Columbia Global Freedom of Expression

📢 Elections, Misinformation, and Disinformation 📢 Don’t miss the streaming of our three insightful panels and a special book promotion! Join expert speakers from institutions like Columbia Law School Columbia | SIPA Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University The University of Alabama School of Law University of Minnesota Law School and many more: https://lnkd.in/g7n43txg

From the streets in #Serbia to campuses in the #US, students keep protesting. “[B]e on guard,”Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship, cautions the Index readers, “if history tells us anything, when it’s students versus state, it’s rare that the former win.” For over 270 years, Columbia has strived to uphold the values essential for a functioning democracy: free speech, open inquiry, and vigorous debate. At his 2025 Reuters Memorial Lecture on March 10, Dr Jelani Cobb, Ph.D., Dean of Columbia Journalism School, spoke of principles as pillars for institutions. “Values are meant to guide us in difficult times – in the easy times we already know what to do,” Dr Cobb said. “The paradox, of course, is that the minute you establish something based upon principle you are confronted by the question of when you will bend for expediency.”  This, and more, in our latest newsletter: https://lnkd.in/euPf9NMH

The ECHR ruled that Russia’s foreign agent law is stigmatizing & has a chilling effect on civil society. Meanwhile, autocratic regimes are copying these tactics: ⚠️ #Georgia: Parliament advances a foreign agent law with criminal penalties. ⚠️ #RepublikaSrpska: Adopts a restrictive NGO transparency law. ⚠️ #Kazakhstan: Parliament debates a foreign agent proposal. More in our latest #newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e-9hGwKz

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dario Milo, Attorney and Partner at Webber Wentzel and CGFoE Expert, who has received the prestigious Chambers Africa Award 2025 for Outstanding Contribution to the legal profession.  “Dario Milo stands out for his expertise in defamation and free speech matters, with a strong track record in some of the most important cases in this field to come before the South African courts,” said Chambers Africa. This, and more, in our latest #newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e-9hGwKz

We know that investigative journalism is a powerful tool for truth and accountability. Women journalists around the world are leading groundbreaking investigations, exposing corruption, uncovering human rights abuses, and holding power to account—often at great personal risk. The Reporters Shield team have been following the work of these five UK journalists & editors - which women journalists in your country have caught your eye? 📌 Rozina Breen: award-winning journalist and editor, currently the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. She has significantly influenced contemporary investigative journalism, shedding light on critical issues at the nexus of technology and democracy. 📌 Hardeep Matharu: a British journalist and writer, and the Editor-in-Chief of Byline Times, an independent newspaper and website that aims to provide investigative journalism and commentary on political and social issues, focusing on stories often overlooked by mainstream media. 📌 Shahla Omar: a journalist and news editor at The New Arab, a news and current affairs website covering the biggest stories from Middle East, Africa and beyond. Leading the way in amplifying perspectives and voices that foster progressive dialogue while challenging autocratic and sectarian narratives. 📌 Carole Cadwalladr: British journalist and author renowned for her investigative reporting, particularly her work on the Cambridge Analytica scandal. She has significantly influenced contemporary investigative journalism, shedding light on critical issues at the nexus of technology and democracy. 📌 Nadine White: An award-winning journalist and the first race correspondent in UK media. Her work has had real impact and uncovered stories that would otherwise have not reached a mass audience, exposing social and racial inequalities in the UK. She was shortlisted for the 2020 Paul Foot Award for her SPAC Nation Expose. We’re encouraged by how these journalists are shaping the future of investigative reporting, often in the face of legal threats, digital attacks, and censorship. Who are the investigative women journalists you’re following in 2025? Let us know in the comments. #ReportersShield #IWD2025

#BIH: IPI and #mediafreedom partners are extremely concerned about the adoption of legislation in the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina which will establish a “special registry” of NGOs, many of which are independent media. During meetings with EU officials yesterday in Brussels, IPI raised these concerns and called for the EU Commission & international community to oppose the law and call for it to be rescinded. It's part of a worrying trend of similar foreign agent laws passed across Europe in recent years, including Georgia, that ramp up pressure on independent media and civil society.

📢 📢 📢 LEGAL ALERT Decisions of this week concern #Belarus. The UN Human Rights Committee consolidated over 60 cases into just three rulings. “This procedural innovation marks a strategic shift,” said Lautaro Furfaro, Legal Researcher at CGFoE. “The Committee is not only reinforcing its jurisprudence but also streamlining its response to structural restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”  More here: https://lnkd.in/eEqnXHgY

The right to protest demands protection. In #Georgia, as nationwide rallies against the Moscow-aligned government continue, so does the crackdown on free speech. Most recently, the Georgian parliament adopted amendments imposing severe criminal penalties for critical speech and restrictions on gatherings. “The UN Human Rights Committee affirms that failing to notify authorities or seek authorization does not make an assembly unlawful,” ARTICLE 19 responded in a statement.  In #Serbia, the deadly collapse of a train station in Novi Sad this past November ignited an anti-corruption movement led by students. Tens of thousands are protesting, with many facing violence, arrests, and persecution. Three ministers have resigned, including Prime Minister Milos Vucevic. “We don’t care about resignations,” one student protester told the New Lines Magazine, “[but] we do care about our demands and the rule of law.” In #Slovakia, protests against another pro-Kremlin government have been ongoing for weeks. Last Friday, reiterating their call for Prime Minister Robert Fico to step down, thousands marked the 7th anniversary of the murder of Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée. International Press Institute (IPI) and partners have renewed their call for ultimate justice – the conviction of the mastermind behind the murder.  All & much more in our latest #newsletter https://lnkd.in/eEqnXHgY Foto credit & excellent article explaining protests in Europe by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

"Trapped inside the airless machinery of the legal process." That’s how investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr described the suffocating effect of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) when she was being sued for defamation. These lawsuits aren’t about winning in court — they’re about intimidation. They aim to exhaust journalists financially and emotionally, silencing critical reporting on powerful interests. As Peter Noorlander, consultant on free speech and civil society, in the first of our guest blog series, there are ways for media organisations to fight back. “Going public with a SLAPP threat can help turn the tables, exposing the legal machinery for the abusive process that it is and helping others trapped within it to finally breathe. Public disclosure builds solidarity among journalists, raises awareness of SLAPPs, helps tailor solutions to the problem, and exposes those businessmen and politicians who habitually abuse the law to silence their critics,” he writes. We agree that solidarity among journalists is a critical part of defending investigative reporting from legal attacks. It’s why organisations like Reporters Shield exist and we collaborate with our members to deliver a three-pronged legal strategy: Prevent, Respond, Defend. 🔔 Read Peter’s blog in full and make sure to follow this page for more editions in our guest blog series. https://lnkd.in/eZYUg6T7 #ReportersShield #SLAPPs

#Slovakia: Last week, IPI was in Bratislava to attend events commemorating the seventh anniversary of the murder of Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová on 21 February 2018. The lack of full justice in this case, and ongoing impunity for the mastermind, underscore wider threats facing the safety of journalists and media freedom in Slovakia. To mark the anniversary IPI, along with partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), also published a new report examining these challenges. You can download the report here - https://buff.ly/43cHN9y Photos via Ronja Koskinen, IPI