Latest news with #WorldPressFreedomIndex
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Rights body orders probe into journo attack
The nation's human rights body demanded that police investigate the brutal assault of a journalist who was tied, beaten and paraded through a village while reporting on alleged corruption. Video footage circulated on social media showed journalist Bijay Pradhan being beaten up on May 25 after he went to report on construction of a housing scheme in the eastern state of Odisha. 'Reportedly, he was suddenly attacked ... The victim's legs and hands were tied, and he was paraded through the village before being tied to a pole and mercilessly beaten,' the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said Friday. It demanded police provide a report within two weeks. 'The victim's mobile phones and video camera were also smashed by the perpetrators, and he was threatened not to report anything about the incident,' the NHRC added in a statement. Four people suspected of assaulting the journalist have been arrested. India, where incidents of intimidation and assaulting journalists are not uncommon, is ranked 151 on the World Press Freedom Index, run by Reporters Without Borders. In January, India's media watchdog demanded a thorough investigation after the battered body of a journalist, who had widely reported on corruption in neighbouring Chhattisgarh state, was found stuffed in a septic tank covered with concrete. — AFP
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
US public media shutdown hits harder in Turkey
US President 's shutdown of US media outlet Voice of America, or VOA, has had a particularly strong impact in countries like Turkey where press freedom has long been under threat. As a result of the Trump administration's defunding of the US government-funded international news service on March 14, the organization has effectively ceased operations. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now News websites in all languages have not been updated for more than two months. Broadcasts on television and radio have either stopped completely or switched to music-only programming. Before suspending service, VOA, which was often one of the rare sources of uncensored news in countries like Turkey, broadcast in 49 languages to a weekly audience estimated at 354 million people worldwide. Banned in Turkey Turkey, where approximately 90% of major media outlets are government-controlled, banned access to the Turkish-language website of VOA in 2022, alongside all language versions of Deutsche Welle, or DW. Since then, VOA had been trying to reach its audience in Turkey via a "mirror" website that reproduced the content of the original platform, until Trump shuttered the broadcaster completely in mid-March. Media rights group Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, ranks Turkey 159th out of 180 countries in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, citing ongoing repression of journalists. There are currently 17 journalists in prison in Turkey. RSF Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu told DW that international media organizations like VOA, the BBC and DW have emerged as "constructive" role models in recent years, as the country's increasingly polarized press environment has seen a significant decline in quality and freedom. The Turkish-language services of international broadcasters gained prominence as independent media in Turkey have diminished. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Their newsrooms are based abroad but the language services also employ a small number of reporters within the country. "VOA has also played an important role in opening the voice of Turkey's civil society movement and journalism community to the outside world and breaking the effects of isolation," Onderoglu said. VOA Turkish was one of the most important sources for audiences in Turkey, especially regarding developments between Ankara and Washington. "Whenever there was a development in the US that could put the Erdogan government in a difficult position — for instance, an allegation that could lead to sanctions on Turkey over Iran — the first website I would check was VOA's," one of VOA's Turkish audience told DW. Journalists at risk Following Trump's decision to halt federal funding to the parent agency of VOA, most of the Washington-based news service's roughly 1,300 staffers were placed on administrative leave as a first step toward termination. A group of VOA employees affected by the March executive order has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing the president of executive overreach. A federal appeals court in early May blocked a ruling that had ordered the Trump administration to put VOA employees back to work. Following the appeal court's decision