Threats to a free press on the rise

[Coyote]

This has been an ongoing issue around the world. An attack on press freedom..

Journalists flee Russia as Putin cracks down after Ukraine invasion

Those who made up a dogged band of reporters determined to uncover and tell the truth are now scattered across Europe, uncertain of their futures and fearful for their country’s.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Coyote]

Ethiopia launches crackdown on journalists and activists

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopian security officials are conducting a massive operation across the country that has led to the arrests of more than 4,500 people in one region alone. The crackdown on journalists, activists and others, dubbed a “law enforcement operation,” came into effect after the...

apnews.com

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopian security officials are conducting a massive operation across the country that has led to the arrests of more than 4,500 people in one region alone. The crackdown on journalists, activists and others, dubbed a “law enforcement operation,” came into effect after the administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on May 20 cited the need to “protect citizens and ensure the survival of the nation.”

IMO…this more about ensuring the survival of current rule and “protecting” the people from information critical of the current rule..

 

[sparky]

Wow.

Folks are so caught up in trivialities. . . I didn't think anyone cared about the really important stuff anymore.


Jul 28, 2022

Spies Like Us: The Assange Indictment​

Spies Like Us: The Assange Indictment

Suzie Halewood The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia indictment of Julian Assange is a curious document. By the end of it you can’t help feeling that if anyone is t…

off-guardian.org

January 20, 2023

Corbyn Tells CN Australia Should Press for Assange Release​

Corbyn Tells CN Australia Should Press for Assange Release

Former British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Consortium News the Australian prime minister should press the U.S. for Julian Assange's liberty and he held out hope that popular action could end decades of neoliberal economic policies in the West. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lzWqaqxkB4

consortiumnews.com

January 20, 2023

WATCH: Belmarsh Tribunal on Assange​

WATCH: Belmarsh Tribunal on Assange

Tribunal to hear evidence on Assange case from Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Jeremy Corbyn, Stefania Maurizi and more. Watch the replay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5I2pD1PPSE&t=629s

consortiumnews.com

January 22, 2023

Ellsberg: Losing 1st Amendment Reverses War of Independence​

Ellsberg: Losing 1st Amendment Reverses War of Independence

Daniel Ellsberg says using the Espionage Act against journalist Julian Assange in blatant violation of the First Amendment means the First Amendment is essentially gone. Ellsberg gave the following address to the Belmarsh Tribunal on Friday night. A transcript follows. https://youtu.be/WLCg6_K

consortiumnews.com

January 23, 2023

WATCH: The US War Against Assange​

WATCH: The US War Against Assange

Chris Hedges interviews journalist Kevin Gosztola on his new book, Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange on The Real News Network's The Chris Hedges Report. Transcript with bonus material follows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOC-c0QdfEo Kevin Gosztola is the managin

consortiumnews.com

January 24, 2023

Sterling: Espionage Act Like Slave-Era Anti-Literacy Laws​

Sterling: Espionage Act Like Slave-Era Anti-Literacy Laws

C.I.A. whistleblower Jeffery Sterling, who was sentenced to 3½ years in prison, says punishing Julian Assange for publishing critical information is designed to keep us enslaved in ignorance. Sterling gave the following address to the Belmarsh Tribunal on Friday night at the National Press Club

consortiumnews.com

January 25, 2023

Australia Has Not Written to US on Assange For 6 Months​

Australia Has Not Written to US on Assange For 6 Months

UPDATED: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he's raised Julian Assange with the U.S. A Freedom of Information request shows Australia has not corresponded with the U.S. on Assange for at least six months. Updated with comment from Labor MP Julian Hill. By Joe Lauria Speci

consortiumnews.com

January 25, 2023

Donziger: Assange Case a Fraud From A to Z​

Donziger: Assange Case a Fraud From A to Z

The rule of law is not being applied in Julian Assange's case, just as it was not applied in mine, says lawyer Steven Donziger. Donziger gave the following address to the Belmarsh Tribunal on Friday night at the National Press Club in Washington. A transcript follows. https://www.youtube.com

consortiumnews.com

January 26, 2023

Hrafnsson: Empire Against One Man​

Hrafnsson: Empire Against One Man

Julian Assange's resistance has laid bare the raw elements of empire that totally disregards the principles it so proudly preaches of human rights, press freedom and the rule of law, says the WikiLeaks editor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCbeGzCqqPY Hrafnnson gave the following address via

consortiumnews.com

February 1, 2023

Why the Media Fear Julian Assange​

In threatening to bring democratic accountability to the press and the security services, WikiLeaks exposes their long-standing collusion, writes Jonathan Cook.

