Latest news with #journalism
Mail & Guardian
2 hours ago
- General
- Mail & Guardian
A movement against silencing: What the war in Palestine has taught us about journalism
One of the most revealing takeaways from the genocide in Gaza has been the profound threat posed to journalism. Even in this era of artificial intelligence and disinformation, truth remains a powerful force. And the most brutal way to silence truth is to eliminate those who report it. This has been the clear strategy adopted by Israel. A recent A On the Ground in South Africa In 2022, I was approached by the Cape Town, more than any city in Southern Africa, has consistently demonstrated loud and visible Just two weeks into the onslaught, on 22 October 2023, I was invited by the Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC) to Since then, my commitment to this issue has only deepened. As an independent journalist and freelancer, I have had the privilege of speaking freely — at protests, on radio, television, and social media — during a time when many employed journalists feared for their jobs. I've used my voice with the hope that it might echo enough to spark accountability. So far, that hope remains unfulfilled. Yet despite over 600 days of relentless bombardment and destruction, young journalists in Gaza persist. One of the most remarkable examples is nine-year-old Perhaps the most meaningful solidarity effort in South Africa was the organisation of From these vigils emerged a WhatsApp group called Journalists Against Apartheid , a platform for solidarity, awareness, and resistance among South African media workers. A Divided Media The genocide in Gaza has unmasked the stark divide in global journalism. Palestinian journalists have redefined what it means to do this work. Their commitment isn't driven by money or recognition — it is a moral imperative. Despite losing homes, loved ones, and access to basic needs, they continue reporting. They've carried injured children into hospitals, buried colleagues, and dug survivors from rubble — all while documenting the unfolding horror. They appear on our screens, exhausted yet unwavering, embodying what it means to serve truth. In contrast, Western media has disgraced itself. It has become a factory of bias, Islamophobia, and propaganda. One of the most damaging cases emerged on 14 October 2023 — the viral lie that Hamas had beheaded 40 babies. First shared by Israeli soldiers, the This misinformation continues. False claims about 'white genocide' in South Africa have also gained traction in U.S. right-wing media circles — echoing Trump-era tactics of distraction and demonisation. Western journalists have become cheerleaders of empire. Major networks like The New York Times led with Palestinian writer 'A claim is circulated without evidence; Western journalists spread it like wildfire; diplomats and politicians parrot it; a narrative is built; the general public believes it — and the damage is done.' In response, citizen journalism has risen powerfully. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become vehicles for truth, elevating voices on the ground. Ordinary people, wearing 'PRESS' vests, risk their lives to document reality. The use of mobile phones makes Israeli atrocities harder to conceal — though the regime has responded with censorship, shadowbanning, and algorithmic suppression. A Commitment to Truth In October 2024, Al Jazeera correspondent Youmna El Sayed visited South Africa. Hearing her firsthand account was life-changing. Younger than me, yet infinitely more brave, she described war from the perspective of a mother and journalist. 'My 8-year-old daughter Sireen's biggest fear was surviving alone,' she said. 'Every night she asked us to sleep close together and said, 'Mom, if a rocket hits, let it kill us all so no one is left behind.'' El Sayed spoke of displacement, the stench of decaying bodies, and the total dehumanisation they endured. 'Journalists in Gaza were targeted everywhere: in our homes, in the field, in our cars — with no mercy and no regard for humanitarian laws.' 'Israel barred international journalists from entering Gaza, hoping to hide its crimes. But it underestimated the resilience of Palestinian journalists — continuing to work with no food, no water, and bombed-out offices.' We all remember the moment veteran journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh cradled the lifeless body of his son Hamza — also a journalist — killed while Wael was reporting. We remember 23-year-old Hossam Shabat, who wrote a letter before his death in April: 'Now I ask you, don't stop talking about Gaza. Don't let the world turn its eyes away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories — until Palestine is free.' The death toll among journalists will rise, as the genocide continues. But rather than deterring us, these deaths strengthen our resolve. We remain committed to ethical journalism, to truth-telling, and to bearing witness to injustice. We will not be silenced. We owe that to those who gave their lives so the world could see. *This article was first published in Media Review Network on 28 May 2025 Atiyyah Khan is a journalist, activist, cultural worker and archivist. For the past 17 years, she has documented the arts in South Africa. Common themes in her work focus on topics such as spatial injustice, untold stories of apartheid, jazz history and underground art movements.
