#Media Freedom

[hussyknee]

Ayat Khaddura, 27, was a digital content and podcast presenter in North Gaza. She was one of the five journalists murdered by Israel's targeted air strike on Nov 20, along with her sister and grandmother in her home. She posted this video in the knowledge that these were probably her last moments.

Video description:

A young Arab woman in a hijab and abaya speaks into her camera in Arabic in a high, frightened voice. The subtitles read: "This might be the last video from me. Today the Occupation Forces dropped phosphorus bombs on the Beit Lahia residential area, and frightening sound bombs. And uhm, they dropped letters from the sky ordering us to evacuate. So of course nearly everyone evacuated for the most part. Everyone ran into the streets in a crazy way. No one knows where they're coming or going. Uhm, we're all split up and around. Me and some others stayed at home. The others evacuated and left. We don't know where they've gone, that's for sure. The situation is terrifying, the scenes are horrifying [voice breaking as she starts to cry], the situation is extremely difficult. May God have mercy on us." [She closes her eyes as she starts to cry openly. End clip.]

[New clip.] The same young woman is seated on a desk in front of a world map wearing a jacket over a t-shirt and her hijab. Large video caption reads "Message from Ayat Khaddura who was martyred yesterday". Her voice is sad and resigned, and her face is tired and tear-stained as she speaks in Arabic. Subtitles read:

"We are human beings, just like other human beings around the world. We had many big dreams, but unfortunately today our dreams are that if we are killed we will be martyred in one piece, one body (not torn to pieces) so that people can recognise us, and we will not be cut off in pieces and put in a bag. [struggles not to cry.] When we are martyred there will be a shroud for us and we will be buried in a grave. Our dreams have become that the war will stop, that we stop hearing the sound of bombing. We never imagined we would reach such a stage and live such a life that does not have the lowest basic necessities. [Blinks back tears.] There are things we can't talk about, there are things that people photographed and did not document. When the war will end, who will continue to talk to people? What happened to us, how we lived, what we saw. Everything is being destroyed before our eyes." [Looks down with a sob. End video.]

Israel dropping leaflets onto trapped and hiding people minutes before bombing them is nothing but a sick PR exercise— there's nowhere safe to go, no telling where the bombs will drop, no way to not leave family members behind while fleeing. Many people in North Gaza decided not to evacuate to the South, not only because similar calls to go South have ended in Israeli airstrikes massacring the refugees, but the possibility of being killed while trying to make the journey, the lack of food and water to sustain them, and inability to leave old and disabled family members behind. Some like Hind Khaudary, who had the opportunity to leave the Gaza strip entirely through foreign embassies, stayed behind to continue reporting the situation unfolding in the North. Meanwhile, Israel is continuing to bomb the South, despite their own evacuation orders.

Ayat is one of the fifty-three Middle Eastern journalists killed since Oct. 7. Forty-six of them were Palestinian, most massacred along with their families. Air strikes on other journalists managed to kill only their families instead. This is the deadliest period for journalists recorded by the Committee to Protect Journalists in its thirty years of existence. In fact, Israel killed one of the CPJ's own journalists documenting the murders around the same time as Ayat.

Nearly all these are targeted strikes. Israel controls the census in Gaza and therefore has information on where everyone lives. They also track journalists cellphones and use surveillance drones and quadcopters (drone snipers). Journalists and their families are known to receive threatening phone calls from unknown numbers before they're eventually attacked.

As to why Israel is so concerned about journalists? For the same reason the Biden Administration has stated openly.

But the administration remains wary about Netanyahu’s endgame and seeming lack of a plan for what to do once Hamas is defeated. There was no sense that the pause would turn into a lengthier cease-fire, a senior administration official said. And there was some concern in the administration about an unintended consequence of the pause: that it would allow journalists broader access to Gaza and the opportunity to further illuminate the devastation there and turn public opinion on Israel.

