<description>In this special episode of The Backstory, WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom laureate Carlos Chamorro speaks to Mexican journalist Javier Garza about his journey from political activist to the top of Latin American journalism. 

Nicaragua is facing a deep crisis as its populist leader, Daniel Ortega, seeks to consolidate nearly two decades in power at the expense of civil liberties, human rights, and press freedom. Chamorro talks about how, in the battleground between politics and journalism, there is only ever one winner, and what it means to rely on journalistic credibility in the face of violence and oppression.

This episode was produced by Andrew Heslop, Javier Garza and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Crystals by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/crystals)</description>

In this special episode of The Backstory, WAN-IFR…

In this special episode of The Backstory, WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom laureate Carlos Chamorro speaks to Mexican journalist Javier Garza about his journey from political activist to the top of Latin American journalism. 

Nicaragua is facing a deep crisis as its populist leader, Daniel Ortega, seeks to consolidate nearly two decades in power at the expense of civil liberties, human rights, and press freedom. Chamorro talks about how, in the battleground between politics and journalism, there is only ever one winner, and what it means to rely on journalistic credibility in the face of violence and oppression.

This episode was produced by Andrew Heslop, Javier Garza and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Crystals by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/crystals)

Carlos Chamorro and the fight for press freedom in Nicaragua

<description>The United States has long been held up as a model for press freedom worldwide. But increasing polarisation and the rise in populist politics are challenging this assumption. Instances of government officials undermining the media and the country’s democratic institutions make it increasingly difficult for journalists to do their jobs. Farther south, governments have been using laws to arrest and detain journalists who ask too many questions, while criminals who target journalists go unpunished. In this episode we take a close look at the US, Guatemala and Mexico, while also identifying trends that are spreading regionally, with:
- Lauren Chooljian, radio journalist for New Hampshire public radio in the United States (https://www.nhpr.org/people/lauren-chooljian)
- Joel Simon, founding director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at The City University of New York, in the United States (https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/faculty/joel-simon/)
- José Carlos Zamora, Guatemalan journalist and son of José Rubén Zamora, founder and director of Guatemala’s El Periodico newspaper, who has been in prison since mid-2022 (https://twitter.com/jczamora)
- Martha Ramos, chief editorial officer for Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico’s largest print media company (https://wan-ifra.org/2023/03/meet-martha-ramos-the-new-president-of-the-world-editors-forum/)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/crystals)</description>

The United States has long been held up as a mode…

The United States has long been held up as a model for press freedom worldwide. But increasing polarisation and the rise in populist politics are challenging this assumption. Instances of government officials undermining the media and the country’s democratic institutions make it increasingly difficult for journalists to do their jobs. Farther south, governments have been using laws to arrest and detain journalists who ask too many questions, while criminals who target journalists go unpunished. In this episode we take a close look at the US, Guatemala and Mexico, while also identifying trends that are spreading regionally, with:
- Lauren Chooljian, radio journalist for New Hampshire public radio in the United States (https://www.nhpr.org/people/lauren-chooljian)
- Joel Simon, founding director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at The City University of New York, in the United States (https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/faculty/joel-simon/)
- José Carlos Zamora, Guatemalan journalist and son of José Rubén Zamora, founder and director of Guatemala’s El Periodico newspaper, who has been in prison since mid-2022 (https://twitter.com/jczamora)
- Martha Ramos, chief editorial officer for Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico’s largest print media company (https://wan-ifra.org/2023/03/meet-martha-ramos-the-new-president-of-the-world-editors-forum/)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/crystals)

Constant vigilance: Press freedom in the Americas

<description>Asia is a vast region with extensive news markets and huge audiences, providing a plethora of opportunities for media production and consumption. But the continent is also home to a range of governing styles, from democracies to authoritarian dictatorships, some of which regularly crack down on press freedom. In this episode we hear from media professionals in Indonesia, India and Thailand on the specific challenges facing the news industry, as well as the role of China’s influence in the region, with;
- Siddarth Vardarajan, founding editor, The Wire in India (https://m.thewire.in/author/Siddharth-Varadarajan)
- Sui Lee Wee, Southeast Asia bureau chief for the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/by/sui-lee-wee)
- Luviana Ariyanti, co-founder of alternative women’s media, konde.co, in Indonesia (https://www.konde.co/)
- Ritu Kapur, co-founder and managing director of The Quint in India (https://www.thequint.com/topic/ritu-kapur)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/sandstone/)</description>

Asia is a vast region with extensive news markets…

Asia is a vast region with extensive news markets and huge audiences, providing a plethora of opportunities for media production and consumption. But the continent is also home to a range of governing styles, from democracies to authoritarian dictatorships, some of which regularly crack down on press freedom. In this episode we hear from media professionals in Indonesia, India and Thailand on the specific challenges facing the news industry, as well as the role of China’s influence in the region, with;
- Siddarth Vardarajan, founding editor, The Wire in India (https://m.thewire.in/author/Siddharth-Varadarajan)
- Sui Lee Wee, Southeast Asia bureau chief for the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/by/sui-lee-wee)
- Luviana Ariyanti, co-founder of alternative women’s media, konde.co, in Indonesia (https://www.konde.co/)
- Ritu Kapur, co-founder and managing director of The Quint in India (https://www.thequint.com/topic/ritu-kapur)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/sandstone/)