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
India orders probe into ‘mercilessly beaten' journalist
The National Human Rights Commission demanded Odisha police provide a report within two weeks. (EPA Images pic) NEW DELHI : India's human rights body demanded on Friday 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 on Friday. It demanded police in Odisha 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, according to media reports. 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.
ABC News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
ABC Tasmania reporters win 12 of 15 categories at MEAA state media awards
The ABC has won 12 of the 15 categories at this year's Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) Tasmanian Media Awards on Friday night, with April McLennan taking out the prestigious journalist of the year award. The judges said Ms McLennan brought "compassion and sensitivity" to her body of work in investigative reporting, noting in particular her work focused on women who have experienced traumatic births at the Launceston General Hospital (LGH), which they said shone "a light on the hospital's failures to respond to the women's concerns". ABC Tasmania news editor Emily Bryan said Ms McLennan's body of work exemplified her investigative skill and commitment to delivering public interest journalism. "Some of her stories involved more than a year of research, verification, legal advice and building trust with vulnerable sources," Ms Bryan said. Ms McLennan also won awards in the categories of arts reporting, for her work on Tasmania's Arts Underbelly, and public service journalism, for her body of work. The ABC's Airlie Ward was the recipient of the Keith Welsh Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism. The lifetime achievement award is a peer-nominated prize which, for more than four decades, has been awarded annually to journalists who have made the "most outstanding contribution" to the craft. "For decades, Airlie has been a trusted face and voice for the ABC's audiences — an accomplished broadcaster and storyteller whose love and care for the state of Tasmania shines through in her work," Ms Bryan said. "As audiences and the ABC have moved to digital platforms, Airlie has embraced new forms of storytelling, most recently as the host of our weekly news podcast, TassieCast. Another ABC winner on the night was Jessica Moran — one of the co-recipients of last year's journalist of the year award — who won best news story for her coverage of allegations of animal mistreatment at Tasmania's then-largest puppy farm. Eliza Kloser was recognised as best new journalist for her body of work throughout the year, while video journalist Luke Bowden took out the award for best news image for his body of work. Adam Holmes won best feature, documentary or current affairs for his investigation into the collapse of Tasmanian builder GJ Gardner Homes Hobart, and the award for excellence in legal reporting for his body of work. State political reporter Lucy MacDonald won the health reporting category for her investigation into LGH staff who broke their silence over reporting practices following allegations the former head of medical services falsified death certificates. And state political reporter Adam Langenberg was also a prize winner, taking out the comment and analysis category for his political analysis over the year. A new category introduced for this year's awards, the coverage of a breaking news event, was also won by the ABC. Daniel Miller, James Dunlevie, Loretta Lohberger and Adam Langenberg won the award for their coverage of the 2024 Tasmanian state election. Winners from other news organisations included James Bresnehan from The Mercury, who won best sports coverage, and Bob Burton from the Tasmanian Inquirer who won the science, technology and environment category. Luke Slattery won the freelance journalist award.