Please spread news of these journalists' murders, show their faces, say their names. While Western journalists from CNN and BCC are embedded with IOF teams to safely "report" on Gaza, Palestinian journalists who have been reporting there for years, wearing a press jacket and helmet they know won't protect them, are documenting and broadcasting the situation on the ground, watching their colleagues being picked off one by one for the last month and half, not knowing when it will be their turn. Ayat was not a combatant. She was a young woman a lot like most on this site, young and angry at injustice, armed with only a degree and internet connection to fight for her people. She wanted the world to witness her last moments: documenting the situation till the end, her terror of dying, how she clung to her faith and wanted to live. Hers and her compatriots work is to resist letting their people disappear among the vast uncounted; she resisted it to her last breath.

Empires and colonizers win wars by reducing people to numbers. When people become numbers they become collateral, cattle, "unavoidable casualties". This is what Palestinians have fought for decades to show: "We Are Not Numbers". If the West wants to kill human beings with impunity, everyone gets to see exactly which lives and loves and hopes it's snuffing out forever.

[wikipediapictures]

Anything to Say?

[hussyknee]

I'm going to plug my own post on here.

Ayat is one of the fifty-three Middle Eastern journalists killed since Oct. 7. Forty-six of them were Palestinian, most massacred along with their families. Air strikes on other journalists managed to kill only their families instead. This is the deadliest period for journalists recorded by the Committee to Protect Journalists in its thirty years of existence. In fact, Israel killed one of the CPJ's own journalists documenting the murders around the same time as Ayat.

Nearly all these are targeted strikes. Israel controls the census in Gaza and therefore has information on where everyone lives. They also track journalists cellphones and use surveillance drones and quadcopters (drone snipers). Journalists and their families are known to receive threatening phone calls from unknown numbers before they're eventually attacked. While Western journalists from CNN and BCC are embedded with IOF teams to safely "report" on Gaza, Palestinian journalists who have been reporting there for years, wearing a press jacket and helmet they know won't protect them, are documenting and broadcasting the situation on the ground, watching their colleagues being picked off one by one for the last month and half.

Politico article https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/21/biden-hostage-israel-hamas-war-00128351

Tweet source

[thashining]

Don't fall for it

[luckystarchild]

I've been keeping it off my face as much as I can on video, but I'm livid about the TikTok ban.

I have about 100,000 followers on that app. I joined during the pandemic. I was lucky to find a community full of incredible people, many of whom I now consider lifelong friends. Because of the community I found on that app, I found space to experiment with my gender presentation. I was able to come out as nonbinary (to feel SAFE ENOUGH to come out as nonbinary) because of that app.

I've seen a few Tumblr posts in which people gloat they never got into TikTok. Good for you. You won't suffer emotionally, and that makes you feel superior. But if you have no concept of what that app has meant for more than 170,000,000 Americans (that's half of all Americans!), many of whom do not have access to community in physical spaces, kindly sit down.

The ban constitutes the largest mass layoff in American history. We will lose billions of dollars in our domestic economy. Over 7 million small businesses are impacted because of the ban. You will feel the effect of that whether or not you were on the app. If you can't grasp the significance of that, again: kindly sit down.

The language of the TikTok ban has set a dangerous precedent for the American government to shutter any tech platforms they deem "dangerous" for arbitrary, undisclosed, nebulous reasons. This will affect Americans' ability to organize, spread information, and protest. They have effectively banned our right to assembly in digital spaces. This is the greatest infringement of free speech that has ever occurred in the United States. If you can't grasp the significance of that, either: kindly sit down.

This is bigger than "never falling for the TikTok craze." This is an enormous governmental overreach sanctioned by our own Supreme Court. It's bigger than teens doing silly dances you can sneer at from your smug high horse.

And if you can't grasp that: Kindly. Sit. Down.

[lokuhapuarachchi]

Remembering Sri Lanka’s Fallen Journalists: A Call for Justice and Support

On this solemn day, the 24th of January, we pause to honor the memories of two journalists whose lives were tragically cut short for their commitment to truth and freedom of expression.

Subramaniam Sugirdharajan (1970 – 2006) Popularly known as SSR, Sugirdharajan was a journalist for the Tamil-language daily newspaper Sudar Oli. At just 35 years old, he was brutally gunned down in the eastern port city of Trincomalee during the Sri Lankan Civil War. On the morning of 24 January 2006, assailants on a motorbike shot him at close range. A devoted father of two young children, aged three and two, SSR’s death left an indelible mark on the Sri Lankan media landscape. Today, his family, friends, and professional colleagues gather in Trincomalee to remember his courage and sacrifice.

