Journalism

Seen on a monitor at a press conference Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky takes questions from the media on April 23, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. © John Moore/Getty Images

Ukraine’s Media Law: Threat or Necessity?

Critics say that the bill allows the government full control; supporters maintain it aims to contain Russian propaganda.

20 Mar 23

A view of the Bay of Sevastopol on August 13, 2015 in Sevastopol, Crimea. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill in March 2014 to annexe the Crimean peninsula but Ukraine and most of the international community do not recognise its annexation. © Alexander Aksakov/Getty Images

The Journalists Risking All to Report from Crimea

Media workers face harassment, arrest and detention under Russian occupation.

20 Mar 23

Russia’s media regulatory body is demanding that a range of Kazak outlets censor content related to the war in Ukraine. © Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Russia Demands Kazak Outlets Censor Ukraine Reports

“It could be described as an attempt against the sovereignty of Kazakstan’s media.”

16 Mar 23

Like any other Ukrainian, the last 12 months have presented Sevgil Musaieva, Ukrainska Pravda’s editor-in-chief, with innumerable challenges: from her team’s safety and security to the outlet’s financial support to how to operate amid power outages caused by Russian shelling. © Courtesy of S. Musaieva.

Musaieva: “Without Courage, Journalism Dies”

The chief editor of Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine’s oldest online newspaper, on the cost of propaganda and the value of investigating corruption.

22 Feb 23

A screenshot of the trial against Bolot Temirov, Kyrgyzstan's most prominent investigative journalist, who was deported from Bishkek to Moscow in November 2022. on charges of illegal documents. Temirov, founder of investigative YouTube channel “Temirov Live”, holds both Kyrgyz and Russian citizenship. He was arrested in February 2022 for illegal use and detention of drugs, charges he said were bogus. © Temirov Live

Kyrgyzstan’s Shrinking Space for Independent Journalism

A draconian draft media law and rising numbers of criminal investigations against journalists signal an authoritarian turn.

6 Feb 23

Nasha Niva, Belarus' oldest newspaper, was banned in November 2021 and declared an extremist formation in January 2022 as part of a continuous crackdown on journalists and government's critics. © Monica Ellena/IWPR

Belarus’ Oldest Outlet Epitomises Struggle for Press Freedom

In one of the world’s most dangerous countries for reporters, mere dissent can lead to years in jail.

27 Jan 23

On October 4, independent journalist and filmmaker Avazmad Ghurbatov, who works with the name of Abdullo Ghurbati, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on dubious charges of using violence, insulting police officers and having ties with the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). © Ghurbati's Facebook profile

Tajikistan’s Freedom of Expression Shrinks

Journalists get lengthy sentences on charges that rights groups say are groundless.

24 Oct 22

Moldova's Media Struggles to Report on Ukraine

Sector faces challenges including underfunding, a skills gap and embedded pro-Russian propaganda.

19 Oct 22

Yevhen Nazarenko, 33, is a military reporter for the Ukrainian Witness YouTube project of the Come Back Alive Foundation, one of the country’s largest charitable funds. He has worked for Ukraine’s largest outlets, including 1+1, ICTV, Channel 24.

Ukraine: A Day in the Life of a Journalist on the Frontline

“As soon as we leave, a Russian shell lands exactly where we had been. If we’d left 30 seconds later, I would not be here to write this.”

20 Jul 22

Tajikistan’s New Round of Media Repression

Detentions come amid a crackdown on street protests in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

30 Jun 22

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