Stories about Weblog from August, 2020
Building safer online spaces in Myanmar
“Facebook was, and continues to be, the favored tool for disseminating hate speech and misinformation against the Rohingya people, Muslims in general, and other marginalized communities.”
Human rights defenders and journalists under attack in Southeast Asia
The past two weeks saw several disturbing cases of arrests, convictions, and raids targeting human rights activists and journalists in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Pious, assertive, and ‘mother of all Bolivians': The political narrative of President Jeanine Áñez
The president went on costly helicopter rides to 'bless' cities during the pandemic, with passengers that included priests, evangelical pastors and legislators who brought along holy water and religious statues.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under national security law
Upon his arrest, Hong Kong police raided the office building of his news outlets.
In Pakistan, a man accused of blasphemy was shot dead in a courtroom. His killer was hailed as a hero.
Extrajudicial killings of people accused of blasphemy aren't uncommon in Pakistan.
How the murder of musician Hachalu Hundessa incited violence in Ethiopia: Part II
Within an hour of musician Hachalu Hundessa’s assassination, Ethiopians netizens hit social media with scattershot conspiracy theories, hate speech & disinformation campaigns — particularly on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
How the murder of musician Hachalu Hundessa incited violence in Ethiopia: Part I
In the wake of musician Hachalu Hundessa's murder, Ethiopia has struggled to come to terms with the violence and turmoil that erupted along ethnic and religious faultlines.
‘Wiki Loves Africa’ 2020 features images of a continent on the move
"Wiki Loves Africa," encourages people to contribute Africa-relevant media to Wikimedia annually around a particular theme to fundamentally change how people both within and outside Africa see the continent.
What will a US ban on WeChat mean for Chinese netizens?
While many in the West have criticized Trump's ban, some overseas Chinese dissents see the decision with positive eyes.
COVID-19 and China's information control policy
China’s strategy to control information and its consequences has become a global concern.
Another Australian university criticized for censoring voices supporting Hong Kong's human rights
An Australian university was criticized for deleting an article published on its website that urges the international community to put pressure on China for infringements on human rights in Hong Kong.
Calls, SMS, and radio: How pre-internet tech helps low-income children's schooling in India's lockdown
An award-winning non-profit start-up from the city of Cuttack, in the state of Odisha, is providing low-cost remote education to over 5,000 children from 400 villages.
Angolan police kills 23-year-old for breaking confinement rules, local media reports
A National Police communiqué said that officers were on patrol when they came across a crowd of young people at an unauthorized time and place.
Minister accused of rape gets appointed. What does this say about France?
The appointment to the ministry of the interior of a man under investigation for rape and sexual harassment raises questions on normalization of sexist remarks and actions in France.
Moderate globally, impact locally: A series on content moderation in the Global South
''Even as the platforms have grown and spread around the world, the center of gravity of these debates continues to revolve around D.C. and San Francisco.''
In Trinidad & Tobago, the use of Black iconography in Emancipation Day ads backfires
"This ad brings to light greater issues of the way Africans are represented in media and how careless and flippant many media programmers are with African icons, legacy, and symbols."
Ahead of elections in Trinidad & Tobago, one party promises to build a dome to limit ‘illegal outsiders’
With less than a week until Trinidad and Tobago's general elections, electioneering has reached a fever pitch. Still, no one quite expected a dome as a campaign promise.
Who are the 6 Hong Kong activists wanted by the police under Beijing's national security law?
All of the wanted activists live overseas. One of them, Samuel Chu, has been a citizen of the United States since 1995.
Melbourne academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert remains a ‘political hostage’ inside Iran’s Qarchak prison
"Whatever the governments of #Australia and the #UK are doing to free their citizen, Kylie Moore-Gilbert from prison in #Iran, it’s failing miserably. This innocent woman should be free."
Despite attacks on press freedom, Nicaragua's digital media landscape is still flourishingMedios digitales se desarrollan en Nicaragua pese a represión
At least 24 new media outlets have been created since 2018, and the already established media outlets are adapting to produce multimedia content.Al menos 24 nuevos medios han sido creados y los medios establecidos se han adaptado para producir contenido multimedia.
Amid threats of mass arrest, Filipino protesters rally during Duterte’s State of the Nation Address
Defying threats of arrests, thousands protested President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address to condemn the slow, incompetent and militarist government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.