FEATURED VIDEO: World Press Freedom Day 2017

Journalists are not only major users of the cherished right to freedom of expression but also symbols of the extent to which a society tolerates and promotes freedom of expression. The current state of safety of journalists worldwide is alarming. Over the last decade 827 journalists and media workers have been killed. Even more alarming is the fact that in less than one out of ten cases have the perpetrators been apprehended.

With an Eye on Electoral Violence, Kenya Keeps Tight Rein on Media

As the clock ticks down to Kenya’s general elections slated for Aug. 8, a move by the Kenya Communication Authority (CAK) to make journalists adhere to guidelines on election coverage has elicited fear that the government could be trying to control how they report on the polls.

“We Can’t Protest So We Pray”: Anguish in Amhara During Ethiopia’s State of Emergency 

As dawn breaks in Bahir Dar, men prepare boats beside Lake Tana to take to its island monasteries the tourists that are starting to return.

Journalism in Nicaragua under Siege

During the 161st session of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), an empty chair across from the OAS Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Edison Lanzas, sums up the Nicaraguan government’s relationship with this issue in the country: absence.

Under Fire, Journalism Explores Self-Preservation

With widespread attacks on professional journalists and the rise of a fake-news industry, media experts agree that journalism is increasingly under fire. But how can the press fight back and ensure its survival?

Half a Century of Struggle Against Underdevelopment

The idea of creating Inter Press Service (IPS) arose in the early 1960s in response to awareness that a vacuum existed in the world of journalism, which had two basic aspects.

Community Stations Fight for Frequencies in El Salvador

The Izcanal Radio and Television set is simple and austere, but this TV station made history in El Salvador, being the first, and until now the only one, to make the leap from community radio to community TV channel, in 2006.

Confusion over U.S. Travel Ban Grounds Foreign Correspondents

New restrictions on immigrants and refugees coming to the United States are also posing challenges for foreign correspondents covering news in the United States. Some have had to indefinitely postpone plans to report on conflicts in the Middle East while others have found an unfriendly reminder of their past treatment as journalists in less free countries.

Sri Lanka Shines Light on Public Sector Governance

Sri Lanka’s long-awaited and much-debated Right to Information (RTI) Act became law this month without much fanfare.

Pakistani Reporters in the Crosshairs

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas located on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border remain one of the most perilous places in the world to be a reporter, with journalists walking a razor’s edge of violence and censorship.

‘For Trump, Media Is Public Enemy Number One’

"Alarmed by the new administration’s repeated attacks on the media and blatant disregard for facts in the first three days of Donald Trump’s presidency," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Trump and his team "to stop undermining the First Amendment and start defending it."

Social Networks in Mexico Both Fuel and Fight Discontent

The scene in the video is simple: a bearded man with a determined look on his face sitting in front of a white wall witha portrait of Emiliano Zapata, symbol of the Mexican revolution.

Right to Information Dead on Arrival at UN

The 193-member UN General Assembly has been dragging its feet on a proposal that has been kicked around the corridors of the United Nations for over 10 years: a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) providing journalists the “right to information” in a sprawling bureaucracy protective of its turf.

Populist Leaders Endanger Human Rights: Advocacy Organisation

Populist leaders pose a dangerous threat to human rights, fuelling and justifying intolerance and abuse across the world, said advocacy group Human Rights Watch during the launch of their annual global report.

Bangladesh’s Women Journalists Rise Against the Odds

Journalism is a profession that attracts both sexes, but social taboos and hostile office climates have kept the numbers of women working in Bangladesh’s media sector dismally low. Still, a new generation of women is stepping up, with the support of their path-breaking colleagues.

More Than 50 Internet Shutdowns in 2016

Governments around the world shut down the internet more than 50 times in 2016 - suppressing elections, slowing economies and limiting free speech.

Reporting from Inside a Refugee Detention Centre

Despite being locked up in an Australian detention centre on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, Kurdish-Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani has continued reporting - gaining bylines and media attention around the world. Journalism is the reason Boochani was forced to flee his home country of Iran, and - like the other 900 men detained indefinitely on Manus Island - seek refuge in Australia.

Right to Information Act to Redefine Sri Lanka’s Media Landscape

Sri Lanka’s upcoming 69th Independence Commemorations will be of special value to the island’s media - that is, if everything works as planned.

Journalists Honoured for their Courage, Resolve

Journalism has become one of the world's most dangerous professions, making the courageous achievements of this year's four International Press Freedom Award winners particularly meaningful.

Journalism in Honduras Trapped in Violence

It was in the wee hours of the morning on October 19 when journalist Ricardo Matute, from Corporación Televicentro’s morning newscast, was out on the beat in San Pedro Sula, one of the most violent cities in Honduras.

Australian Activists, Dissenters and Whistleblowers Feeling the Heat

For Australian activist Samantha Castro, it was her association with the non-profit publishing organisation Wikileaks that brought her to the attention of the Australian Federal Police (AFP).