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Wednesday, November 11, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Press Freedom
RIGHTS-SIERRA LEONE: Journalists Under Attack
Sierra Leone has become a place of torment for journalists practicing their profession.
RIGHTS-PERU: Alleged Letter-Bomb Killer Faces Justice
The arrest in Peru of a former Army Intelligence Service (SIE) agent, retired Captain Víctor Penas, may clear up the murder of journalist Melissa Alfaro, and the mutilation of human rights defender Augusto Zúñiga, both victims of letter-bombs in 1991.CHILE: A Newspaper Of and For ‘the Voiceless’
Diario Uno, a newspaper with an innovative business model put out by a group of journalists and academics, went on sale Sunday in Chile, promising to provide a voice for those who do not feel represented by the country's economic model nor by the mainstream media.HUMAN RIGHTS: UN Complains of Scant Progress by Mexico
Mexico has failed to make significant progress on human rights issues like violence against women, abuses by military troops involved in policing work, and attacks on journalists, the United Nations Human Rights Committee stated Friday.MEDIA: Journalists Increasingly at Risk Says UN Report
A record 77 journalists were killed last year, making 2009 one of the most dangerous years for media workers, according to a report published Thursday by UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency.US-CHINA: Google Puts Ball in Beijing’s Court
Internet users in China are reporting varying degrees of censorship on Google search results after the company moved its Chinese operation out of mainland China.TUNISIA: Rights Groups Condemn Harassment of Ex-Prisoners
The Tunisian government should stop the harassment of political prisoners after their release from jail, say rights groups in two new reports.BELARUS: Crackdown on Dissent Feared Ahead of Elections
Civil rights leaders in Belarus are facing a campaign of persecution and harassment as autocratic President Aleksandr Lukashenko looks to crack down on the opposition ahead of local and presidential elections over the next year, rights activists warn.POLITICS: The Pentagon’s Propaganda Networks – Part 2
Propaganda networks that conduct "psychological warfare" for the Pentagon have been in vogue for a long time. Mike Furlong, a senior Pentagon official who is now being investigated for running a covert network of contractors to supply information for drone strikes and assassinations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, had a long history of working in this field.RIGHTS: U.S. Concerned Over Curbs on NGOs, Press, Internet
Releasing its annual report on the state of human rights around the world, the U.S. State Department Thursday said it was increasingly concerned about curbs imposed by foreign governments on civil society groups, the press, and Internet use.EGYPT: U.N. Slams Abuse of Emergency Law
Despite diplomatic maneuvering designed to block any review of its human rights record, a United Nations special rapporteur has told the U.N. Human Rights Council that proposed changes in Egypt's constitution "would create a permanent legal state of emergency".POLITICS: U.S. Lifts Restrictions on Web Services
After U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's January address on the role of internet freedom in U.S. foreign policy, the Barack Obama administration appears to be taking the first steps to introduce specific legislation and policies to exploit the role of the internet in opening up those countries ruled by oppressive or authoritarian governments.U.S.: Obama Urged to Aggressively Pursue Rights Agenda
Following a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and a summit last week, human rights activists from a range of countries released a plan of action Monday according to which the United States can lead the way in safeguarding human rights.
RIGHTS: Iran Rebuffs U.N. Criticism, Denies Abuses
International human rights groups and Iranian activists say Iran's decision to reject major recommendations made by the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday is disappointing and signals that Tehran has no intention of easing the crackdown on dissent in the country.RIGHTS: Mideast and North Africa Cited for Press Abuses
A report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on press freedom around the world in 2009 depicts an especially gloomy situation in the Middle East and North Africa, where authorities continue to use repressive measures to muzzle journalists.MIDEAST: Gaza’s Female Scribes Face Worse Than Discrimination
Female journalists worldwide complain about discrimination on the grounds of gender. However, their colleagues in Gaza also face death threats, the dangers of working in a war zone and the struggle for daily necessities as the Israeli siege on Gaza drags on.EGYPT: Press Freer, but Still Fettered
Not long ago an editorial like the one that appeared in the independent Al- Dustour newspaper this week might never have made it into print.RIGHTS-MEXICO: Reporters, Activists Demand State Protection
Journalists and human rights activists in Mexico are frantically seeking a mechanism to protect them from attacks related to their work, but the state has been slow to respond. The Colombian model might provide a solution.US-IRAN: Journalists Call for Release of Jailed Colleagues
On Thursday, the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, a coalition of international journalists, writers and publishers launched a campaign calling for the release of their colleagues imprisoned following disputed presidential elections last year in Iran.
COLOMBIA: Magazine Closure Deals Major Blow to Investigative Reporting
What would have happened in Colombia if the financing of former president Ernesto Samper's (1994-1998) election campaign by the Cali cartel had not been uncovered?CHILE: Stop Treating Community Broadcasters as Criminals, Say Activists
Criminal law should not be used against freedom of expression, nor to silence community radio stations in Chile, say activists and journalists in response to closures of community radio outlets in this South American country.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Journalism is dangerous work. Dozens of reporters and other media workers are killed in the line of duty each year. Hundreds more face threats, intimidation, and harassment as they risk their lives to let us know what is going on in war zones and as they root out corruption. In the Information Age, the Internet provides us with new ways to disseminate the news even as it poses new threats to press freedoms.
IPS Director General Farhana Haque Rahman was invited by UNESCO as a panelist at the World Press Freedom Day 2017 gathering in Jakarta, in the Plenary Session: Quality journalism: a public good for just, peaceful and inclusive societies.
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