Human rights and ICTs

Free online course on media freedom in Africa
Free online course on media freedom in Africa 29 May 2020 APCNews

The University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg is launching the third iteration of their online course Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in Africa. The updated version includes a session on African media in the time of COVID-19 as well as the impact of the pandemic on journalists.

Coconet: Singing about global issues and COVID-19 with the Marapu community
Coconet: Singing about global issues and COVID-19 with the Marapu community 29 May 2020 Fendi Widianto and Joseph Lamont for Coconet

Amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, health recommendations need to be conveyed to communities in remote areas that are separated both by distance and by the minority languages they speak. One medium that can be used to convey public messages is through song.

Who run the Instagram Live? Girls!
Who run the Instagram Live? Girls! 27 May 2020 Joshua Muyiwa for GenderIT.org

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Shakespeare wrote most of his plays during the bubonic plague, and now women and queer artists are using the internet and social media to open up spaces for marginalised communities and bodies.

DEF: Chronology of rumours and misinformation during COVID-19
DEF: Chronology of rumours and misinformation during COVID-19 20 May 2020 Anoushka Jha and Osama Manzar

This research from the DEF tries to understand the chronology of events that started rumours, fake news and misinformation about COVID-19 that spread across India.

CIPESA: Uganda’s social media tax undermining COVID-19 fight
CIPESA: Uganda’s social media tax undermining COVID-19 fight 19 May 2020 Juliet Nanfuka for CIPESA

In Uganda, social media is one of the avenues for disseminating information on COVID-19 to citizens. however, the effectiveness has been undermined by the social media tax, which requires telecom subscribers to pay a daily subscription in order to access popular social media platforms.

Community-led Connectivity: Assessing the potential of community network models in the context of forced displacement in East Africa
Community-led Connectivity: Assessing the potential of community network models in the context of forced displacement in East Africa 15 May 2020 Association for Progressive Communications (APC)

This report aims to further examine frameworks for extending access to connectivity out to refugees and their hosting communities, by exploring the potential of community-based approaches to provision of connectivity services.

Palestinian civil society organisations raise alarm over the selection of Emi Palmor, former General Director of the Israeli Ministry of Justice, to Facebook’s Oversight Board
Palestinian civil society organisations raise alarm over the selection of Emi Palmor, former General Director of the Israeli Ministry of Justice, to Facebook’s Oversight Board 14 May 2020 7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media

Palestinian civil society organisations condemn the selection of Palmor, voicing concern about the impact that her role will play in further shrinking the space for freedom of expression online and the protection of human rights.

Media Matters for Democracy expresses concern over safety of journalists covering COVID-19 health crisis
Media Matters for Democracy expresses concern over safety of journalists covering COVID-19 health crisis 12 May 2020 Media Matters for Democracy

Media Matters for Democracy is deeply concerned about reports of journalists in Pakistan forced to cover the COVID-19 public health crisis without adequate protective measures and safety precautions.

EngageMedia: Opposing the shutdown of Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN
EngageMedia: Opposing the shutdown of Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN 12 May 2020 Sara Pacia for EngageMedia

The last time a network was forced to stop broadcasting was during martial law under the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. At a time when credible sources of news and information are needed more than ever, the shutdown is seen as a blatant attack on freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

EngageMedia: Shooting COVID-19 in Manila
EngageMedia: Shooting COVID-19 in Manila 11 May 2020 King Catoy for EngageMedia

See how videojournalists in the Philippines are responding to the pandemic in this video from EngageMedia.

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