on World Press Freedom Day, the Trump administration has accelerated efforts to carry out the layoffs. Nearly 600 contractors, who received termination notices on May 15, were instructed to return their press credentials, badges and other VOA property by May 30. Some affected employees are J-1 visa holders and face imminent deportation, with only 30 days to leave the US. VOA Director Michael Abramowitz, also one of the plaintiffs in the court case, said that many of those journalists "have escaped tyranny in their home countries to tell America's story of freedom and democracy." On Thursday, Abramowitz noted that the May 3 decision remained in effect after the appeals court rejected a request for an en banc review, a full reconsideration by all eleven judges — and warned that the Trump administration could push for further layoffs. An unwanted 'voice' silenced Speaking to DW, a Turkey-based VOA employee recalled the day the broadcaster abruptly shut down operations: "Our colleagues in Washington were asked to vacate their offices during working hours. Their badges were seized. They didn't even wait for the end of the day. News operations came to a sudden halt. We couldn't even complete the reports we were working on." The journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that VOA stood out in a media environment increasingly under pressure from "an authoritarian regime." "It was perceived as a threat by the ruling party, facing both access bans and smear campaigns by pro-government outlets targeting VOA staff. In that sense, it's likely that the government welcomed the shutdown of VOA," they said. The VOA has also produced broadcasts critical of the US governments, they pointed out: "For example, when experts criticized the US in analyses of Turkish-American relations, such comments were never censored." Trump's 'war' on journalism Antoine Bernard, director of advocacy and strategic litigation at RSF, told DW that Trump's attempts to shut down VOA must be understood in the larger context of "his war on the press." "He has targeted public media funding, launched politically motivated investigations into media he doesn't like, and banned journalists from the White House for refusing to use the exact words he wants them to use. Quite simply, he does not tolerate independent media", he said. RSF recently warned of "an alarming deterioration in press freedom" in the US under President Trump. The organization highlighted how Trump exacerbated already difficult conditions by cutting off US financial support for state-funded broadcasters such as VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Earlier this month, Trump signed yet another executive order seeking to slash funding for the US' Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS and National Public Radio, or NPR. The Trump administration also launched Federal Communications Commission investigations into major media outlets, including ABC News, CBS News, PBS and NPR.
Barnama
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
PWP Calls On Malaysia To Leverage ASEAN Chairmanship To Champion Regional Press Freedom
By Nurul Syahirah Zulkifli KANGAR, May 26 (Bernama) -- Perlis Journalists Association (PWP) president Syed Azlan Syed Hizar has called on Malaysia to leverage its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 to champion stronger regional press freedom in the face of digital-era challenges and the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI). He stressed that balanced and responsible freedom of the press is fundamental to ensuring information stability, policy transparency and the maturity of democracy across ASEAN member states. 'Malaysia is in a strategic position to steer comprehensive discussions on ethics, press freedom and the future of journalism in ASEAN, especially in light of AI, which risks undermining the credibility of traditional media, accelerating the spread of misinformation, and eroding public trust,' he told Bernama recently. The 46th ASEAN Summit, themed Inclusion and Sustainability, is taking place in Kuala Lumpur from today until tomorrow. Citing the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Syed Azlan noted the wide disparity in press freedom across ASEAN nations, with Thailand ranked 85th, followed by Malaysia (88), Brunei (97), the Philippines (116) and Singapore (123). Ranking significantly lower were Indonesia (127), Laos (150) and Cambodia (161), while Myanmar and Vietnam lagged at 169 and 173, respectively, out of 180 countries. Syed Azlan stressed the need for firm action to ensure Malaysia continues to advance in press freedom rankings. He noted that countries with ethical and professional press freedom often attract higher levels of foreign investment due to greater transparency in policies and perceived stability.
