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CPJ chairman says Trump is threat to press freedom

11/19/2016

 
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New York, October 13, 2016--The chairman of the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Sandra Mims Rowe, issued the following statement on behalf of the organization:

Guaranteeing the free flow of information to citizens through a robust, independent press is essential to American democracy. For more than 200 years this founding principle has protected journalists in the United States and inspired  those around the world, including brave journalists facing violence, censorship, and government repression.

Donald Trump, through his words and actions as a candidate for president of the United States, has consistently betrayed First Amendment values. On October 6, CPJ's board of directors passed a resolution declaring Trump an unprecedented threat to the rights of journalists and to CPJ's ability to advocate for press freedom around the world.

Since the beginning of his candidacy, Trump has insulted and vilified the press and has made his opposition to the media a centerpiece of his campaign. Trump has routinely labeled the press as "dishonest" and "scum" and singled out individual news organizations and journalists.

He has mocked a disabled New York Times journalist and called an ABC News reporter a "sleaze" in a press conference. He expelled Univision anchor Jorge Ramos from a campaign press conference because he asked an "impertinent" question, and has publicly demeaned other journalists.

Trump has refused to condemn attacks on journalists by his supporters. His campaign has also systematically denied press credentials to outlets that have covered him critically, including The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Politico, TheHuffington Post, The Daily Beast, Univision, and The Des Moines Register.

Throughout his campaign, Trump has routinely made vague proposals to limit basic elements of press and internet freedom. At a rally in February, Trump declared that if elected president he would "open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money." In September, Trump tweeted, "My lawyers want to sue the failing @nytimes so badly for irresponsible intent. I said no (for now), but they are watching. Really disgusting."

While some have suggested that these statements are rhetorical, we take Trump at his word. His intent and his disregard for the constitutional free press principle are clear.

A Trump presidency would represent a threat to press freedom in the United States, but the consequences for the rights of journalists around the world could be far more serious. Any failure of the United States to uphold its own standards emboldens dictators and despots to restrict the media in their own countries. This appears to be of no concern to Trump, who indicated that he has no inclination to challenge governments on press freedom and the treatment of journalists.

When MSNBC's Joe Scarborough asked him in December if his admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin was at all tempered by the country's history of critical journalists being murdered, his response was: "He's running his country, and at least he's a leader, unlike what we have in this country... Well, I think that our country does plenty of killing, too."

Through his words and actions, Trump has consistently demonstrated a contempt for the role of the press beyond offering publicity to him and advancing his interests.

For this reason CPJ is taking the unprecedented step of speaking out now. This is not about picking sides in an election. This is recognizing that a Trump presidency represents a threat to press freedom unknown in modern history.

We call on Trump to ensure that journalists are able to cover his campaign and his rallies without interference or impediment; to condemn threats against journalists made by his supporters; and to ensure that his statements and actions in the balance of this campaign are consistent with America's First Amendment tradition.

CPJ is a nonpartisan advocacy organization that does not take a position on this or any election. At the same time, we cannot be silent when we believe the conduct of the campaign does damage to America's standing on free press issues around the world, and to CPJ's ability to protect global press freedom.

We hold all candidates and political leaders to the same standard. In 2013, CPJ published a critical report on President Obama's press freedom record. No matter who is elected president, CPJ will hold the administration accountable for the highest standards at home and for strong advocacy for the rights of journalists around the world.

Exclusive Interview with VICE journalist Ben Makuch

11/17/2016

 
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VICE journalist Ben Makuch has been in an ongoing legal battle with the RCMP since 2015. It began when the RCMP served him a court-granted production order asking him to hand over all correspondence that occurred between him and one of his sources, Farah Shirdon, an alleged ISIS fighter. Makuch refused.
 
“I don’t care if you are a terrorist, a politician, a whistleblower, a criminal, a hacker, whatever. A source is a source is a source, and you have to maintain that relationship,” said Makuch. “It is fundamental to what we do.”
 
I connected with Makuch in a telephone interview to get some background on his case and to talk about the importance of press freedom.
 
Q- Can you give some background on what led to your correspondence with Farah Shirdon and why the RCMP are interested in it?
 
A- I began to report quite heavily on the Islamic State in late 2013. I started noticing these social media badasses online who seemed pretty western and they were saying that they were over fighting for the Islamic State. I realized that some of them might be Canadian. It was an interesting moment, because I thought it would really change the way terrorism works, and that is exactly what ended up happening. I was on the ground floor of looking at social media recruitment and online operations of the Islamic State and other groups. A lot of these guys had Instagram or Twitter accounts and on their Twitter accounts they would have a note saying to contact them on Kik messenger. I started messaging them and I got fairly embedded in that community of individuals. I knew who was legit and who wasn’t.
 
