Stories about Politics from September, 2024
Some Caribbean podcasts to tune into on International Podcast Day
After a somewhat slow start, Caribbean influencers began to embrace the format over the past decade, as Internet usage in the region increased — and many have established regular audiences.
Russia’s hybrid book censorship and propagandistic agenda
The Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, among other books, are suspected of spreading “LGBT propaganda.”
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley lays global issues bare in a stunning speech at the UN
The climate crisis. Neocolonialism. Reparations. Inequity. War. Justice. Peace. Was there anything Prime Minister Mia Mottley didn't cover in her address to the United Nations' General Assembly?
Censorship in the modern world
Communication expert from Bosnia and Herzegovina warns that "censorship through noise" blurs the distinction between fact-based reporting and completely fabricated information.
Ex-editor of Hong Kong’s Stand News Chung Pui-kuen jailed for 21 months for sedition in landmark case
Kwok Wai-kin, the designated judge for national security trials said the defendants were not conducting genuine media work, but participating in the so-called resistance then.
Iran’s new president must address repression of artists, dissidents at UN Assembly
"Forced confessions, work bans, and restrictions on mobility as lesser-known tactics of the Iranian regime, which nonetheless have powerful effects on victims."
GV webinar: The ABCs of digital repression in Venezuela
In this webinar, we explored the Venezuelan regime's "package" of digital repression instruments, how they have evolved, and analyze how they have been used after the last presidential.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake wins Sri Lanka’s presidential election and calls for snap parliamentary elections
Sri Lankans made history by electing Anura Kumara Dissanayake as Sri Lanka’s ninth executive president in the September 21 presidential election.
Ecuador: Two journalists who revealed corruption and drug trafficking forced into exile
Journalists of the digital media platform La Posta accuse the National Police and the Attorney General's Office of planning to "assassinate" them while they receive criticism concerning their journalistic ethics.
What is behind the Kremlin’s increasingly anti-immigration line?
Anti-immigration rhetoric is meant to introduce into the official nationalism the idea that “Russian civilization” must be protected not only from the West but also from the south.
A Japanese schoolboy was killed in China, raising concerns about increasing xenophobia
As anti-Japanese sentiment spreads in China, the second hate-crime in two months is raising questions about the country’s nationalistic education and how it is spreading xenophobia.
A controversial dancehall star appears on a political stage: Why are some Jamaicans concerned?
"[I]t is a fact that individuals popular with the public — [including] former notorious criminals, sportsmen [and] entertainers — can help mobilize votes for a political party [...] especially in close elections."
Sovereignty: A pretext for Latin America's autocrats to attack NGOs
'The aim is to have a silent and submissive civil society' warn NGOs in the region.
Iranian artist Homa Ebrahimpour discusses censorship, sculpture, and defying boundaries
The 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement "profoundly impacted Ebrahimpour’s approach, encouraging her to create and share works that she had previously hidden, including sculptures and paintings that explore the female form."
‘Truth deserves to be seen’: Artists decry film censorship in the Philippines
Two Philippine films were given X-ratings, and therefore banned from airing in theaters, angering cinephiles and free-speech activists alike.
Research indicates that Bosnia and Herzegovina needs a law on media ownership transparency
For a large number of online media in Bosnia and Herzegovina, information about ownership structure, funding sources, and employees is completely unknown.
Lessons from Indonesia's 2024 election: Social media, censorship, and youth vote
During the elections, generative AI content was used in the campaigns by many parties and there were a variety of attitudes towards its use.
Fueling China's EV expansion: The green revolution and its environmental demands in Central Asia
China is looking to increase its electric vehicle exports in Central Asia, however, the region's coal-based energy grid and increasing EV-related mining projects could stunt the benefits of this green vehicle transition.
Samoan journalists balk at planned restrictions during Commonwealth meeting
"Stifling the media is never a good thing and trying to control them is even worse."
Digital partisans: Dissecting Facebook sentiment towards Sri Lanka's main presidential candidates
Facebook’s approximately eight and a half million users in Sri Lanka post far more content and commentary at any time and on any issue or politician than other social media platforms.
How can Moldova unite the country amid Russian pressure?
The report’s authors called on Western partners to support Moldova’s struggling independent media and encourage the creation of trustworthy Russian-language media outlets
