https://znetwork.org/category/topic/media/press-freedom/ Independent Left News, Analysis, Vision and Strategy Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:55:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://znetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cropped-Z_logo_512-32x32.png https://znetwork.org/category/topic/media/press-freedom/ 32 32 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/jacques-baud-and-the-demise-of-the-eu-as-a-liberal-project/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/jacques-baud-and-the-demise-of-the-eu-as-a-liberal-project/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:55:14 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1293082 In late 2025, the European Union imposed sanctions on Jacques Baud, a retired Swiss colonel and former senior strategic analyst for NATO. The justification was openly ideological. Baud was accused of acting as a “mouthpiece” for pro-Russian propaganda and of disseminating “conspiracy theories” about the war in Ukraine. No criminal offence was alleged, and no [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/jacques-baud-and-the-demise-of-the-eu-as-a-liberal-project/feed/ 1 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/watch-60-minutes-inside-cecot-segment-blocked-by-cbs-news-chief-bari-weiss/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/watch-60-minutes-inside-cecot-segment-blocked-by-cbs-news-chief-bari-weiss/#respond Wed, 24 Dec 2025 18:53:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1292714 A social media user on Monday shared at least part of a “60 Minutes” segment about a prison in El Salvador—where the Trump administration sent hundreds of migrants—after CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss controversially blocked its release. “Canadians, behold! (And Americans on a VPN.) The canceled ‘60 Minutes’ story has appeared on the Global TV [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/watch-60-minutes-inside-cecot-segment-blocked-by-cbs-news-chief-bari-weiss/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/kafkaesque-west-from-the-rule-of-law-to-the-age-of-unpersons/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/kafkaesque-west-from-the-rule-of-law-to-the-age-of-unpersons/#respond Wed, 24 Dec 2025 18:40:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1292710 A passage from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale haunts me often: “That was when they suspended the Constitution… There wasn’t even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home… watching television… There wasn’t even an enemy you could put your finger on.” Today, the enemy list is long: Russia, China, Iran, Hamas—you choose! Our screens have changed, [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/kafkaesque-west-from-the-rule-of-law-to-the-age-of-unpersons/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/assange-files-complaint-to-block-machado-from-nobel/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/assange-files-complaint-to-block-machado-from-nobel/#respond Thu, 18 Dec 2025 16:55:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1292506 The WikiLeaks founder filed a criminal complaint arguing the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to pro-war Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela violates Swedish law, reports Joe Lauria. Julian Assange has filed a criminal complaint in Sweden to block the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize and $1.18 million to Maria Corina Machado, arguing that [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/assange-files-complaint-to-block-machado-from-nobel/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/breaking-free-of-media-group-think-is-a-scary-lonely-journey-i-know-i-was-forced-to-do-it/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/breaking-free-of-media-group-think-is-a-scary-lonely-journey-i-know-i-was-forced-to-do-it/#respond Sun, 16 Nov 2025 18:09:03 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1291336 [This is an adaptation of a talk I presented at an event “Reporting Gaza: Work, Life and Death”, organised by the South Wales National Union of Journalists, held at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff on 10 November 2025.] The past two years have seen a catastrophic failure by western journalists to report properly what [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/breaking-free-of-media-group-think-is-a-scary-lonely-journey-i-know-i-was-forced-to-do-it/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/youtube-deletes-hundreds-of-videos-documenting-israeli-war-crimes/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/youtube-deletes-hundreds-of-videos-documenting-israeli-war-crimes/#respond Sat, 08 Nov 2025 14:53:53 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1290984 YouTube, owned by Google LLC, has deleted more than 700 videos documenting Israeli human rights violations, citing compliance with US sanctions imposed on Palestinian human rights groups cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to an investigation by The Intercept published on 5 November. The investigation revealed that the videos were removed after US President Donald [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/youtube-deletes-hundreds-of-videos-documenting-israeli-war-crimes/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pentagon-creates-new-legion-of-pr-toadies/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pentagon-creates-new-legion-of-pr-toadies/#respond Sat, 25 Oct 2025 16:44:40 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1290430 When the Pentagon announced that reporters would only be credentialed if they pledged not to report on documents not expressly released by official press handlers, free press advocates, including FAIR (9/23/25), denounced the directive as an assault on the First Amendment. The impact of this rule cannot be understated—any reporter agreeing to such terms is [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/pentagon-creates-new-legion-of-pr-toadies/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/in-france-too-billionaire-tycoons-are-silencing-their-critics/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/in-france-too-billionaire-tycoons-are-silencing-their-critics/#respond Sun, 12 Oct 2025 16:26:11 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1289850 Attacks on free speech are growing. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, Donald Trump’s administration has launched a cynical cancel-culture campaign against anybody not deferential enough to Kirk and the ideas he stood for. Take the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pressure that led to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show in September. FCC commissioner Brendan [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/in-france-too-billionaire-tycoons-are-silencing-their-critics/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/social-media-spies-exposed-profiles-vanish-after-mintpress-report/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/social-media-spies-exposed-profiles-vanish-after-mintpress-report/#respond Sun, 12 Oct 2025 15:37:13 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1289824 After being exposed as former national security state agents by MintPress, large numbers of officials working in the highest levels of top social media platforms have deleted their profiles or wiped the incriminating evidence from the internet. A series of MintPress News investigations uncovered a network of hundreds of former agents of the CIA, FBI, and other [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/social-media-spies-exposed-profiles-vanish-after-mintpress-report/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/attack-on-free-speech-journalist-mario-guevara-deported-after-covering-anti-trump-protest/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/attack-on-free-speech-journalist-mario-guevara-deported-after-covering-anti-trump-protest/#respond Sat, 04 Oct 2025 13:59:33 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1289486 UPDATE: Mario Guevara was deported from the United States early on October 3, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara may be deported to El Salvador as soon as today despite holding work authorization in the United States and never having been charged with a crime. Guevara, who founded the outlet MG [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/attack-on-free-speech-journalist-mario-guevara-deported-after-covering-anti-trump-protest/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/parliament-blocks-declassified-citing-our-gaza-standpoint/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/parliament-blocks-declassified-citing-our-gaza-standpoint/#respond Sat, 27 Sep 2025 16:09:38 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1289161 Parliament has been accused of an “outrageous abuse” that is “worthy of the Trump White House,” after blocking Declassified UK from holding a media pass. Internal emails reveal that officials cited our “in-depth investigations… from a particular standpoint,” when rejecting our application. They also flagged a recent investigation Declassified published that raised concerns over pro-Israel bias in Westminster. This is [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/parliament-blocks-declassified-citing-our-gaza-standpoint/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/why-putting-jimmy-kimmel-back-on-the-air-is-not-a-victory-for-free-speech/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/why-putting-jimmy-kimmel-back-on-the-air-is-not-a-victory-for-free-speech/#respond Sat, 27 Sep 2025 15:48:34 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1289153 People are hailing the decision by ABC, Disney, and their corporate mascot Mickey Mouse to put Jimmy Kimmel back on the air as some grand victory for free speech. That is a fantasy. The suspension of Kimmel in the first place, along with CBS’s cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, exposes the real [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/why-putting-jimmy-kimmel-back-on-the-air-is-not-a-victory-for-free-speech/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-war-on-truth-why-are-palestinian-journalists-being-systematically-erased/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-war-on-truth-why-are-palestinian-journalists-being-systematically-erased/#respond Sat, 23 Aug 2025 16:22:50 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1287647 The killing of seven Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza on August 10 has prompted verbal condemnations, yet has inspired little to no substantive action. This has become the predictable and horrifying trajectory of the international community’s response to the ongoing Israeli genocide. By eliminating Palestinian journalists like Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqeh, Israel [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-war-on-truth-why-are-palestinian-journalists-being-systematically-erased/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/genocide-in-gaza-a-stain-on-us-all/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/genocide-in-gaza-a-stain-on-us-all/#respond Mon, 18 Aug 2025 18:01:30 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1287430 What is happening in Gaza is among the great crimes of this and of any other century. It is unrivaled because, unlike any other time in history, we have, for almost two agonizing years, been observers of Israel’s genocidal campaign to decimate the people and land of Palestine. Our collective humanity demands that the genociders [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/genocide-in-gaza-a-stain-on-us-all/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/abolishing-the-first-amendment/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/abolishing-the-first-amendment/#respond Sat, 02 Aug 2025 15:21:54 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1286861 Itestified at the New Jersey state capital in Trenton last week against Bill A3558, which would adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. “This is a dangerous assault on free speech by seeking to criminalize legitimate criticism of Israeli policies,” I said. “The Trump administration’s campaign to ostensibly root out [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/abolishing-the-first-amendment/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/apartheid-apartments-a-showroom-for-a-genocide-were-still-furnishing/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/apartheid-apartments-a-showroom-for-a-genocide-were-still-furnishing/#respond Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1286151 I arrived in Doncaster on one of those sticky, humid Fridays where everything feels like it’s wearing a damp jumper. My journey from Salford was a slow, passive-aggressive trudge through Britain’s train system, £20 lighter and 90 minutes older, all for the privilege of sitting on a damp seat next to a teenager vaping Elf [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/apartheid-apartments-a-showroom-for-a-genocide-were-still-furnishing/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/blinken-ordered-the-hit-big-tech-carried-it-out-african-stream-is-dead/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/blinken-ordered-the-hit-big-tech-carried-it-out-african-stream-is-dead/#comments Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:49:27 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1285833 On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, African Stream published its final video, a defiant farewell message. With that, the once-thriving pan-African media outlet confirmed it was shutting down for good. Not because it broke the law. Not because it spread disinformation or incited violence. But because it told the wrong story, one that challenged U.S. power in [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/blinken-ordered-the-hit-big-tech-carried-it-out-african-stream-is-dead/feed/ 1 https://znetwork.org/zvideo/national-teach-in-media-literacy-and-activism/ https://znetwork.org/zvideo/national-teach-in-media-literacy-and-activism/#respond Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:05:28 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=video&p=1284669 In our recent teach-in on Noncooperation with Trump, we touched on many essential pillars of free societies and of liberatory movements — including, the media. As repression keeps on ramping up, we’re pushing back with a follow up event digging in to this urgent topic…  Join us to hear from panelists on the frontlines of independent media. Watch to [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/zvideo/national-teach-in-media-literacy-and-activism/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/watch-this-new-hollywood-movie-about-gaza/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/watch-this-new-hollywood-movie-about-gaza/#respond Fri, 30 May 2025 14:00:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1284395 Our society doesn’t always stand out for its values, but damn well does for its production values. There may be nothing more powerful in the world than a film — or even a commercial — with high production values. So I’m deeply appreciative when a well-made movie actually says something that needed saying, when you [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/watch-this-new-hollywood-movie-about-gaza/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/reporters-without-borders-sounds-alarm-on-us-press-freedom-under-trump/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/reporters-without-borders-sounds-alarm-on-us-press-freedom-under-trump/#respond Sat, 03 May 2025 15:25:18 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1283298 Press freedom in the United States has fallen to its lowest level since Reporters Without Borders (also known as Reporters Sans Frontières or RSF) began publishing its annual ranking more than 20 years ago, with President Donald Trump’s return to power “greatly exacerbating the situation,” RSF said Friday. The U.S. fell from 55th to 57th place on [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/reporters-without-borders-sounds-alarm-on-us-press-freedom-under-trump/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/leaked-data-reveals-massive-israeli-campaign-to-remove-pro-palestine-posts-on-facebook-and-instagram/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/leaked-data-reveals-massive-israeli-campaign-to-remove-pro-palestine-posts-on-facebook-and-instagram/#respond Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:37:58 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1282443 A sweeping crackdown on posts on Instagram and Facebook that are critical of Israel—or even vaguely supportive of Palestinians—was directly orchestrated by the government of Israel, according to internal Meta data obtained by Drop Site News. The data show that Meta has complied with 94% of takedown requests issued by Israel since October 7, 2023. [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/leaked-data-reveals-massive-israeli-campaign-to-remove-pro-palestine-posts-on-facebook-and-instagram/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/israels-genocide-has-killed-more-journalists-than-wwi-and-wwii-combined-report/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/israels-genocide-has-killed-more-journalists-than-wwi-and-wwii-combined-report/#respond Wed, 02 Apr 2025 18:28:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1281922 More journalists have been killed in Israel’s genocide in Gaza than in the past seven major U.S.