In the spring of 2014, I was given a tip to contact a guy who said he was the Canadian who burned his passport in an ISIS video. I contacted him and started doing a few interviews, sending messages for information. These were the accounts that were identified with Farah Shirdon, an alleged ISIS fighter. I published stories about him, including the threats he made to Canada. This was right around the time of the Parliament Hill shooting. Canada was so embroiled in this war on terror. It started to make a lot of news.
 
Q – Was it soon after that when you got served the production order?
 
A – Yes, I was technically served in February of 2015, but I was in Russia at the time reporting on opposition to Putin. It wasn’t until March when I returned to Canada that I actually received it. It was crazy. I've covered oppressive regimes across the world. The last opposition I thought I'd face in my ability to do my job would be here at home in Canada.
 
I was under about an eight-month gag order because the investigation was considered ongoing in national security, so I wasn’t allowed to talk about it for eight months. It was a pretty awful experience. The gag order was during the election, so there were all these big issues being discussed like terrorism and immigration and spy powers and I was stuck here in the middle of it, experiencing it, but unable to talk about it.
 
By October 2015 I was allowed to talk publically. We had our first court appearance in February 2016. We tried to get the production order quashed, but we lost. Now we have been granted leave to appeal the decision, which is where we are at now. That court case is scheduled for February 6th, 2017.
 
Q – Why do you feel freedom of the press is such an important issue?
 
A - More than anything, when the government is trying to co-opt a journalist to be an arm of an investigation, for an intelligence agency or for a police force, I think that poses a grave threat to one of the fundamental principles of democracy: free press. Farah Shirdon wasn’t talking to me because I was police, he was talking to me because I was a journalist. That is a special relationship that you can’t break. When you do, you start impeding on the news gathering process, and civil society is weaker for it. Civil society needs journalists to follow stories, to investigate things in the public interest so that average citizens can make their decisions on what they want their government to do. To me, this story was really important because I was almost the same age as Shirdon. Why is he going over to fight for one of the most insane terrorist organizations in the world? And how did he do it? And why did he do it? These are questions I was trying to find the answers to, for not just myself but for people in Canada and around the world.
 
Q – Have you received support from the journalism community?
 
A – I’ve had a lot of great support. They realize this is a dangerous prospect. We don’t want this to be the status quo going forward. Especially if you look at examples in Quebec where judges are granting the police powers to not only serve journalists like myself production orders to give up information, but also the right to spy on journalists. This is the state of affairs we are in. We all have to take a really close look at what is going on right now, take a step back and think about what this really means to our society, because I’m not describing something that is happening in Vladimir Putin’s Russia or North Korea or any other repressive state. I’m describing something that is happening in Canada, which is supposed to be a beacon of democracy and freedom.
www.protectpressfreedom.ca

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By: Keri Coles

Keri Coles is a multimedia journalist focused on the connections between human rights, environment, and politics.

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Fahmy Foundation urges PM Trudeau to endorse campaign for safety of journalists

11/3/2016

 
LINK TO:
Joint letter with Canadian organizations urging PM Trudeau to endorse campaign to appoint UN Special Envoy for the Safety of Journalists

Dear Prime Minister and Minister,
 
We, the undersigned organizations and supporters, urge the Canadian government to publicly endorse the campaign to appoint a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for the safety of journalists. Around the world, journalists are being targeted in unprecedented ways, from kidnappings to cyber-attacks and even public killings, and these crimes too often go unpunished. By endorsing the creation a concrete mechanism to coordinate and give real political weight to UN efforts on the safety of journalists, Canada can become a global leader in the fight to end impunity and ensure the protection of journalists.

There has never been a more dangerous time for journalists. They are being killed and imprisoned worldwide in record numbers. Whether covering conflict, crime or corruption, journalists often have to put themselves at great risk in order to do their job effectively; and when they are threatened, attacked or killed, the crimes against them too often are committed with impunity. According to CJFE’s research, 787 journalists and media personnel were killed while exercising their profession over the last 10 years, including 77 in 2015 alone. In 9 out of 10 cases these crimes remain uninvestigated and unpunished. With their loss, the right to information for hundreds of millions of citizens is shattered.
 
