Celebrating Journalism: Reporting Without Fear

Attacks on media freedoms have intensified since the coronavirus (COVID-19) became a global pandemic in late March 2020, as governments seek to fend off criticisms of their mismanagement of the public health emergency. In Southeast Asia, the attack on journalists, media organisations, and the internet is largely led by governments and sitting political regimes in the name of providing “correct” information or responding to “disinformation”. As a result, journalists have been subjected to public threats, physical attacks, and the use of legislation to intimidate and limit their criticism of government policies and narratives; media owners are dealt with public rebukes, office raids, tax penalties, license terminations, arrests and legal persecution; while the internet is slowed down, shut down and blocked as technology companies are threatened and social media users prosecuted. This has resulted in self-censorship, numerous journalist deaths, closure of media companies, and a high degree of arrests, investigations, prosecutions, and incarcerations in the region. Asia Centre and its partners are co-convening a panel discussion to commemorate World Press Freedom Day and to put a spotlight on the attacks on media freedoms in Southeast Asia, create awareness of the shrinking media space during the COVID-19 pandemic, and advocate for media and internet freedoms.

Date: 4 May 2021
Time: 2.00 PM (Bangkok, Thailand GMT+7),
Registration from 1.30 AM

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/2O2ZLHF

Contact: contact@asiacentre.org
Facebook event page: https://bit.ly/31scXJ5