Stories about Media & Journalism from November, 2020
Newly-found vintage playing cards shine a light on post-war occupied Japan
The vintage playing cards feature what was arguably the most prominent figure of daily life in early post-war Japan: the American soldier.
Can secularism be compatible with Islam?
"Islam has become an insecure identity that is always undermined by criticism from the Christian or godless, but always colonial, West."
In Pakistan, social media platforms risk bans under new ‘draconian’ rules
New rules vesting the government with the power to regulate online content and ban entire platforms drew criticism from human rights groups and tech companies.
Report into Australian special forces war crimes in Afghanistan ‘gut-wrenching’
"Heinous violence such as war crime cannot be concealed forever, no matter how much efforts are made to do it, as the Australian case shows."
Are some citizens being targeted more than others when it comes to Trinidad & Tobago's COVID-19 legislation?
Many fear that inconsistencies regarding who is brought before the law for breach of COVID-19 protocols is adding to public confusion, which could result in further flouting of the legislation.
Somali journalists say new media law will muzzle free press
Somalia’s media workers say that the draconian new media law will repress journalists who are already struggling in a hostile media environment.
During the Cold War, Latin American intellectuals found solace in communist Prague
After World War II, Latin America had authoritarian, US-backed anti-communist governments. Facing repression at home, writers found refuge in communist Prague, in a story little-known in today's Czech Republic.
Solomon Islands bans Facebook for ‘harmful content’
"Do not go into public life and make laws and decisions for your own good or for your own protection as is seen with the banning of Facebook."
How Japan followed the US presidential election
In Japan, Trump is not always regarded with the dismissiveness or loathing that is so common in the United States or even in Canada.
As typhoon causes floods in the Philippines, cellphone ‘load’ becomes disaster relief
Mobile phones are a reliable way for families to exchange information during disasters in the Philippines when power and communication services break down by strong winds and flooding.
How Hong Kong authorities are gradually taking over public broadcaster RTHK
The city's public broadcaster faces tremendous political pressure from all directions: censorship, internal investigations, warnings from regulators and, recently, a producer was arrested in connection with her reporting.
A Hong Kong reporter's account of the crackdown on press freedom under the national security law
"What we are facing now is not just the survival of Apple Daily but the whole independent media sector."
Five new digital media platforms for uncensored news from Colombia
In Colombia, a new generation of journalists are fighting self-censorship and investigating corruption.
Four ways Brazilians turned to social media to question racism and corruption
With millions of tweets, Brazilians have a mixed impact on politics but show fervor for transparency, equality and anti-racism.
European Court of Human Rights verdict vindicates Macedonian columnist convicted of defamation in 2010
"This verdict is important for Macedonian journalists, columnists, and overall, for the people that appear in public, as it encourages them to be principled, honest, brave and persistent."
Bullets, blood and death: The untold story of what happened at Lekki Toll Gate in Nigeria, Part I
“Why is [Lagos State Governor] Sanwo-Olu denying? Immediately after [the Lekki shooting], Sanwo-Olu came, parked at the toll gate. He saw dead bodies on the ground. Why is he denying?”
Bullets, blood and death: The untold story of what happened at Lekki Toll Gate in Nigeria, Part II
Nicholas Okpe, an active #EndSARS protester, wore a patch on his right chest where a bullet pierced him. The bullet was still lodged in Okpe’s chest.
October – A bleak month for freedom of expression in Sri Lanka
This article offers a snapshot of challenges to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka during the month of October, 2020.
A new magazine tells chilling stories from Russia's remote regions
Over the year since it was founded, the award-winning Holod Media has captivated Russian audiences with its longform stories on inequality and injustice in regions poorly covered by federal media.