 (as this article went to press). Ricardo Gonzalez discusses the challenges and progress of the Article 19 office in the face of increasing crime against journalists, and his hope for justice.
Read the full article here
Murder In Mexico
Vol 41, Issue 2, 2012
The Olympic Games frequently draw attention to the social and political conditions of their host countries, stirring up protests from the people and censorship from the government. Brian Glanville, originally a sports reporter sent to cover the 1968 Olympics, recounts his experience of media manipulation and student massacres by the Mexican government during the games, explaining the immense importance of international media coverage when local governments cannot be held accountable.
Read the full article here