Prageeth Ekneligoda (1960 – Disappeared 2010) Prageeth Ekneligoda, a cartoonist, political analyst, and journalist, disappeared on 24 January 2010, two days before a critical presidential election. Widely believed to have been abducted and killed under the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prageeth’s disappearance remains unresolved. His ashes are thought to have been scattered, a grim symbol of the dangers faced by journalists in Sri Lanka. Today, his loved ones commemorate him at the Nawagamuwa Devalaya in Kaduwela, keeping his memory alive despite the shadows of impunity.

A War on Media Freedom The early 2000s marked a dark period for press freedom in Sri Lanka. Under the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, which took power in April 2004, attacks on journalists escalated with alarming frequency. On 31 May 2004, veteran Tamil journalist Aiyathurai Nadesan was shot dead by government-backed paramilitaries in Batticaloa. His assassination ignited a campaign of violence against the media, silencing dissent with unprecedented brutality.

In the six years that followed, at least 43 journalists and media workers were killed or disappeared. Despite repeated promises from successive governments to investigate these crimes, no perpetrators have been brought to justice. The legacy of this violence persists, with families of murdered journalists left to bear the burden of loss, often without any financial or emotional support.

Remembering the Fallen

Thewis Guruge – Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, 23 July 1989

Premakeerthi de Alwis – Broadcaster, 31 July 1989

Sagarika Gomes – Rupavahini Corporation, 13 September 1989

Richard de Zoysa – Journalist and activist, 18 February 1990

K.S. Raja – Radio Ceylon presenter, poisoned, 1994

Rohana Kumara – Editor, Batana, 7 September 1999

Athputharaja Nadarajah – Editor, Tamil weekly, 2 November 1999

Maylvaganam Nimalrajan – Journalist from Jaffna, 19 October 2000

Aiyathurai Nadesan – Journalist, 31 May 2004

Balandaraja Iyer – Activist, writer, and poet, 16 August 2004

Tarakki Sivaram – Tamil journalist, 28 April 2005

Railangi Selvarajah – Broadcaster and actress, 12 August 2005

Subramaniam Sugirdharajan – Sudar Oli, 24 January 2006

Sampath Lakmal de Silva – Independent journalist, 2 July 2006

Suresh Kumar and Ranjith Kumara – Udayan newspaper, 2 May 2006

Selvaraja Rajivarnam – Journalist, 29 April 2007

Chandrabose Suthaharan – Editor, Nilam, 16 April 2007

P. Devakumaran – Tamil TV journalist, 28 May 2008

Lasantha Wickramatunga – Journalist and activist, 8 January 2009

Prageeth Ekneligoda – Cartoonist and journalist, 24 January 2010

A Plea for Justice and Support

The murders of prominent journalists like Lasantha Wickramatunga and Richard de Zoysa have drawn significant attention, yet many others on this list remain forgotten. Their families, often plunged into economic hardship, have received little to no support. It is time for Sri Lanka’s leaders to act decisively to address this injustice.

We urge the President, the Minister of Mass Media, and all political leaders to establish a system of financial compensation for the families of murdered journalists. Beyond bringing the perpetrators to justice, the state has a moral duty to ensure the economic security of these families.

Let this commemoration not only honor the lives and legacies of our fallen colleagues but also serve as a rallying cry for accountability, justice, and meaningful support. A society that silences its truth-tellers cannot claim to be free or just. The time for change is now.

- Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi

[notasapleasure]

Another option is to support the OC Media fundraiser here:

Independent journalists are going to be hit hard by this law too, they've been directly targeted in previous protests, and will need protective gear and access to legal defence.

How can I, someone outside of Georgia (the country), help fight the foreign agent bill?

For information about brands you can boycott and the summary of what the foreign agent law entails, click on the link above, which refers to my older post.

The government's escalating use of force and intimidation techniques during and outside of protests, such as threat phone calls, jumping people in the street, paying sportsmen to physically assault people. The police force has been using methods such as physical violence, torture, tear gas, rubber bullets, and water streams.

