16 Apr 21 | Media Freedom, News and features, Russia
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Student journalists at Doxa
Index on Censorship has expressed concern over four student journalists charged with allegedly inciting minors to take part in criminal activity.
Armen Aramyan, Alla Gutnikova, Vladimir Metelkin, and Natalia Tyshkevich, journalists at online magazine Doxa – an independent student magazine about the realities of modern university life – were arrested on 14 April. The arrest of the students – from the Higher School of Economics and Moscow State University of Civil Engineering – came after they reported on protests in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and publishing a video in which they argue that the expulsion of students from university for participating in actions in support of Navalny is illegal.
The video, published by Doxa on 22 January, prompted the Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor to order its removal, a decision which Doxa subsequently challenged.
Roskomnadzor claimed the video was “persuading or otherwise involving minors in committing illegal actions that pose a threat to their life and health.”
The charges against the four are under 151.2 of the Russian criminal code, which carries a sentence of up to three years in prison for “involving a minor in committing acts that pose a danger to the life of a minor”.
Doxa’s offices were searched along with the homes of each of the four on trial, with their equipment seized.
The journalists are now under heavy pre-trial restrictions, which prevents them from leaving their homes, using the internet, or speaking to anyone except their close relatives and lawyers.
Since the arrests, more than 270 academics around the world have expressed their support for the four in an open letter, calling the charges “preposterous”.
Doxa said in a statement that the targeting of the student journalists is indicative of Russian authorities’ clamping down on free thought within universities.
They said: “In early 2021, we learned about the unprecedented pressure on students in Russian educational institutions. Schoolchildren, their parents, college and university students were threatened with possible problems, legal prosecution and expulsion due to participation in actions in support of Alexei Navalny, who was detained upon arrival in Russia.”
Protests in support of Navalny began in January, with over 5,000 people estimated to have been arrested across the country at the time amid some of the largest protests seen in opposition to President Vladimir Putin. In response, Russian authorities have since attempted to crack down on journalism and protests.
Index CEO Ruth Smeeth defended the rights of the Doxa four and described student journalism as “a building block of media freedom”.
“Repressive regimes silence opposition when they are scared of their populations and when they fear losing power. The Kremlin’s behaviour towards student journalists shows how fearful, yet again, they have become of their own people,” she said.
“Student journalism is a building block of media freedom, it educates and informs as well as ensuring the lifeblood that feeds the next generation of journalists. We are horrified at the targeting of the Doxa magazine and their student editors and we stand united in solidarity with them.”
Director of Global Youth & News Media, an organisation that aims to amplify youth journalism, Dr Aralynn Abare McMane said: “It shows just how desperate the Russian authorities are becoming that they persecute these student journalists, and we are gratified to see that the international press freedom community is taking this case very, very seriously.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][three_column_post title=”You may also want to read” category_id=”8996″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
26 Feb 21 | News and features, United States
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”116325″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]Student journalists across the USA are marking Student Press Freedom Day. But as for many journalists, the Covid-19 pandemic has posed challenges to the ability of students on university publications to do their jobs.
Limited access to equipment, resources and interviews are obvious hindrances to their reporting.
Hadar Harris of the Student Press Law Council (SPLC), which helps advocate the day, spoke of how important it is for student journalists not to be limited in their work.
“Student journalists’ efforts should not be limited or censored during this critical time,” he said. “Rather, they must be supported and encouraged as part of providing an essential service to the community during the current Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.”
Even before the pandemic, censorship of high-school and college students was a problem. Between 2017 and 2019, there were 15 cases recorded by media watchdog US Freedom Tracker of censorship of students.
In 2015, The Wesleyan Argus published an op-ed critical of the Black Lives Matter movement. In response, some of Weslyan’s students put together a petition demanding the paper lose its funding.
A satirical article criticising Jewish stereotypes was met with multiple complains when it was published in the Promethean in 2016, the newspaper of the University of Wisconsin. The incident was investigated by the university, before being dropped after pressure from student rights body The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
Student journalists are easily censored in the USA due to a ruling in 1988 allows schools to dictate what can and cannot be published.
The Supreme Court reversed a court of appeals decision and ruled that a newspaper produced as part of a class and without a “policy or practice” could be censored.
Harris said, “Since 1988, with the handing down of the Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier case at the US Supreme Court, public school administrators have been able to censor the work of student journalists for any “legitimate pedagogical concern”.”
“This has led to overzealous administrators censoring student work because it would put the school in a bad light, is embarrassing, is controversial or may get pushback from parents. In addition, after more than 30 years of Hazelwood, we are deeply concerned about the impact of self-censorship – students who don’t even try to write a story that they think won’t be “acceptable” to school authorities.”
“Only 14 states have student press freedom legislation which protects the independence of student journalists in the US.”
Across the world there have been instances of student journalists being censored. Emergency measures by governments are often opportunistic ploys to go against freedom of information. Without full accreditation more difficult to receive during a pandemic, responding to questions from student journalist is less of a priority.
Journalism lecturer at UK university Liverpool John Moores (LJMU), Steve Harrison, spoke of the difficulties facing his students over the past year.
“Students have found it incredibly challenging,” he said. “From practical things like not being able to access broadcast kit from or not being able to go out to do vox pops, to more social support, such as meeting up with mates to discuss ideas or popping into a lecturer’s office for a chat.”
Student journalism is often a vital part of local discourse and important for communities. Many well-known journalists cut their teeth at student papers such as Jeremy Paxman and David Frost.
Their dedicated resources mean there are additional voices challenging authorities and important figures within different areas.
LJMU third-year student Wes Powell, though admitting that local authorities – in Liverpool at least – have been generous and forthcoming, said reporting during the pandemic had become more difficult.
“Reporting, at least from my own experience, has been flipped entirely on its head since the start of the pandemic,” he said. “Getting in touch with contacts for stories has been made harder, and even though many people are now readily available and are using Zoom almost all day when working from home, many are much more reluctant to provide comments for ongoing stories.”
“There’s also the added difficulties of trying to carry out reporting while adhering to lockdown restrictions and social distancing, which has made things a lot more complicated.”
Some excellent student journalism has been complied by the SPLC and can be read here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][three_column_post title=”You may also like to read” category_id=”5641″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
