Advocacy & Action - Alliance for Journalists' Freedom

Aus journo Cheng Lei detained in China

Cheng Lei, Australian journalist and TV anchor for the Chinese Government's English news channel, CGTN, has been detained for more than two weeks without explanation. Lei is being held in a form of detention where she can be held for six months and be questioned without access to a lawyer. Most recently, the Chinese government made its first official acknowledgement...

AJF In Advocacy & Action, Feature, Media Releases, News

AJF calls for release of Cheng Lei

The Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom calls for Chinese authorities to provide due process to Australian TV journalist Cheng Lei, and release her immediately pending any judicial proceedings, in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (which China has signed). It also calls on the authorities in China to ensure that any judicial proceedings follow due process. On...

AJF In Advocacy & Action, Feature, News

Senate press freedom inquiry hearing – AJF summary

Environment and Communications References Committee press freedom inquiry hearing – 12th August 2020 AJF evidence summary + key points AJF noted that since our last hearing, a lot has happened to freedom of media both in Australia and across our region. This reaffirms our original proposition—the urgent need for a comprehensive Media Freedom Act (MFA). Regarding the MFA, we...

Peter Greste In Advocacy & Action, Feature, News

Have we learnt nothing from Bjelke-Petersen era?

If there is a time in a democracy when freedom of the press matters most, it’s during an election. That’s when we really think about the character and integrity of the people seeking our support in their campaign for public office. It’s not always pretty or dignified, but it is an essential part of how our democracy works. It’s also...

AJF In Advocacy & Action, Feature, Media Releases, News

Malay Govt investigation into Al Jazeera misguided

The Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom (AJF) urges the Malaysian Government to desist its current investigation of Al Jazeera English (AJE), as the current methods of investigation are an attack on free, independent journalism. If the Malaysian Government takes issue with Al Jazeera’s work – or any reporting – there are appropriate complaint mechanisms within a democracy to pursue this. The...

AJF In Advocacy & Action, Feature, Media Releases, News

AJF statement on possible charging of Al Jazeera journalists

The Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom stands firmly by the Al Jazeera journalists involved in the East 101 program, Locked up in Lockdown. The Malaysian authorities’ possible charging of these journalists appears to be following an increasingly worrying trend in Malaysia in which the government targets uncomfortable journalism. The decision to include a charge of sedition in the investigation is particularly troubling...

AJF In Advocacy & Action, Feature, News

The Atlantic on how democracy dies

The Atlantic: This Is How Democracy Dies The Atlantic published an article in the wake of the court's decision that found Maria Ressa guilty of cyber-libel 'for an article she did not write, edit, or supervise, of a crime that hadn’t even existed when the story was published.' The piece explains the subtle but constant whittling away of...

Peter Greste In Advocacy & Action, Feature

Ressa’s conviction matters for the region

Maria Ressa’s conviction should matter to everyone who cares about democracy The media - in the Philippines and elsewhere - forces those in power to answer for the consequences of their policies. We can’t stand by while it is assaulted. By almost any measure, the conviction of Maria Ressa and her former colleague, researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr, will have serious...

AJF In Advocacy & Action, Feature, News

Ressa’s guilty verdict sets extraordinarily damaging precedent

In response to the cyber-libel court case in which Maria Ressa has been found guilty, AJF’s Peter Greste can be quoted as saying the following: “This ruling sets an extraordinarily damaging precedent for press freedom in the Asia–Pacific region, and the world. “To suggest there was no political pressure in this case would be incredibly naïve. The Philippine government…

AJF In Advocacy & Action, Feature, News

AJF condemns the targeting of journalists in US riots

AJF joins the CPJ in condemning the targeting of journalists in the US riots The Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom stands in solidarity with our US colleagues. The targeting of journalists covering the demonstrations across the US is an extraordinary step backwards for their democracy, and global democracy. The Committee to Protect Journalists have released the following statement. We stand…