Ossigeno Media News Review – March 17th, 2020

17  March 2020 By Luciana Borsatti – Here is a brief review of some topics highlighted recently by NGO and international organisations for media freedom 

NEW YORK  – Journalists covering COVID-19 can read the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)’s Safety Advisory, which offers up-to-date advice on pre-assignement preparation, travel planning, avoiding infection while covering the disease, and post-assignment actions they should take to keep safe  LEGGI https://cpj.org/2020/02/cpj-safety-advisory-covering-the-coronavirus-outbr.php. LEGGI

CPJ also covers the outbreak impact on press freedom. https://cpj.org/tags/COVID-19

BRUSSELS – The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) urges politicians and media to report responsibly on COVID-19. EFJ regrets the lack of a coordinated European health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and  joins the IFJ in calling on media to avoid creating any unjustified panic or sharing discriminatory and racist comments. LEGGI 

TORONTO – IFEX highlights the latest report by a Canada-based Internet censorship research organization, Citizen Lab, “Censored Contagion: How Information on the Coronavirus is Managed on Chinese Social Media. On  December 31, 2019, China’s web censors introduced a new list of 45 coronavirus-related keywords to block online discussion about the COVID-19 outbreak. The scope of censorship broadened in February 2020. LEGGI

LONDON – ARTICLE 19 – which has as published a briefing  on how states,  media and social media companies can help to combat COVID-19 – warned that a Swedish case into the Right to be Forgotten could have implications for freedom of expression. The Swedish Data Protection Authority have issued a fine of 7 million euros to Google for not meeting its obligations under GDPR in regard to de-listing websites from search results. They have also ordered Google to stop notifying site owners when they de-list content from their sites. LEGGI

PARIS – To mark this year’s World Day Against Cyber-Censorship, celebrated on 12 March, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) unveiled its list of press freedom’s 20 worst digital predators in 2020 – companies and government agencies that use digital technology to spy on and harass journalists. LEGGI 

WIEN – A roundtable on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on freedom of expression was organized by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and concluded on March 10 in Vienna.  The OSCE Representative, Harlem Désir, stressed the importance of understanding AI’s potential and its impact on the future of human rights. Future activities will include a conference on the topic later this year. LEGGI 

LEIPZIGThe European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) publishes results of its five-year study of attacks on media workers in Germany. Under the title “Journalist as the enemy: threats of violence are the new normal”, the study reveals 119 attacks on journalists between 2015 and 2020 so far and shows that there are hardcore press-haters, especially on the right of the political spectrum. LEGGI 

WIEN – The International Press Institute (IPI), condemned the recent arrest of Egyptian journalist Ahmed Sabaie on the same alleged crimes for which he was imprisoned in 2013. Sabaie, a member of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate and a reporter at Afaq Arabia newspaper, was “forcibly disappeared” by Egyptian authorities. LEGGI

LB

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