AJF - Alliance for Journalists' Freedom

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 Feature, News

Covid-19’s latest press freedom casualty

Covid-19 has changed press freedom in the Asia–Pacific. The Alliance for Journalists' Freedom is working to track just how the virus has altered journalists' ability to support transparency and accountability through their work, and what we, as an organisation and public, can do to better support democratic values. Read Jim Nolan's piece on Timor Leste – the latest press freedom…

AJF In Feature, Media Releases, News

Media Release: Dan Oakes charges

Potential prosecution of Dan Oakes illustrates urgent need for Media Freedom Act The ABC has revealed the AFP’s recommendation regarding the Afghan Files story is for the Commonwealth DPP to consider charging journalist Dan Oakes for his role in the leak. ABC’s Managing Director David Anderson said in a statement “The Afghan Files is factual and important reporting which exposed…

AJF In Feature, News

Final printing week for many local and regional newspapers

After announcements in May that News Corp would shut more than 100 local and regional papers, this week spells the last printing week for many of them. Ownership diversity and access to local news are both important aspects of a healthy and free press, so the AJF is hoping this switch to digital will be one that is invigorating, rather…

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…

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…

AJF In Feature, Media Releases, News

Smethurst should not have been charged in the first place

27th May 2020 Media Release: Smethurst should not have been charged in the first place The Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom welcomes the decision by the Australian Federal Police to drop charges against Newscorp journalist Annika Smethurst. The announcement though, coming more than a year after the raids, underscores the need for unambiguous protections for press freedom in Australian law.…

AJF In Feature, News

News Corp to cut hundreds of jobs in move to digital

This week News Corp's Michael Miller has announced a cut of as many as 100 titles and hundreds of jobs in a bid to move to digital-only production to aid the financial security of the company, which has been suffering in the wake of lost advertising revenue. This is a great loss for communities where the local paper is often…

AJF In Feature, News

Covid19 accelerated the media’s woes, but is there hope?

The media industry has been through enormous upheaval due to Covid-19, in part because it was underway before the virus. This recent SMH piece details the closures of multiple media mastheads in Australia. The signs are grim: the closure of AAP; the continuing diminishment of local news in regional areas and the lack of a sustainable funding model for public…