Why the Media Fear Julian Assange

In threatening to bring democratic accountability to the press and the security services, WikiLeaks exposes their long-standing collusion, writes Jonathan Cook. By Jonathan Cook Jonathan-Cook.net During an interview back in 2011, Julian Assange made an acute observation about the role of w

consortiumnews.com

Protester outside Belmarsh Prison in London on Jan. 22, 2022. (Alisdare Hickson, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
View attachment 756772


This is it folks. IMO, this is for all the marbles. If Assange goes, so too, goes all real press freedom. On both the left, and the right.

An eye opener as usual Mr B

bravo....

My take is flegling as best, but it occurs to me that our government is actively utilizing social media to do the unconstitutional 'dirt work' they can't....~S~

 

[MisterBeale]

Life as a 'foreign agent': Inside Russia's crackdown on free speech

Instead of overt brutality, the latest campaign is being waged quietly with a vague legal tool: a law regulating the activities of so-called foreign agents.

www.nbcnews.com

Moscow vs. Davos? Let's ask Russian alt media​

An interview with Russian blogger Anna Rudneva​

Moscow vs. Davos? Let's ask Russian alt media

An interview with Russian blogger Anna Rudneva

edwardslavsquat.substack.com

<snip>

<snip>

 

[Coyote]

A good site to check for media freedom around the world.

This is their 2022 report.

Index

RSF's World Press Freedom Index aims to compare the level of press freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in 180 countries and territories.

rsf.org

The 2022 edition of the World Press Freedom Index, which assesses the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories, highlights the disastrous effects of news and information chaos – the effects of a globalised and unregulated online information space that encourages fake news and propaganda.

Within democratic societies, divisions are growing as a result of the spread of opinion media following the “Fox News model” and the spread of disinformation circuits that are amplified by the way social media functions. At the international level, democracies are being weakened by the asymmetry between open societies and despotic regimes that control their media and online platforms while waging propaganda wars against democracies. Polarisation on these two levels is fuelling increased tension.

The invasion of Ukraine (106th) by Russia (155th) at the end of February reflects this process, as the physical conflict was preceded by a propaganda war. China (175th), one of the world’s most repressive autocratic regimes, uses its legislative arsenal to confine its population and cut it off from the rest of the world, especially the population of Hong Kong (148th), which has plummeted in the Index. Confrontation between “blocs” is growing, as seen between nationalist Narendra Modi’s India (150th) and Pakistan (157th). The lack of press freedom in the Middle East continues to impact the conflict between Israel (86th), Palestine (170th) and the Arab states.


The top ten: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Costa Rica, Lithuania, Liechtenstein.

The bottom ten from worst: North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Turkmanistan, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Syria.

United States ranks 42.

 

[BackAgain]

Attacks on journalists and their ability to report freely and independently have been increasing over the past few years along with an increasing trend towards authorita governance.

This article just caught my eye today, but there are many more examples.

Indian government raids BBC offices in wake of documentary critical of Modi

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/14/india-raid-bbc-offices-tax/

Gaurav Bhatia, a spokesman for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, told reporters in a conference that the BBC “must work within India laws” and called the organization “corrupt” without offering specifics, instead listing a litany of perceived problems with its coverage.

“The BBC’s work has historically been tainted with its hatred for India,” he said. “Our constitution allows them to do unbiased journalism, but let me show you how they use journalism as a pretext to put forward their agenda.” He added that media outlets that “have a hidden agenda” and “spew venom” cannot be tolerated.

The opposition Congress Party has loudly condemned the move against the BBC with one member of parliament calling it “imbecile, childish & beyond even silly,” in a tweet.

"As hosts of G-20 what are we telling the world that rather than an emerging great power we are an insecure power. Whichever bright spark thought this one up is the Prime Minister’s worst enemy,” said Manish Tewari, who was once the minister of information.

The raids took place less than a month after the Modi government took extraordinary measures to censor “India: The Modi Question,” a BBC film that resurfaced decades-old allegations that Modi failed to stop a bloody riot in Gujarat state while he served as chief minister in 2002.

In India.

Oh.

 

[Coyote]

In India.

Oh.

India has long been considered a model democracy in a very multicultural nation. It’s a bit of a bellwether and by no means unique.

 

[BackAgain]

India has long been considered a model democracy in a very multicultural nation. It’s a bit of a bellwether and by no means unique.

Thank God we aren’t a democracy.

 

[Coyote]

Thank God we aren’t a democracy.

Actually we are. People tend to think that tbe only type of democracy is a direct democracy.

 

[BackAgain]

Actually we are. People tend to think that tbe only type of democracy is a direct democracy.

Actually, we aren’t. We are proudly )and accurately) a Constitutional Republic.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Threats to a free press are consistent with threats and attacks on democracy; freedom of the press and democracy are co-dependent, one cannot exist without the other.