Fighting the good fight: Press freedom in Asia

<description>The October 2023 elections in Poland marked a turning point for its media freedom, when the far-right Law and Justice party were pushed out of power after nearly a decade of rule and media control. But in other Eastern European countries, governments still exert power over the news industry, and throughout Europe, the rise of populism and the far-right is posing significant challenges to press freedom. In this episode we look at how Poland, Norway and the UK are navigating current challenges, and the impact that the war in Ukraine is having on press freedom on the continent, with:
- Joanna Krawczyk, deputy managing director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, based in Warsaw, Poland (https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/joanna-krawczyk)
- Helje Solberg, news director at public broadcaster NRK in Norway (https://www.nrk.no/presse/helje-solberg-blir-nyhetsdirektor-i-nrk-1.14119443)
- Kamal Ahmed, president of the Society of Editors in the UK, and editor-in-chief and co-founder of The News Movement (https://www.thenewsmovement.com/)
- Gavin O’Reilly, former president of Wan-Ifra; publisher and executive chair of the UK-based The New European (https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Tea K Pea (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/tea-k-pea/ire-desire/lake-2/)</description>

The October 2023 elections in Poland marked a tur…

The October 2023 elections in Poland marked a turning point for its media freedom, when the far-right Law and Justice party were pushed out of power after nearly a decade of rule and media control. But in other Eastern European countries, governments still exert power over the news industry, and throughout Europe, the rise of populism and the far-right is posing significant challenges to press freedom. In this episode we look at how Poland, Norway and the UK are navigating current challenges, and the impact that the war in Ukraine is having on press freedom on the continent, with:
- Joanna Krawczyk, deputy managing director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, based in Warsaw, Poland (https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/joanna-krawczyk)
- Helje Solberg, news director at public broadcaster NRK in Norway (https://www.nrk.no/presse/helje-solberg-blir-nyhetsdirektor-i-nrk-1.14119443)
- Kamal Ahmed, president of the Society of Editors in the UK, and editor-in-chief and co-founder of The News Movement (https://www.thenewsmovement.com/)
- Gavin O’Reilly, former president of Wan-Ifra; publisher and executive chair of the UK-based The New European (https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Tea K Pea (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/tea-k-pea/ire-desire/lake-2/)

Challenging democracies: Press freedom in Europe

<description>Africa has made strides towards more press freedom, with countries like Zimbabwe and Malawi recently passing laws to protect free speech or access to information. But while this is a positive development for journalism, there have also been "clawbacks” – a reversal in access. In addition, journalists on the continent continue to self-censor their work in the face of government pressure and intervention, and have struggled to gain public trust. In this episode, we explore some of the trends common across Africa, with a particular focus on Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa, with:
- Nqaba Matshazi, campaign coordinator for the Media Institute of Southern Africa (https://zimbabwe.misa.org/who-we-are/the-team/)
- Susan Makore, director for Advisory and Insights within Wan-Ifra’s Women in News programme and commissioner for the Zimbabwe Media Commission  (https://womeninnews.org/2020/08/susan-makore-faces-tough-challenge/)
- John Allen Namu, investigative journalist and co-founder of Africa Uncensored, based in Nairobi, Kenya (https://africauncensored.online/author/j-allan/)
- Nwabisa Makunga, editor of the Sowetan newspaper in Johannesburg, South Africa (https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/authors/nwabisa-makunga/)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by The Freeharmonic Orchestra (https://stevecombsmusic.bandcamp.com/track/sleepless)</description>

Africa has made strides towards more press freedo…

Africa has made strides towards more press freedom, with countries like Zimbabwe and Malawi recently passing laws to protect free speech or access to information. But while this is a positive development for journalism, there have also been "clawbacks” – a reversal in access. In addition, journalists on the continent continue to self-censor their work in the face of government pressure and intervention, and have struggled to gain public trust. In this episode, we explore some of the trends common across Africa, with a particular focus on Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa, with:
- Nqaba Matshazi, campaign coordinator for the Media Institute of Southern Africa (https://zimbabwe.misa.org/who-we-are/the-team/)
- Susan Makore, director for Advisory and Insights within Wan-Ifra’s Women in News programme and commissioner for the Zimbabwe Media Commission  (https://womeninnews.org/2020/08/susan-makore-faces-tough-challenge/)
- John Allen Namu, investigative journalist and co-founder of Africa Uncensored, based in Nairobi, Kenya (https://africauncensored.online/author/j-allan/)
- Nwabisa Makunga, editor of the Sowetan newspaper in Johannesburg, South Africa (https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/authors/nwabisa-makunga/)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by The Freeharmonic Orchestra (https://stevecombsmusic.bandcamp.com/track/sleepless)

Two steps forward, one step back: Press freedom in Africa

A podcast for journalists, editors & anyone interested in the backstory of how news is reported, presented & published. In season 5, we explore the state of press freedom around the world, speaking to journalists, editors and media experts from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the MENA region about the challenges facing the industry, and possible solutions, as how new technologies, like artificial intelligence, are changing the future of news.   #Pressfreedom #Mediafreedom #Media #Journalism

The Backstory: A media freedom podcast

Details

Recent Episodes