There have been various resolutions adopted in the past decade, including by the Security Council and the General Assembly, dedicated to this issue. Despite this, former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in his August 2015 report on the safety of journalists, acknowledges the world’s “failure to reduce the frequency and scale of targeted violence that journalists face and the near absolute impunity for such crimes.” These strong resolutions will continue to be little more than empty words without a concrete mechanism to assure the compliance of member states with their obligations.  Only a Special Representative, working closely with the UN Secretary General, will have the political weight, the capacity to act quickly, and the legitimacy to coordinate with all UN bodies to implement change.
 
Giving the Special Representative a central and permanent position under the UN Secretary General aegis would significantly empower the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity and all UN efforts lead by UNESCO, the Human Rights Council, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, as well as reinforce the regional actions of the Council of Europe or the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Organization of American States).
 
Progress has been made, but more needs to be done. Canada is a global haven for persecuted journalists; it can be a world leader in helping to end impunity. We call on you to endorse the appointment of a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for the safety of journalists as soon as possible. It is time for concrete action.
​
We thank you for your attention and look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,
​
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Rogers Media
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Freelance Union
CWA/SCA
Canada Centre for Free Expression
Canadian Freelance Union
Fahmy Foundation
Newspapers Canada
National Newsmedia Council
Rabble.ca
The Tyee
​RTDNA Canada

Journalist Amy Goodman to Turn Herself in to North Dakota Authorities

10/15/2016

 
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Update from October 15th: A North Dakota state prosecutor has sought to charge award-winning journalist Amy Goodman with participating in a "riot" for filming an attack on Native American-led anti-pipeline protesters. The new charge comes after the prosecutor dropped criminal trespassing charges. || More Info

​October 13, 2016 – Award-winning journalist Amy Goodman, charged with criminal trespassing for filming an attack on Native American-led pipeline protesters, will turn herself in to North Dakota authorities on October 17.

Amy Goodman will surrender to authorities at the Morton County–Mandan Combined Law Enforcement and Corrections Center at 8:15 a.m. local time (CDT).

"I will go back to North Dakota to fight this charge. It is a clear violation of the First Amendment," said Goodman. "I was doing my job as a journalist, covering a violent attack on Native American protesters."
The charge in State of North Dakota v. Amy Goodman stems from Democracy Now!’s coverage of the protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. On Saturday, September 3, Democracy Now! filmed security guards working for the pipeline company attacking protesters. The report showed guards unleashing dogs and using pepper spray and featured people with bite injuries and a dog with blood on its mouth and nose.

Democracy Now!’s report went viral online, was viewed more than 14 million times on Facebook and was rebroadcast on many outlets, including CBS, NBC, NPR, CNN, MSNBCand the Huffington Post.
On September 8, a criminal complaint and warrant was issued for Goodman’s arrest.

Ironically, in the state’s criminal complaint, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Lindsey Wohl, referencing the Democracy Now! video report in a sworn affidavit, stated, "Amy Goodman can be seen on the video identifying herself and interviewing protesters about their involvement in the protest." This is precisely the point: Goodman was doing the constitutionally protected work of a reporter.
The pipeline project has faced months of resistance from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and members of over 200 other tribes from across the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has said that the warrant is "a transparent attempt to intimidate reporters from covering protests of significant public interest." Steve Andrist, executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association, told The Bismarck Tribune, "It’s regrettable that authorities chose to charge a reporter who was just doing her job."

Goodman is the host and executive producer of Democracy Now!, a national, daily, independent, award-winning public television/radio news program that airs on over 1,400 stations worldwide. Goodman has co-authored six New York Times bestsellers and won many of journalism’s highest awards in her more than three decades working as a reporter.

Democracy Now!’s coverage of the pipeline and the protests is available here.
Press Statement:
Time: 8:00 a.m. CDT, Monday October 17, 2016
Place: 211 2nd Ave NW, Mandan ND 58554
Followed by short walk to jail:
Time: 8:15 a.m. CDT Monday October 17, 2016
Place: 205 1st Ave NW, Mandan, ND 58554For more information, contact Denis Moynihan at +1-646-217-7231 (on-site cell) or media@democracynow.org.
Live camera position/uplink available.
To book contact Denis Moynihan.
​
Press availability will follow Amy Goodman’s arraignment, expected (but not guaranteed) to be several hours after 8:15 a.m. Goodman will be available for TV interviews via live TV camera position.
Live camera positions with satellite uplink connection available onsite to interview Amy Goodman or for use by your correspondent.

Broadcast/print quality video and still photos of Amy Goodman entering Morton County Jail will be available at democracynow.org or by emailing request to media@democracynow.org.

