Tag: Free speech
Journalists risk prosecution under Australia’s ‘foreign interference’ law
UQ News
Journalists may face decades in prison for "foreign interference" offences unless urgent changes are made to Australia’s national security laws, according to a...
Fiji ministers ‘held on tight leash’ – afraid to speak up,...
By Pekai Kotoisuva in Suva
Some Fiji government ministers are “held on a tight leash” and afraid to make open ended statements in public, claims...
New media freedom advocacy institute formed in Marshall Islands
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk
The first media freedom advocacy group has formed in the Marshall Islands. Organisers this week were in the initial phase of...
Are New Zealand’s universities doing enough to define the limits of...
ANALYSIS: By Matheson Russell, University of Auckland
The news last week that University of Auckland public health researcher Dr Simon Thornley was retracting a co-authored...
Arrested doctor claims Fiji police acted ‘irresponsibly’ over covid safety rules
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk
Arrested medical practitioner Dr Jone Hawea has claimed that Fiji police officers acted irresponsibly by not following to covid-19 safety protocols...
AG raises Suva lawyers’ ‘little confidence’ social media posts
By Luke Nacei in Suva
Social media posts by two outspoken Suva-based lawyers have been raised in Parliament over a critical culture “that has been...
To publish or not to publish? The media’s free-speech dilemmas in...
ANALYSIS: By Denis Muller, University of Melbourne
Terrorism, political extremism, Donald Trump, social media and the phenomenon of “cancel culture” are confronting journalists with a...
Chancellor defends UP as ‘bastion of academic freedom’ against military
By Lorraine Ecarma in Cebu City
The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) will continue to stand against any threats to human rights, chancellor Clement...
RSF hails UK court blocking of US bid to extradite Julian...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is relieved by the January 4 ruling of UK District Judge Vanessa Baraitser to block the United...
Media under strain in Melanesia during challenging era
By RNZ Pacific
Hostile media environments pose growing challenges to Melanesia's democracies, according to a new edition of the Pacific Journalism Review.
With its first special...
Stop harassing USP protesters, global human rights groups tell Fiji
Pacific Media Watch
The Fiji authorities must respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for university staff and students and immediately cease...
Social media ‘third party’ defamation ruling warning for Pacific nations
By Sri Krishnamurthi, contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch
The New South Wales Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal which sought to challenge a...
Solomon Islands police investigate social justice commentator
By Assumpta Buchanan in Honiara
Solomon Islands police are investigating several people, including prominent female development and social justice commentator Wendy Amangongo, for recent articles...
Free speech? No it’s about bigots who seek the right to...
Professor Paul Spoonley spoke about hate speech, political discourse and religious diversity in the wake of the 15 March 2019 Mosque Massacre in a...
Media ‘impartiality’ on climate change ethically misguided and dangerous
By Denis Muller in Melbourne
In September 2019, the editor of The Conversation, Misha Ketchell, declared The Conversation’s editorial team in Australia was henceforth taking...
NZ university denies bowing to Chinese pressure over Tiananmen
By RNZ News
Auckland University of Technology has denied bowing to Chinese government pressure to stop one of its rooms being used for an event...
Tongan tourism officials to ‘wipe out’ Miss Heilala over her criticisms
By Philip Cass
Tonga’s tourist authorities will wipe the former Miss Heilala, Kalo Funganitao, from the records in retaliation for her speech at this year’s...
Christchurch mosque shootings must end NZ innocence over right-wing terrorism
ANALYSIS: By Professor Paul Spoonley in Auckland
New Zealand police continued today to respond to events following shootings at two mosques in central Christchurch yesterday.
The...
Pacific Island leaders tightening the screws on press freedom, dissent
ANALYSIS: The three-hour "detention" of television New Zealand Pacific affairs reporter Barbara Dreaver for "breaking protocols" over interviewing refugees on Nauru. But Josef Benedict...
‘Don’t play with fire’ warning in Samoa’s social media threat
Many Samoans are angry over a threat by the prime minister earlier this year to ban the social media platform Facebook amid growing pressure...
Keith Jackson: Did dumb just get dumber and Sam Basil dig...
A near confrontation on the floor of Parliament on Friday, with the Papua New Guinea Opposition walking out in protest over the referral of...
Why data power of social media giants like Facebook troubles human...
By Sarah Joseph in Melbourne
Facebook has had a bad few weeks. The social media giant had to apologise for failing to protect the personal...