Stories from 6 September 2017
Hurricane Irma Hits an Already Crisis-Ridden Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico, an island already broken by a bitter economic and political crisis, suffers through the tragic passing of Hurricane Irma.
Simon Ateba Is Not Ahmed Abba, but He Too Has Experienced Persecution as a Journalist in Cameroon
Media outlets, including Global Voices, have mistakenly identified a photo of Simon Ateba as Ahmed Abba. Both are journalists whose reporting on Boko Haram got them into trouble in Cameroon.
Cambodia Daily Closes Down After Government Threatened It with Hefty Tax Bill
"Cambodia lost a significant aspect of its media diversity. It lost a training ground for a generation of Khmer journalists. It lost a beacon of free speech."
On WhatsApp, Fake News Is Nearly Impossible to Moderate. Is That a Bad Thing?
People are keen to tackle fake news on Facebook. But picture becomes more complex when news and information spread through WhatsApp.
A Year After Newspaper Ban, Independent Media Remain Under Siege in Oman
Azamn newspaper was banned over a report on interference with the independence of the judiciary. One of its journalists remains in prison.
The King's ‘Throne Day’ Speech Leaves Many in Morocco Unimpressed
"The King is very much concerned about his image. Nothing is left to coincidence, everything is calculated."
Iran's Foreign Minister Says He Won't Tweet in Persian Because of Twitter Censorship
The rhetoric of the Rouhani administration is giving off less hope for online freedoms, and the popular foreign minister's statements about not tweeting for Iranian audiences has increased concerns.
In Quest for ‘Ideological Security’, China Pushes to Extend Communist Party Influence Inside Tech Firms
Until recently, companies had no obligation to participate in Communist Party activities. But now informal political pressure to do so is getting stronger and stronger.
Scenes From the Bangladesh-Myanmar Border, Where Rohingya Refugees Are Seeking Refuge From Violence
"...at least few more hours of walk[ing] before they can rest and maybe one kind villager will show up and offer them some food and some water."
Damascus International Fair, the Syrian Regime's Attempt to ‘Beautify’ Wounds of War?
"Assad's 'healthier and homogeneous society' is built by systematic killings, demographic evacuations & wiping out whole neighborhoods."
Gauri Lankesh, a Journalist Who Was Critical of India's Right Wing, Is Gunned Down Outside Her Home
"In fact, this is an assassination on democracy. In her passing, Karnataka has lost a strong progressive voice..."
Macedonia's Former Ruling Party Accused of Inflaming Xenophobia Ahead of Local Elections
The anti-migrant campaign incites fear among the local population which is believed to be intended to mobilize support for the dwindling political base of the former ruling party.