Media freedom groups welcome resolution to protect journalists

10/5/2016

 
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Link to The Guardian Website for full article

The UN human rights council (HRC) has adopted a ground-breaking, comprehensive resolution aimed at protecting journalists and demanding the release of all journalists who have been arbitraily detained.

It urges the reform of laws designed to obstruct editorial work, and calls on states not to interfere with the use of encryption and digital security tools that enable anonymity.

The resolution also addresses gender-based attacks against women journalists, the forced closure of media outlets, and the right of journalists to protect confidential sources.

The HRC, which consists of 47 states, agreed the resolution by consensus. It expects the UN’s high commissioner for human rights to report back on the effectiveness of the existing monitoring and complaint mechanisms related to journalist safety.

Typically, however, fewer than half such requests are answered. So, although its adoption was welcomed by journalists’ organisations, press freedom bodies and human rights campaigners, all also expressed caution.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) pointed out that mechanisms to enforce the UN’s calls were limited or non-existent.
Philippe Leruth, the IFJ president, said: “Words alone are not enough. This motion must be followed up with action to stop thousands of journalists being killed, attacked and prevented from doing their work while their attackers avoid being brought before justice”.

Courtney Radsch, of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), also spoke about the need for “more concrete action from member states, including revision of legal frameworks that threaten media independence.”

The OSCE’s representative on media freedom, Dunja Mijatović, said: “This resolution is a very positive step forward in our joint efforts to ensure the safety for members of the media and the fight against impunity for crimes committed against journalists.”
Thomas Hughes, executive director of Article 19, the group that fights for freedom of expression, called the resolution “an unequivocal commitment from states to ensure that these crimes [against journalists] do not go unpunished and to prevent their recurrence.”

​He thought states were “finally acknowledging the need to act on the increasingly diverse range of threats facing journalists and freedom of expression”.

He said: “Behind each statistic is an individual journalist with a name and a story that they were seeking to uncover... 

“For each journalist who is killed or attacked, countless other journalists are intimidated to self-censor and entire societies are deprived of important information. States must act to end this tragedy’.

The full text of the resolution is available here. A good summary can be found on here on the Article 19 site.

Joining the fight against Bill C-51

10/1/2016

 
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Passed in 2015, Canada’s Anti-terrorism Act (also known as Bill C-51) has been criticized by advocacy organizations as having the potential to “seriously jeopardize the rights & freedoms of Canadians”.

The Fahmy Foundation stands with organizations like Amnesty International (Canada), CJFE (Canadian Journalists for Free Expression) and the BC Civil Liberties Association, who argue that Bill C-51 is a serious concern for freedom of expression in Canada.

Some of the problems with Bill C-51 include:
  • allowing greater opportunity for goverment targeting of individuals and groups
  • severe implications for freedom of expression
  • less transparency for Canada’s “no-fly” list
  • sharing of information between government agencies (like Health Canada) and the RCMP
  • increasing problems with detention and imprisonment
  • expanded mandate for CSIS (the Canadian Security Intelligence Service)

To learn more about Bill C-51, read this BC Civil Liberties Association article.

Canadian journalist's fight against RCMP intensifies

9/24/2016

 
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The Fahmy Foundation is continuing to support journalist Ben Makuch and Vice Media’s intensifying fight against the RCMP in the Canadian courts.

After being ordered to turn over research materials from Makuch’s contact with an alleged ISIS member in Canada last March, a coalition of advocacy organizations (including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association) filed documents with the Ontario Court of Appeal, arguing that “forcing journalists to act as investigators for police would undermine the critical role news outlets play in a free society”.


The Crown plans to oppose granting the intervener status to the coalition when they present their arguments at the end of October.

In a statement, the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) noted that the March ruling "sets a precedent that has...wide-ranging implications for press freedom and the integrity of journalism in Canada".

Last March, an Ontario court upheld a production order from the RCMP to produce Kik instant messenger app chat logs between Makuch and Mohammed Farah Shirdon, a former Calgary resident who allegedly left Canada to fight alongside IS in Iraq and Syria.

Earlier this year, Makuch stated to CBC News,"...if we're going to be made an investigative arm of the police, it's going to change how we newsgather...It's also going to change how sources interact with us."

On November 2, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association will honour Makuch at their annual gala. Earlier this year, Makuch was honoured with the 2016 Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom Award.

VICE's appeal of the court decision will be heard in February 2017.



Join the global campaign to #ProtectJournalists

9/17/2016

 
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As United Nations member states meet for the opening of the 71st session of the General Assembly this week, it’s time to make the protection of journalists a top priority.

Fahmy Foundation has joined Reporters Without Borders and over 100 media & human rights organizations to urge the UN to appoint a Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Safety of Journalists.