Along with boycotting, there is a big amount of Georgians emigrating from the country, and organizing protests in other countries.

Think about the resources and skills you have that you can use to help demonstrations on the ground and spread awareness on the issue. This might include your graphic design or copywriting skills, a large social media following - aid the protesters by spreading the word.

SHARE information that might be useful for protesters inside and outside of Georgia.

And most importantly donate, speak to people around you, and attend protests closeby to where you live. Some details of protests outside of Georgia and donation links will be listed below:

List of currently known international protests:

12/05 15:00 Venice Biennale Georgian Pavilion | Venice

12/05 15:00 Piazza Garibaldi | Naples

12/05 16:00 Placa de Catalunya | Barcelona

12/05 16:00 Consulado de Georgia | Madrid

13/05 18:00-20:00 Brighton 4th & broadwalk | New York

14/05 18:30-20:30 Place du Pantheon | Paris

17/05 17:30 EU Commission | Brussels

17/05 18:30 Embassy of Georgia | London

(And keep an eye on gza.europe on Instagram, for any further news on protests in Europe, and keep an eye on your local protests even if they're not on gza.europe or listed here)

Donation links:

Shame Movement - Provides gear for protests, organizing demonstrations.

GYLA - Georgia's Young Lawyer Association, providing legal help to those detained at demonstrations.

All we ask for, is to have you fight together with us.

[kazifatagar]

Just halt amendments to the repressive communications law, Fahmi

The Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998, recently amended and read in Parliament on December 2, 2024, has drawn criticism for violating freedom of expression and privacy rights protected under international human rights law and Malaysia’s Federal Constitution. Critics argue that the regressive amendments contradict Article 10 of the Constitution and Section 3(3) of the CMA, which…

[iri-desky]

GET KOSA TRENDING.

STOP SCROLLING NOW!

AS OF FEBRUARY 21ST, 2024, WE GOT FIVE DAYS UNTIL THE DAY OF DECISION OF THE KOSA BILL, WHICH WILL CAUSE MASS CENSORSHIP ROUND THE INTERNET IF PASSED. WE NEED EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS AND CONTRIBUTE. I'M NOT GIVING UP ON YOU ALL.

(IMPORTANT UPDATE: Kosa will not necessarily pass on the 26th. It only has the support to pass in Senate, and we STILL HAVE TIME. That being said, time is of the essence.)

WE'RE DOWN TO THE WIRE BUT WE CAN'T GIVE UP YET. IF WE GIVE UP, EVERYTHING IS OVER. IF WE DON'T, AT LEAST WE HAVE A CHANCE.

I'M THE ONE WHO SOUNDED THE ALARM, AND I'M NOT GOING TO CURL UP AND DIE YET.

Reblog this post in every LEGAL way you can under the Tumblr guidelines with the appropriate tags. TELL AND TAG EVERYONE YOU KNOW, then add the tags to see below... and more if you can think of any complying.

Visit badinternetbills.com if you want to find a way to defeat KOSA. It WILL NOT take much of your time. Reblog with any other information or sources, too-- but make sure to reblog if you can.

Reblog if you support lgbtq+ content.

Reblog if you support questioning queer youth and/or abused youth getting the information they need.

Reblog if you support Ao3 and/or other sites that wholeheartedly preserve talentedly made media.

Reblog if you're going to repost this on other sites than Tumblr and spread the word across Twitter, Tik Tok, Pinterest, or elsewhere, alongside the link to badinternetbills.com.

Reblog if you think KOSA is unfair and shouldn't be anyone's problem -- including the adults ALL OVER THE DAMN EARTH forced to face the mass censorship it causes because "think of the American Children!".

Reblog if you support internet activism and Palestine.

Reblog if you hate fascism or censorship, and don't want actually serious and helpful conversations censored on the internet.

Reblog if you value the internet in any way at all whatsoever.

CHECK THIS PETITION, TOO! https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-kosa?recruiter=1331807538&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf&recruited_by_id=57368c40-d0fd-11ee-98f7-2175430f819f&share_bandit_exp=initial-36809664-en-US

(Also, please reblog with at least "stop kosa" as a tag and not "kosa". I made the mistake of not adding just "kosa" as a tag...)