DW
25-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
US public media shutdown hits harder in Turkey – DW – 05/25/2025
President Trump's shutdown of Voice of America is particularly tough on countries like Turkey, where press freedom is decreasing. It was one of the only places to get balanced coverage of Turkish-US relations, users say. US President Donald Trump's shutdown of US media outlet Voice of America, or VOA, has had a particularly strong impact in countries like Turkey where press freedom has long been under threat. As a result of the Trump administration's defunding of the US government-funded international news service on March 14, the organization has effectively ceased operations. News websites in all languages have not been updated for more than two months. Broadcasts on television and radio have either stopped completely or switched to music-only programming. Before suspending service, VOA, which was often one of the rare sources of uncensored news in countries like Turkey, broadcast in 49 languages to a weekly audience estimated at 354 million people worldwide. Banned in Turkey Turkey, where approximately 90% of major media outlets are government-controlled, banned access to the Turkish-language website of VOA in 2022, alongside all language versions of Deutsche Welle, or DW. Since then, VOA had been trying to reach its audience in Turkey via a "mirror" website that reproduced the content of the original platform — until Trump shuttered the broadcaster completely in mid-March. After the arrest of popular Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ensuing protests, photographers, reporters, videographers, YouTubers and social media commentators were also detained Image:Media rights group Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, ranks Turkey 159th out of 180 countries in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, citing ongoing repression of journalists. There are currently 17 journalists in prison in Turkey. RSF Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu told DW that international media organizations like VOA, the BBC and DW have emerged as "constructive" role models in recent years, as the country's increasingly polarized press environment has seen a significant decline in quality and freedom. The Turkish-language services of international broadcasters gained prominence as independent media in Turkey have diminished. Their newsrooms are based abroad but the language services also employ a small number of reporters within the country. "VOA has also played an important role in opening the voice of Turkey's civil society movement and journalism community to the outside world and breaking the effects of isolation," Onderoglu said. VOA Turkish was one of the most important sources for audiences in Turkey, especially regarding developments between Ankara and Washington. "Whenever there was a development in the US that could put the Erdogan government in a difficult position — for instance, an allegation that could lead to sanctions on Turkey over Iran — the first website I would check was VOA's," one of VOA's Turkish audience told DW. Many Turkish journalists face prosecution for 'insulting' or 'offending" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) often because they've reported on matters of public interest, rights groups say Image: Remo Casilli/REUTERS Journalists at risk Following Trump's decision to halt federal funding to the parent agency of VOA, most of the Washington-based news service's roughly 1,300 staffers were placed on administrative leave as a first step toward termination. A group of VOA employees affected by the March executive order has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing the president of executive overreach. A federal appeals court in early May blocked a ruling that had ordered the Trump administration to put VOA employees back to work. Following the appeal court's decision on World Press Freedom Day, the Trump administration has accelerated efforts to carry out the layoffs. Nearly 600 contractors, who received termination notices on May 15, were instructed to return their press credentials, badges and other VOA property by May 30. Some affected employees are J-1 visa holders and face imminent deportation, with only 30 days to leave the US. VOA Director Michael Abramowitz, also one of the plaintiffs in the court case, said that many of those journalists "have escaped tyranny in their home countries to tell America's story of freedom and democracy." On Thursday, Abramowitz noted that the May 3 decision remained in effect after the appeals court rejected a request for an en banc review — a full reconsideration by all eleven judges — and warned that the Trump administration could push for further layoffs. Turkish reporters covering anti-Erdogan protests face trials To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An unwanted 'voice' silenced Speaking to DW, a Turkey-based VOA employee recalled the day the broadcaster abruptly shut down operations: "Our colleagues in Washington were asked to vacate their offices during working hours. Their badges were seized. They didn't even wait for the end of the day. News operations came to a sudden halt. We couldn't even complete the reports we were working on." The journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that VOA stood out in a media environment increasingly under pressure from "an authoritarian regime." "It was perceived as a threat by the ruling party, facing both access bans and smear campaigns by pro-government outlets targeting VOA staff. In that sense, it's likely that the government welcomed the shutdown of VOA," they said. The VOA has also produced broadcasts critical of the US governments, they pointed out: "For example, when experts criticized the US in analyses of Turkish-American relations, such comments were never censored." Investigative