The need for a Special Representative is critical. At least 787 journalists have been killed on the job in the last decade around the world, and journalists face increasing threats of violence and imprisonment as they work in unstable regions.

A UN Special Representative would have the ability to advocate quickly and effectively for journalists, with the political support to make the safety of journalists a top priority.

Show your support for the global #ProtectJournalists campaign! Tweet your support this week and sign the Reporters Without Borders petition. Help us show the United Nations that the time to act is now.

Sample Tweets:

  • “We support the creation of a Special Representative for the safety of journalists at the UN #Protectjournalists” http://bit.ly/2c5VQW6
  • Tweets to officials: “@ [UN official] We ask you to appoint a Special Representative for the safety of journalists #Protectjournalists http://bit.ly/2c5VQW6”
  • “@ [Foreign Affairs Minister/appropriate government official] We ask you to support the creation of a Special Representative for the safety of journalists #Protectjournalists http://bit.ly/2c5VQW6”

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Appeal to the United Nations to protect journalists

6/23/2016

 
PictureAmbassador Rosemary McCarney meets with Mohamed Fahmy in Geneva.
On June 23-25, 2016, Mohamed Fahmy is representing the Fahmy Foundation at the United Nations in Geneva.

As part of this visit, a letter from the Fahmy Foundation and the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression's President Alice Klein formally requesting the appointment of a UN Special Representative for the Safety of Journalists was presented to Ambassador Rosemary McCarney.

The need for a Special Representative is critical as threats to journalists increase around the world. According to Reporters Sans Frontieres, 787 journalists and media professionals were killed on the job in the last 10 years, including 77 in 2015.

The Fahmy Foundation has joined a worldwide coalition of NGOs, media outlets, and journalists by supporting the initiative for the creation of a Special Representative to the United Nations Secretary General for the safety of journalists.

According to Reporters Sans Frontieres, this “is an urgent issue for all those who want to end violence against reporters and defend access to information around the world”.

This coalition is urging the United Nations and its Member States to give this position the “political weight, capacity for rapid action and legitimacy” to coordinate UN efforts for the safety of journalists. The goal is to enforce international law and reduce the number of journalists killed every year.

In addition to presenting this initiative, Mohamed Fahmy also discussed the Fahmy Foundation's Protection Charter with Ambassador McCarney.


Support this initiative & tweet: #ProtectJournalists


Using social media to build support for human rights campaigns

6/22/2016

 
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Guest post by Cecilia Greyson

A strong online presence is an essential component of any human rights campaign, and is critical to raise awareness, build support, and encourage action from political leaders.

In 2013 and 2015, I worked on two human rights campaigns, and used social media and online content creation to help build networks and support.  

#FreeTarekandJohn was an international campaign to help free my brother (filmmaker John Greyson) and his colleague (Dr. Tarek Loubani) when they were detained in Egypt in 2013.  #HarperCallEgypt was a Canadian effort for journalist Mohamed Fahmy during his retrial in 2015.

With both campaigns, we used simple online strategies to create public support and awareness. The positive results included two national Twitter trends, significant media coverage, extensive support, and the release of all prisoners involved in the campaigns.

Here are a few of the strategies we used:

  1. Website: Having a basic campaign website is a useful tool to help keep information centralized for the public. On our campaign websites, we posted news items, press releases, links to petitions and social media accounts, and regular updates on the case.
  2. Press releases: Since we had access to the most up-to-date information, we issued our own press releases on a regular basis (and making sure that we were shaping the story as it hit the media, and not the other way around).
  3. Media stories: We also made sure that media outlets were given access to useful information and interviews, and we worked collaboratively with reporters as much as possible to provide good material. We shared these media stories through social media as soon as they were published.
  4. Social media updates: We shared updates from social media throughout our circles of supporters, making sure that everyone knew what was happening and how they could help. We also encouraged supporters to share information about the campaigns through social media.
  5. Facebook groups: Facebook groups can be used in addition to a website, or can replace a website completely (although having both is ideal). We updated our Facebook groups regularly with calls to action, articles, updates, news items and photos.
  6. Twitter hashtag: Having a specific hashtag for a campaign effort can be extremely useful, especially for networking through Twitter or Instagram. Remember to keep your hashtag relatively short, and double-check to ensure it hasn’t been used previously for another purpose.
  7. Online petition: There are many options for setting up online petitions (including Change.org and Avaaz), and all are able to be shared easily through social media accounts. Petitions are still extremely useful as a way to engage supporters and to demonstrate support for a cause.

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