“Authoritarian actors grew bolder during 2020 as major democracies turned inward, contributing to the 15th consecutive year of decline in global freedom, according to Freedom in the World 2021, the annual country-by-country assessment of political rights and civil liberties released today by Freedom House.

The report found that the share of countries designated Not Free has reached its highest level since the deterioration of democracy began in 2006, and that countries with declines in political rights and civil liberties outnumbered those with gains by the largest margin recorded during the 15-year period. The report downgraded the freedom scores of 73 countries, representing 75 percent of the global population. Those affected include not just authoritarian states like China, Belarus, and Venezuela, but also troubled democracies like the United States and India.

In one of the year’s most significant developments, India’s status changed from Free to Partly Free, meaning less than 20 percent of the world’s people now live in a Free country—the smallest proportion since 1995.”

New Report: The global decline in democracy has accelerated

Freedom in the World 2021 finds that the annual gap between losses and gains widened in 2020, and fewer than a fifth of the world’s people now live in fully Free countries.

freedomhouse.org

 

[MisterBeale]

A good site to check for media freedom around the world.

This is their 2022 report.

Index

RSF's World Press Freedom Index aims to compare the level of press freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in 180 countries and territories.

rsf.org

The 2022 edition of the World Press Freedom Index, which assesses the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories, highlights the disastrous effects of news and information chaos – the effects of a globalised and unregulated online information space that encourages fake news and propaganda.

Within democratic societies, divisions are growing as a result of the spread of opinion media following the “Fox News model” and the spread of disinformation circuits that are amplified by the way social media functions. At the international level, democracies are being weakened by the asymmetry between open societies and despotic regimes that control their media and online platforms while waging propaganda wars against democracies. Polarisation on these two levels is fuelling increased tension.

The invasion of Ukraine (106th) by Russia (155th) at the end of February reflects this process, as the physical conflict was preceded by a propaganda war. China (175th), one of the world’s most repressive autocratic regimes, uses its legislative arsenal to confine its population and cut it off from the rest of the world, especially the population of Hong Kong (148th), which has plummeted in the Index. Confrontation between “blocs” is growing, as seen between nationalist Narendra Modi’s India (150th) and Pakistan (157th). The lack of press freedom in the Middle East continues to impact the conflict between Israel (86th), Palestine (170th) and the Arab states.


The top ten: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Costa Rica, Lithuania, Liechtenstein.

The bottom ten from worst: North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Turkmanistan, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Syria.

United States ranks 42.

This organization is linked to the CIA and the American Deep State. You can look up an interesting discussion on this on Reddit.

"Robert Menard, the Secretary General of RSF, was forced to confess that RSF's budget was primarily provided by "US organizations strictly linked with US foreign policy" (Thibodeau, La Presse)."

Reporters Without Borders - SourceWatch

www.sourcewatch.org

William Blum​

Trojan Horse: The National Endowment for Democracy​

Trojan Horse: The National Endowment for Democracy – William Blum

How many Americans could identify the National Endowment for Democracy? An organization which often does exactly the opposite of what its name implies. The NED was set up in the early 1980s under Pres...

williamblum.org

 

[Nobody911]

lol. Actually, the veiled threats from Deep State always exist. Yeah, history just keeps repeating itself. Every country has Deep State. So what do you expect from the dystopian world? lol.

Source:
Antiwar.com Sues FBI for ‘Threat Assessment’ | Courthouse News Service – https://archive.md/8v0Qy

 

[Coyote]

Actually, we aren’t. We are proudly )and accurately) a Constitutional Republic.

And a democracy. One can be both.

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

This has been an ongoing issue around the world. An attack on press freedom..

Journalists flee Russia as Putin cracks down after Ukraine invasion

Those who made up a dogged band of reporters determined to uncover and tell the truth are now scattered across Europe, uncertain of their futures and fearful for their country’s.

www.nbcnews.com

Where ever Socialism happens, then the government must keep the press from speaking truthfully. Just look at what is happening in east Ohio where chemical weapons are being released upon the people of the US.

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

And a democracy. One can be both.

How can there be a democracy when millions of illegals are crossing our southern border? Stupid twit.

 

[task0778]

I can't say as I'm all that familiar with journalism around the world, but I suspect that in too many places the media/press is indeed under attack from political forces but also from within from financial forces. Meaning that in some instances journalism is swayed somewhat according to who pays the bills/wages. We all know of examples in this country and no doubt others where the owners/management do not allow a free and unfettered /media/press, material that does not tow the party line doesn't see the light of day and the speaker/writer faces retribution. So, in that sense the free press is also under attack. Sadly, it's hard to tell what the truth is nowadays, unflinching honesty is difficult to find.

PS: a Constitutional republic can also be called a representative democracy if those representatives are duly elected by the voting public. Can we not avoid the semantic warfare for once?

