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How Big Tech’s Content Moderation Policies Cou...
By Gideon Sarpong Social media advocates have historically lauded its ability to facilitate democratic progress by connecting people over space and time, enabling faster and wider mobilization than ever before. However, in recent years, this optimism has faded, and platforms have also become effecti... |
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A red flag for democracy as press freedom worldw...
As cases of COVID-19 continue to spike across the world, news consumption has accelerated at unprecedented rates. Audiences are all too aware of the need for rapid, quality information in this race against time. In response, journalists are working around the clock to provide critical updates and co... |
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A Decade of Closing Space in Hungary: Joint Repo...
Thousands took to the streets of Budapest in the close of 2019, protesting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s most recent step in his march against free expression in Hungary. But the restriction was a decade in the making. Since Orbán’s government came to power in 2010, the state of free speech in... |
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Social Media Shutdowns Restrict the Flow of Info...
By Samuel Woodhams Following the tragic terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka earlier this year that killed over 250 people, the government blocked popular social media platforms and messaging apps in an attempt to prevent the spread of misinformation online. However, the ban not only blocked misinformatio... |
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A Road-map for Meaningful Media Reform in Ethiop...
By Asmamaw Gizaw The rapid political opening in Ethiopia over the past year has seen an uptick in journalistic freedom and a sincere effort on the part of the government to foster a robust, independent, and diverse media sphere. To continue this progress, reforms efforts must work to undo the legaci... |
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Social Media Taxes: A Financial Barrier for Inde...
With press freedom and freedom of speech increasingly under attack, social media is often the last space in many countries for independent voices. This has been especially true in countries where governments are openly hostile to news organizations. More recently, however, many governments have begu... |
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Mapping Trends in Freedom of Expression Legislat...
By Agustina del Campo Regulation of the internet is on the rise worldwide. In particular, lawmakers are drafting bills and laws that seek to address a perceived flaw in the digital ecosystem. Keeping track of these new regulations can be quite tedious for journalists and researchers. Furthermore, ... |
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Decline in attacks masks a deeper challenge for ...
In Pakistan, press freedom has ticked up amid a decline in attacks on journalists over the past year, but recent reports suggest the promising numbers mask a deeper challenge of self-censorship. One recent study by Media Matters for Democracy found that roughly 88 percent of Pakistani journalists ad... |
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Ethiopia is Unshackling the Media, but True Inde...
By Henok Fente Just a few months ago, Ethiopia was one of the countries with the highest number of imprisoned and exiled journalists. Now, a new prime minister is promising that his government will respect freedom of speech as part of a swift move toward democracy. “Building democratic institutio... |
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Defending Digital Rights in the Democratic Repub...
By Morgan Frost While the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the fourth largest country in Africa in terms of population, it has one of the lowest levels of internet accessibility across the continent. Weak democratic governance and the prevalence of several armed groups has left the DRC to f... |