Stories about Media
A year of elections and digital repression in South Asia: 2024 in focus
This summary of Global Voices' 2024 South Asia coverage highlights how governments introduced measures to tighten control over online spaces amid elections and political unrest.
Data Narratives Civic Media Observatory: Country Reports
The reports examined the complexities of the data governance landscape across the five countries through the lens of the data narratives and counter-narratives that shape conversations in each country.
How the UN Cybercrime Convention 2023 can pose a threat to human rights defenders and exiled journalists
The convention must include mandatory dual criminality clauses, respect human rights safeguards, establishing that no cooperation will be provided in cases that could result in violations of fundamental rights.
How artificial intelligence can be weaponized for harassment
A 2023 analysis of over 95,000 deepfake videos found that up to 98 percent of them were deepfake pornography, and, of those, 99 percent of the individuals targeted were women.
Artificial Intelligence Narratives: A Global Voices Report
Our Data Narratives research delves into discourse about data and artificial intelligence in five countries: Sudan, El Salvador, India, Brazil, and Turkey.
Women in public positions in North Macedonia are easy targets of hate speech
Despite visible progress in the fight for women’s rights, increased representation in politics and greater attention to issues affecting women, the tendency to express contempt and insult them persists.
In Azerbaijan, authorities are again targeting journalists, in a new wave of arrests
The authorities in Baku insist none of the criticisms are true, instead accusing those critical of the regime of double standards, bias and meddling in the country's internal matters.
Online safety or censorship? Malaysia’s parliament passes two contentious media bills
“These measures risk transforming Malaysia’s digital spaces into stricter and highly regulated environments, stifling open discourse and innovation while entrenching state control over the internet.”
Reflections on youth-led movements against state repression in Bangladesh and Indonesia
This article introduces a Pretty-Good-Podcast Youth episode, featuring an interview with Activate Rights' founders on Bangladesh's student-led protests and their influence on youth's understanding of human and digital rights.
The transformative potential of AI and digital tools in securing the integrity of elections in Africa
Platforms like Full Fact in the UK and Africa Check in South Africa use AI to scan political speeches, news stories, and social media posts for misinformation.
Combating disinformation ahead of Ghana’s December elections
Ghanaian politicians are leveraging social media to misinform and sway public opinion, even paying influencers to promote their agendas. Some media literacy activists hope to stop them.
Palau newspaper faces defamation charges over leaked tax report
"The council sees this legal action as an assault on press freedom and an attempt to undermine the accountability that is vital to democracy."
Fresh threats to free press in Paraguay, Argentina, and Cuba
A round up of new laws, law proposals, and new forms of intimidation against journalists and civic organizations across the Americas.
Bukele boasts of his government's successes amid allegations of an attack on press freedom.
Bukele's government promotes economic achievements amid international criticism of measures that restrict the freedom of the press in the country.
#FreeMechDara: Journalist who reported on cyber scams arrested in Cambodia
“The arrest of Mech Dara is a clear attempt to intimidate and silence him and other journalists in a country where press freedoms are routinely curtailed.”
Where are the leaders of Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement now?
HKFP updates the whereabouts of Twelve leaders of 2014 Umbrellas Movement. They are Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Benny Tai, Chan Kin-Man, Chu Yiu-ming, Alex Chow, Tanya Chan and more...
Hong Kong police told a US tech firm to take down diaspora media site on national security grounds
Flow HK's editor said police suspected the media outlet of committing offences including secession, subversion, and collusion under the Beijing-imposed security law, as well as sedition under Article 23.
X overtakes WeChat in spreading Chinese disinformation about the 2024 US presidential elections
Many mainland Chinese influencers have migrated away from WeChat thanks to China’s censorship policies and resettled on X in recent years. They're turning their attention to the 2024 US Presidential Elections.
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.