 

[Oddball]

To be fair, right-wingers love to defend racist scum.

Tell us more about "Hymietown" and "diamond merchants", Skippy.

 

[Patriot01]

Still waiting for you to answer the question.....where do most "white deaths" happen....I am sure you have the data...

Post the link


Secondly, why haven't you stopped white deaths from happening?? Since you are responsible for it......I mean, you definitely think all black people are responsible for "black deaths"

I try to stop all deaths. It’s from democrats, I vote republican

 

[westwall]

Wow.

Folks are so caught up in trivialities. . . I didn't think anyone cared about the really important stuff anymore.


Jul 28, 2022

Spies Like Us: The Assange Indictment​

Spies Like Us: The Assange Indictment

Suzie Halewood The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia indictment of Julian Assange is a curious document. By the end of it you can’t help feeling that if anyone is t…

off-guardian.org

January 20, 2023

Corbyn Tells CN Australia Should Press for Assange Release​

Corbyn Tells CN Australia Should Press for Assange Release

Former British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Consortium News the Australian prime minister should press the U.S. for Julian Assange's liberty and he held out hope that popular action could end decades of neoliberal economic policies in the West. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lzWqaqxkB4

consortiumnews.com

January 20, 2023

WATCH: Belmarsh Tribunal on Assange​

WATCH: Belmarsh Tribunal on Assange

Tribunal to hear evidence on Assange case from Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Jeremy Corbyn, Stefania Maurizi and more. Watch the replay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5I2pD1PPSE&t=629s

consortiumnews.com

January 22, 2023

Ellsberg: Losing 1st Amendment Reverses War of Independence​

Ellsberg: Losing 1st Amendment Reverses War of Independence

Daniel Ellsberg says using the Espionage Act against journalist Julian Assange in blatant violation of the First Amendment means the First Amendment is essentially gone. Ellsberg gave the following address to the Belmarsh Tribunal on Friday night. A transcript follows. https://youtu.be/WLCg6_K

consortiumnews.com

January 23, 2023

WATCH: The US War Against Assange​

WATCH: The US War Against Assange

Chris Hedges interviews journalist Kevin Gosztola on his new book, Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange on The Real News Network's The Chris Hedges Report. Transcript with bonus material follows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOC-c0QdfEo Kevin Gosztola is the managin

consortiumnews.com

January 24, 2023

Sterling: Espionage Act Like Slave-Era Anti-Literacy Laws​

Sterling: Espionage Act Like Slave-Era Anti-Literacy Laws

C.I.A. whistleblower Jeffery Sterling, who was sentenced to 3½ years in prison, says punishing Julian Assange for publishing critical information is designed to keep us enslaved in ignorance. Sterling gave the following address to the Belmarsh Tribunal on Friday night at the National Press Club

consortiumnews.com

January 25, 2023

Australia Has Not Written to US on Assange For 6 Months​

Australia Has Not Written to US on Assange For 6 Months

UPDATED: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he's raised Julian Assange with the U.S. A Freedom of Information request shows Australia has not corresponded with the U.S. on Assange for at least six months. Updated with comment from Labor MP Julian Hill. By Joe Lauria Speci

consortiumnews.com

January 25, 2023

Donziger: Assange Case a Fraud From A to Z​

Donziger: Assange Case a Fraud From A to Z

The rule of law is not being applied in Julian Assange's case, just as it was not applied in mine, says lawyer Steven Donziger. Donziger gave the following address to the Belmarsh Tribunal on Friday night at the National Press Club in Washington. A transcript follows. https://www.youtube.com

consortiumnews.com

January 26, 2023

Hrafnsson: Empire Against One Man​

Hrafnsson: Empire Against One Man

Julian Assange's resistance has laid bare the raw elements of empire that totally disregards the principles it so proudly preaches of human rights, press freedom and the rule of law, says the WikiLeaks editor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCbeGzCqqPY Hrafnnson gave the following address via

consortiumnews.com

February 1, 2023

Why the Media Fear Julian Assange​

In threatening to bring democratic accountability to the press and the security services, WikiLeaks exposes their long-standing collusion, writes Jonathan Cook.

Why the Media Fear Julian Assange

In threatening to bring democratic accountability to the press and the security services, WikiLeaks exposes their long-standing collusion, writes Jonathan Cook. By Jonathan Cook Jonathan-Cook.net During an interview back in 2011, Julian Assange made an acute observation about the role of w

consortiumnews.com

Protester outside Belmarsh Prison in London on Jan. 22, 2022. (Alisdare Hickson, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
View attachment 756772


This is it folks. IMO, this is for all the marbles. If Assange goes, so too, goes all real press freedom. On both the left, and the right.[/SIincompetent.

The MSM is bought by the corporate elites, they no longer care about factual reporting. They only push their corporate masters propaganda now.