ISSN 1993-8616
2008 - number 4
Information: a game of hide and seek
© UNESCO/Aleksandar Džoni-Šopov
Investigation often resembles navigating through a labyrinth.
“As long as I live, I will continue to write and writing will keep me alive.” says Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho Ribeiro (45), laureate of this year’s UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize. Like many of her colleagues, she lives under constant threat, but has learned to master fear; she fights for freedom of expression and against the monopolization of the Medias. The exclusive interview she granted us introduces several of the subjects covered in this month’s issue. They range from retention of information to censorship by killing and include tactics aimed at breaching press freedom and the impunity of crimes perpetrated against journalists. (More)
Lydia Cacho Ribeiro: “International visibility is a shield for threatened journalists.”
“I believe the role of journalism is to be a lantern, allowing society to exercise its right to know and understand; I believe human rights are non-negotiable. As long as I live, I will continue to write and writing will keep me alive.” More
Shoot a journalist and society is wounded
Justice is done in less than 15% of the approximately 500cases involving murders of journalists for their work in the last 15 years. States have the obligation to combat the impunity in relation to these crimes, for each time a journalist is attacked, democracy is a victim. More
Gebran Tueni: the man who was like thunder
“As a journalist, I aim to write the truth. And as a Congressman, I aim to speak the truth”, said Lebanese-born Gebran Tueni in an interview with the Courier’s Bassam Mansour in July 2005. Here he paints a portrait of this fellow countryman, who shared a passion for electronic games and with his involvement in highly dangerous political affairs, which cost him his life in December 2005. More
Freedom of expression: a right to be taught
Paradox: Media have never been more vital for the nurturing of civil society but freedom of expression is now in retreat. No society can be free, open and fair without a diversity of voices. To remedy this situation, students of journalism must first be taught to develop a critical mind. More
Access to information… journalists come first
Over the last two decades the legal framework of the media in Africa has evolved; the independent and community media have expanded. Nevertheless, various factors have been employed by most African governments to hinder freedom of expression and of the press: Freedom of Information remains a great challenge at continental level. More
Stop “fast food information”
It took European institutions in Brussels ten years of campaigning to start making certain dossiers available to the public. Journalists are demanding access to European Commission projects before they are adopted, to allow advance public debate. More