We won't let this stand any longer. Let's start a riot and get this trending.

(Update: this is outdated, but we should still talk about it. Get Kosa trending.)

[endimpunityday]

Collaborative Solutions: Solidarity Centers and Exile Hubs.

Panel Discussion on Collaborative Solutions: Solidarity Centers and Exile Hubs. International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists 2024.

11:40 - 12:00 pm.

- Mr. Viacheslav Solomka, Media Hub, Ukraine

- Mr. Nasser Abdallah Salim Abubaker, President, Palestine Journalists Syndicate (PSJ)

- Ms. Rafa Renas, Community Manager, Exile Media Hub, Kenya

- Mr. Laurent Giacobino, Director for the Mediterranean Region and Asia, CFI.

[hussyknee]

Dithered about posting this, because IMO calling people heroes is dehumanizing. These are people going through something unimaginable who're doing their best to help their people survive alongside thousands of other medical and rescue workers. They put on a hard hat that won't protect them, a vest that makes them a target, and document horrors that slowly drain their will to live, all while watching each of their colleagues and family members picked off one by one, nearly all in targeted strikes— air strikes, drone snipers, being shot from helicopters. The unlucky ones like Wael and Momen Al-Sharafi lose their entire family in strikes meant to kill them and go right back to work to make their deaths mean something.

Five more journalists have been killed since this infographic was made. Killing journalists is a war crime. Gaza is reported to be the deadliest conflict for journalists in decades. All because Israel faces zero consequences on the world stage, protected by the US and nearly every Western country.

I'm not sure whether all of the journos in the video are still alive by now. If we're going to fail them so badly, their bravery, kindness and determination deserves to be seen and remembered. In two months, they have done more to counter the systematic dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims carried out by the Western military entertainment complex for decades than most have managed in a lifetime, showing the courage and independence of the women, the gentleness of the men, the innocence of the children, the grief of the parents, the suffering of the elderly.

Most of these people are in their early to mid-20s, the youngest is 17 (Motaz is 24, Bisan 25, Plestia 22). This video is set to Motaz Azaiza's favourite song.

[imperialgurgaon]

On World Press Freedom Day, we salute the brave journalists who strive to keep us informed and empowered. Your dedication to truth inspires us all.

[head-post]

‘Media pluralism test’ should achieve its goals

Karim Iburki and Mark Dempsey believe that the inclusion of a “media pluralism test” in the proposal for a European Media Freedom Act is a very welcome innovation. However, some changes at Board level are needed for its successful implementation, Euractiv reports.

Mark Dempsey is a Senior EU Advocacy Officer at the free speech organisation Article 19. Karim Iburki is a board member of the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) and President of the Conseil supérieur de l’Audiovisuel.

Read more HERE

[officialamirulk]

Media Freedom Index

By Reporters Without Borders

Malaysia is ranked first in Southeast Asia & ranked 73rd in the world in the Media Freedom Index

[dykedvonte]

I think depictions of Anya being cruel to Curly or drawing out his suffering are artful and chilling but completely miss the point of the story and her character.

I'm not saying she doesn't deserve to have that "I told you so" moment with him but not in something callous or cold. Even if that is how it happened, she'd immediately feel guilty cause at that point she's not tormenting her tormenter or even the person truly at fault. She's doing something cathartic, similar to how Jimmy likely hits Curly to release rage he can't against the rest of the crew. She'd see herself as no different when she'd come back from the moment and see Curly cowering at her. She wants someone to take responsibility but how does being cruel to the defenseless help? Why would she want the power Jimmy has over her over Curly?

The idea of her extending someone else's pain is just so against the struggles she already faces and how she can't even bring herself to cause someone pain even to help them. Her very desire is to release herself from her own suffering and I doubt she'd even fine some sort of guilty release in being cruel to another.

[kinialohaguy]

Never Imagined

Aloha kākou. I never would have imagined this great nation would hold law abiding, freedom loving Americans as Political Prisoners. But here they are languishing in Washington D.C. jails and prisons. People that marched peacefully and patriotically to express their grievances against the stolen 2020 election. Americans of all walks of life: The average working Six Pak Joe, the university student…