-involved wars combined, marking the “worst ever conflict” for reporters in history, a new report says. As of late March, at least 232 journalists have been killed in the Gaza genocide, with the vast majority being Palestinians, according to a [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/israels-genocide-has-killed-more-journalists-than-wwi-and-wwii-combined-report/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/protecting-the-freedom-to-read/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/protecting-the-freedom-to-read/#respond Wed, 26 Mar 2025 16:59:12 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1281579 Many Americans fear that the institutions protecting our democracy are under threat. Democracy originated in the city-states of ancient Greece, where citizens met in open forums to voice their opinions and share ideas. Ever since, the free flow of ideas has been essential to the preservation of democracy, thus it’s now more important than ever [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/protecting-the-freedom-to-read/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/we-found-elon-musks-doge-email-address-and-were-fighting-to-reveal-his-messages/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/we-found-elon-musks-doge-email-address-and-were-fighting-to-reveal-his-messages/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 14:32:14 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1280748 The Freedom of Information Act is a vital tool to expose how the U.S. government operates, and it’s especially critical when it comes to Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Musk and DOGE have slashed staffing and spending at vital federal agencies with startling secrecy and speed.  FOIA works best when requests are as specific [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/we-found-elon-musks-doge-email-address-and-were-fighting-to-reveal-his-messages/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/battle-for-the-truth-pro-israel-bias-inside-uk-newsrooms-revealed/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/battle-for-the-truth-pro-israel-bias-inside-uk-newsrooms-revealed/#respond Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:30:09 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1280126 Journalists working at Britain’s most prestigious newspapers and TV channels have expressed concern at pro-Israel bias inside their organisations. Speaking exclusively to Declassified, half a dozen current and former staff at the BBC, Sky, ITN, the Guardian and the Times have disclosed the extent of anti-Palestinian prejudice in their newsrooms. All of the journalists requested anonymity for fear of professional [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/battle-for-the-truth-pro-israel-bias-inside-uk-newsrooms-revealed/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/defending-the-palestinian-resistance-has-become-a-crime-in-the-uk/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/defending-the-palestinian-resistance-has-become-a-crime-in-the-uk/#respond Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:51:27 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1279852 Today, in that renowned citadel of freedom of expression and freedom of the press that was once the UK, if you profess your support for the Palestinian resistance you can be arrested and imprisoned, your mobile phone and PC confiscated and your home raided by police in assault gear; you can even lose your job [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/defending-the-palestinian-resistance-has-become-a-crime-in-the-uk/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/destroyed-assange-files-why-judges-rebuke-against-crown-prosecution-service-was-so-significant/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/destroyed-assange-files-why-judges-rebuke-against-crown-prosecution-service-was-so-significant/#respond Thu, 16 Jan 2025 16:52:00 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1278520 A British judge issued an unusually critical rebuke against the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales (CPS) for its handling of freedom of information requests related to Sweden’s failed attempt to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The decision by the United Kingdom’s information rights tribunal was made public on January 10. It followed an [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/destroyed-assange-files-why-judges-rebuke-against-crown-prosecution-service-was-so-significant/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/judge-threatens-to-break-the-uks-wall-of-secrecy-around-assanges-persecution/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/judge-threatens-to-break-the-uks-wall-of-secrecy-around-assanges-persecution/#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 15:53:57 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1278286 After nine years of legal battles, a British judge has finally challenged the wall of secrecy erected by British and Swedish authorities around the legal abuse of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Judge Foss, sitting at the London First-Tier Tribunal, has ruled that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) must explain how it came to destroy key files that [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/judge-threatens-to-break-the-uks-wall-of-secrecy-around-assanges-persecution/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/as-gaza-war-rages-deutsche-welle-insiders-accuse-outlet-of-pro-israel-bias/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/as-gaza-war-rages-deutsche-welle-insiders-accuse-outlet-of-pro-israel-bias/#respond Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:19:20 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1277477 Senior newsroom figures at Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle are cultivating a culture of fear among journalists who are tasked with reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza, 13 staff members and freelancers currently working for the network – plus a former long-term correspondent – have told Al Jazeera. They accuse Deutsche Welle of pro-Israel and [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/as-gaza-war-rages-deutsche-welle-insiders-accuse-outlet-of-pro-israel-bias/feed/ 0 https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-bbcs-civil-war-over-gaza/ https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-bbcs-civil-war-over-gaza/#respond Fri, 20 Dec 2024 16:48:49 +0000 https://znetwork.org/?post_type=znetarticle&p=1277367 The BBC is facing an internal revolt over its reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza. Their primary battlefield has become the online news operation. Drop Site News spoke to 13 current and former staffers who mapped out the extensive bias in the BBC’s coverage and how their demands for change have been largely met with silence [...]]]> https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-bbcs-civil-war-over-gaza/feed/ 0