CNA
5 hours ago
- General
- CNA
Asia Tonight - May 2025 - Asia Tonight Thu 29 May 2025
47:50 Min About the show: Top stories of the day with 'live' reports and interviews to keep you up-to-date on what's happening in one of the most dynamic regions of the world. Daily at 8pm (SIN / HK)
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Paramount Plan To Pay Off Trump Sparks California Senate Probe, Requests For Ex-CBS News Brass To Testify
Lesley Stahl is certain Paramount are going to pay off Donald Trump to end POTUS' $20 billion 60 Minutes lawsuit, and Scott Pelley exclaims journalism is under attack. However, if Shari Redstone thinks a big check and an apology to Trump for a piece last year from the vaulted newsmagazine series he didn't like is enough to grease the regulatory wheels for Skydance's $8 billion absorption of the company, the California state senate has a news alert for her. In a letter today sent to former 60 Minutes EP Bill Owens and ex-CBS News and Stations boss Wendy McMahon, plus the Paramount Global board and the state Attorney General, the heads of Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee in Sacramento began an investigation to see if Golden State bribery and unfair competition laws are about to be violated. More from Deadline '60 Minutes' Veteran Lesley Stahl Expects To Soon Be "Mourning, Grieving" Paramount Settlement Of "Frivolous" Trump Lawsuit Lester Holt Signs Off As 'NBC Nightly News' Anchor: "Facts Matter" Trump Sued By PBS To Stop $500M Funding Cut Whether or not such a probe from the Democratic dominated state Senate and voluntary (well, voluntary for now) testimony from the obstructing and now exited Owens and McMahon could derail the big bucks merger Redstone is banking on is unlikely. Yet, it's sure to make it very uncomfortable for the current owners and the potential future ones. 'Your recent resignations from CBS's leadership, amid public reports of internal concern about the editorial and ethical implications of the proposed settlement, suggest that you may possess important, first-hand knowledge relevant to our legislative oversight responsibilities,' state Senators Josh Becker and Thomas J. Umberg wrote to Owens and McMahon Friday. 'This hearing will mark the beginning of our inquiry,' the committee chairs added. 'Should additional testimony or documentation become necessary, both committees retain full subpoena authority under California law. We respectfully encourage you to participate in this important hearing. Your cooperation will help safeguard the values you have each worked to uphold in your distinguished careers.' Owens and McMahon both jumped ship from CBS in the past several weeks before they were given a fatal shove by George Cheeks for resisting the motivations of the C-suites and Redstone to tone down critiques of the former Apprentice host and reach a settlement to the ludicrous priced lawsuit Trump filed just before last year's election. To that, Senators Becker and Umberg want Owens and McMahon to consider the big picture and Redstone and Skydance's David Ellison to realize they are dancing with the devil in a red tie. 'Perhaps even more concerning is the potential chilling effect of Paramount's settlement on investigative and political journalism,' the state politicians declared. 'Such a settlement would signal that politically motivated lawsuits can succeed when paired with regulatory threats. It would damage public trust in CBS News and other California-based outlets, diminishing the state's stature as a national leader in ethical journalism. Paramount's capitulation would also undermine two essential pillars of a liberal democracy: a free press and an impartial, rule-of-law regulatory system.' Laughably, in a recent filing trying to stop Paramount getting the suit tossed out, Trump's lawyers claimed that the so-called tough guy POTUS suffered 'mental anguish' over editing of a 60 Minutes interview with his then ballot box rival Kamala Harris. Filed in Texas, Trump's suit alleges violations of the Lone Star state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which typically is used by consumers for false advertising claims. In the weeks before he was promoted to FCC chair, Brendan Carr said that the 60 Minutes complaint was 'likely to arise' as part of the Paramount/Skydance merger review. Trying sometimes to out Trump Trump, loyalist Carr has since said earlier this month that his boss' lawsuit has nothing to do with the merger consideration and regulatory approval – a statement no one with an ounce of real-world knowledge believes for one minute. Last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) warned Redstone that any deal with Trump could constitute a violation of federal bribery laws. She clearly didn't care what the trio had to say because earlier this week, Deadline confirmed the gist of a May 28 Wall Street Journal report that Paramount had offered Trump an 'eight-figure' settlement in the $15 million range. Smelling more lucrative blood in the water, it was a settlement that Trump rejected. Sources say that Trump wants more money and that talks are ongoing — which means he'll likely get more money so the Skydance deal can be green lighted. Semafor first reported the news of the California state Senate letter. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