journalists Timur Soykan (left) and Murat Agirel were recently arrested and released but now they have been placed under judicial control measures and can't leave the country Image: ANKA Trump's 'war' on journalism Antoine Bernard, director of advocacy and strategic litigation at RSF, told DW that Trump's attempts to shut down VOA must be understood in the larger context of "his war on the press." "He has targeted public media funding, launched politically motivated investigations into media he doesn't like, and banned journalists from the White House for refusing to use the exact words he wants them to use. Quite simply, he does not tolerate independent media", he said. RSF recently warned of "an alarming deterioration in press freedom" in the US under President Trump. The organization highlighted how Trump exacerbated already difficult conditions by cutting off US financial support for state-funded broadcasters such as VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Earlier this month, Trump signed yet another executive order seeking to slash funding for the US' Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS and National Public Radio, or NPR. The Trump administration also launched Federal Communications Commission investigations into major media outlets, including ABC News, CBS News, PBS and NPR. Europeans worried over Trump's cuts to public broadcasters To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The Star
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Philippines Budget Secretary wants louder calls for FOI law
MANILA: Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (pic) called on the incoming 20th Congress to finally approve the freedom of information (FOI) bill, a measure advocated since the 1980s by lawmakers, anticorruption watchdogs and civil society groups, gaining traction in local ordinances and Palace directives, but which has repeatedly faltered in the national legislature. Speaking during a programme in celebration of Open Government Week on Friday (May 23), Pangandaman underscored the need for upholding the people's right to information as enshrined in the Constitution. 'However, the fact remains that we have yet to pass an enabling law that will truly uphold people's constitutional right to information. This is why I am calling on everyone present here tonight to make our clamour for the passage of a law on right of access to information in the 20th Congress even louder and clearer,' she said. According to Malacañang, Pangandaman is one of the economic managers being retained by President Marcos, who earlier this week ordered all Cabinet officials and agency chiefs to file their courtesy resignations as part of the administration's post-election performance review and 'reset.' Earlier this month, Makati Business Club executive director Rafael Ongpin also cited the FOI bill as one of the measures that the business community would like to see passed in the 20th Congress. The Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP), an initiative chaired by Pangandaman, recently conducted stakeholder consultations revisiting strategies for pushing the bill. Two latest drafts—one from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and another from the Presidential Communications Office—have been presented to business, civil society and academic organizations for feedback. In the meantime, the PH-OGP had made some significant strides in embedding 'open government principles' in public service, Pangandaman said in her speech. 'We have moved steadily from commitment to action. We've demonstrated that open government is not just a passing trend. It is a working principle embedded in how we plan, spend, consult, and reform,' she said. Pangandaman cited the Philippines being cited as Asia's most fiscally transparent country in the latest Open Budget Survey, and its improved ranking in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index. The DBM chief also reported that a total of 88 local governments had passed FOI ordinances, showing how the drive for change can emanate from the bottom up. She also cited the New Government Procurement Act (Republic Act No. 12009) signed by Marcos on July 20, 2024, calling it the biggest anticorruption measure in recent years. The legislative drive for an FOI law can be traced to 1987, when then Camarines Sur Rep. Raul Roco filed House Bill No. 498. In 2008, the House approved an FOI bill—HB No. 3732—while the Senate approved its own version the following year. Following a bicameral conference, a reconciled version was approved by the Senate in February 2010 but the House failed to do the same due to a lack of quorum. In July 2016, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 2, which granted public access to information held by government offices—but only those under the executive branch. Under the EO, local governments were just 'encouraged to observe and be guided' by the order. In the current 19th Congress, more than a dozen FOI-related bills have been filed in both chambers. Among them was Senate Bill No. 2880, filed in November 2024 with Senators Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva, Loren Legarda, Robinhood Padilla, Ramon 'Bong' Revilla Jr., and then senator (now education secretary) Sonny Angara as coauthors. The bill is currently pending second reading. In the House, two FOI bills were filed—1638 and 5022—by Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas and Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting, respectively. In June 2023, President Marcos pledged to uphold FOI as a vital tool against misinformation. Yet earlier that year, in March, Malacañang announced the imposition of additional restrictions on the FOI directive issued by Duterte, particularly on information related to national security and the safety of minors. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
