Update | World Press Freedom Day: Journalism under Digital Siege

by | May 9, 2022 | News

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993. Every year, a specific theme is chosen for World Press Day, and this year’s theme is “Journalism under digital siege”. This year’s theme not only highlights the ways that endanger journalism but also the consequences of public trust in digital communications. In this edition of our updates, we bring you what our participants got up to in celebration and commemoration of #WPFD2022.

 

Namibia Media Trust releases a special edition podcast & press statement to mark WPFD

Namibia Media Trust released a press statement and a special edition of the #iSPEAK podcast as part of this year’s World Press Freedom Day celebrations. iSPEAK host Gwen Lister and guests Zenzele Ndebele, founding director of CITE, investigative journalist at The Namibian newspaper Immanuel Shinovene, Frederico Links, Editor of Fact-check Namibia and Programme Coordinator at Sister Namibia Ndapwa Alweendo highlighted how recent developments in technological monitoring and surveillance impact journalism and freedom of expression. 

Director of Namibia Media Trust, Zoe Titus, delivered a welcoming speech sharing her views in line with the WPFD2022 theme during the podcast stating that “Journalists are at the receiving end of a great deal of criticism, threats, and abuses and are rarely celebrated for the critical work that they do in the service of our democracy.” Click here to listen to the podcast.

Namibia Media Trust’s Zoe Titus also released a World Press Freedom Day edition of iSpeakAfrica newsletter and spoke on NBC about the press freedom situation in Namibia.

 

 

Newsday  receives an award and is featured at MISA-Lesotho for WPFD

Lesotho news outlet, Newsday Media has received an award from MISA-Lesotho at the closing ceremony of the organisation’s World Press Freedom Day events. The newspaper, particularly its digital version, was recognised with a certificate of recognition of excellence in promoting free expression and access to information. 

Also part of World Press Freedom Day celebrations, Newsday Media Managing Editor, Lerato Matheka was a discussion panelist at the MISA-Lesotho WPFD commemoration event recently held in Maseru.

 

Hashtag Our Stories wants to know what Press Freedom means to you

Storytelling agency Hashtag Our Stories on World Press Freedom Day asked social media followers “What does Press Freedom mean to you?”, providing a platform for people to express themselves on what their views on Press Freedom are in the digital era. Co-founder, Yusuf Omar, an award-winning journalist with a passion for helping people tell their stories had this to answer – “Journalism is not a crime, and journalists shouldn’t fear for their lives!”.

 

MDIF publishes an article on digital attacks used to suppress Press Freedom

As part of World Press Freedom Day, Media Development Investment Fund published an article about the different types of digital attacks being used to suppress Press Freedom and silence independent media around the world. The article unpacks the daunting range of challenges faced by Media Freedom, from censorship and jailings to physical assaults and murder.