Press Freedom

Egyptian Media Silences Protests

By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
As Egypt's political crisis escalates, supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi accuse the local media – both state-run and private – of ignoring pro-Morsi demonstrations and covering up massive rights abuses.

OP-ED: EU and Azerbaijan, Setting the Record Straight

By Eldar Mamedov
At a cabinet meeting in mid-July, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev lashed out at the European Parliament for supposedly conducting a “dirty campaign” against Baku. The shrill tone of Aliyev’s comments indicates that European pressure on Azerbaijan to respect basic rights is stinging the Aliyev administration.

Afghanistan Faces New Uncertainties

By Giuliano Battiston
What happens after 2014? That is the question people on Afghanistan’s streets are asking as the deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops draws near.

Egypt Military ‘Split’ Over Morsi

By Hisham Allam
Divisions are opening up within the Egyptian military over the controversial takeover from the ousted government of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi, a senior party leader says.

Choked Media Struggles to Speak Out in Jordan

By Elizabeth Whitman
Journalists and media activists have begun to confront the Jordanian government over its moves to block local news websites. Two months now after the blockage, many of these sites are struggling.

OP-ED: The Making of the Middle East’s Newest Strongman

By Emad Mekay
Before an ultimatum to attack an anti-coup sit-in earlier this week, Egypt's new strongman and coup leader Gen. Abdel Fatah Al-Sissi received one of his warmest endorsements ever - something that might have been torn right out of the steamy pages of the "Arabian Nights".

Interpol ‘Misused’ by Human Rights Abusers

By Ida Karlsson
The world's largest international policing organisation Interpol is being used by governments to track down political opponents and human rights campaigners, an IPS investigation reveals.

Military Boot Pushes Down on Democracy

By Cam McGrath
Egypt’s military chief, General Abdel Fatah El-Sissi, who in July announced on state television that the army had ousted Egypt’s first democratically elected president, has tried to wrap a veneer of democracy around actions that most others have condemned as a coup.

Pope Francis: Revolution or Changing to Stay the Same?

By Fabiana Frayssinet
“The rivalry between our countries is over: if the pope is Argentine then God is Brazilian,” Francis joked when journalists asked him why he was so beloved in this country, where millions came out to see him, despite the historic football rivalry between South America’s two giants.

Mixed Verdict for WikiLeaker Bradley Manning

By Jared Metzker
A U.S. military judge ruled Tuesday that Private Bradley Manning, the young soldier who shared a mountain of classified data with the rogue pro-transparency group WikiLeaks, is not guilty of "aiding the enemy".

Cambodian Youth Look for Change

By Michelle Tolson
As Cambodia readies for general elections Sunday Jul. 28, the youth, who make up 36 percent of the country have signaled they are eager for ‘change.’

Unclear Scope for Media Law in Ecuador

By Ángela Meléndez
Ecuador's new media law introduces guarantees to democratise communications. But it has come under fire from critics who say it could set limits on investigative journalism. Many doubts will only be answered once its regulations are passed.

Egypt May Not go the Algeria Way

By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
The ouster of Egypt's first freely elected president by the military has led some to warn of a possible Algeria-style civil war. Local analysts, however, dismiss the likelihood of the "Algeria scenario" occurring in Egypt.

U.S. Government-Funded News Comes Home

By Jared Metzker
Following the amendment of a long-standing U.S. law, people in this country will now be exposed to news which is produced by the U.S. government.

Q&A: “Did 100,000 People Have to Die, or Disappear?”

By Lucy Westcott
The violent drug war in Mexico's borderlands has changed the face of the country, injecting fear into both average citizens and the journalists trying to tell their stories.

Fourth Estate Under Fire in Bangladesh

By Naimul Haq
When it comes to media, Bangladesh boasts some impressive statistics: it has the largest number of outlets among the world’s least developed countries (LDCs), including 50 nationwide dailies, of which eight are English-language newspapers; 25 television channels; seven FM radio stations; 14 community radio channels and over 300 regional magazines published in English and Bengali.

Honduras Shaken by High-Profile Murders

By Thelma Mejía
Honduran society remains shocked at the tragic fate of Aníbal Barrow, a journalist and university professor whose body was dismembered and scattered around a lake in Villanueva, in the northern province of Cortés.

Big Brother Is Watching Us

By Ignacio Ramonet
We were afraid this would happen. We had been warned by books (George Orwell's "1984") and films (Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report") that with the progress being made in communication technology, we would all end up under surveillance.

Q&A: No Justice for Tortured Bahraini Journalist

By Jasmin Ramsey
In May 2011, almost a year and half after a Tunisian street vendor’s self-immolation sparked waves of revolution still rocking the Middle East, Bahraini journalist Nazeeha Saeed was tortured during her 13-hour detention before signing a confession she was not allowed to read.

Spy Contractor Bug in Ecuador Embassy Fails to Stop Wikileaks

By Pratap Chatterjee
Spy equipment from the Surveillance Group Limited, a British private detective agency based in Worcester, England, has been found in the Ecuadorean embassy in London where Julian Assange, editor of Wikileaks, has taken refuge.

Snowden Is No Trifling Matter

By Diana Cariboni and Jared Metzker
The suspicion that Bolivian President Evo Morales’ jet was carrying Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who has become Washington´s public enemy number one, triggered an unprecedented international incident.
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