Issue:
Regimes using coronavirus as an excuse to attack press
New Statesman, March 25
China’s Media Censorship Could Have Cost Thousands of Lives
Newsweek, March 25
Coronavirus is being used to suppress press freedoms
Axios, March 31
Coronavirus leads to violations of media freedoms in Egypt
Middle East Monitor, April 2
Coronavirus Consequence: Crackdown on Press Freedom World-Wide
Wall Street Journal, April 2
The coronavirus crisis has made press freedom, in Hong Kong and elsewhere, more vital than ever.
South China Morning Post, April 2
Hungarian journalists fear coronavirus law may be used to jail them
The Guardian, April 3
How press freedom is being threatened by the coronavirus
Reuters, April 7
Is the coronavirus killing press freedom in Africa?
DW Akademie, April 8
Press freedom violations throughout Africa linked to Covid-19 coverage
RFI, April 14
Journalists threatened and detained as countries on multiple continents restrict coronavirus coverage
Washington Post, April 16
When Freedom of the Press is Stricken with the Coronavirus
The Wire, April 16
Coronavirus Pandemic: 10 Urgent Threats to Press Freedom
Time, April 17, 2020
Coronavirus: RSF concerned for freedom of the press as Japan declares state of emergency
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged the Japanese government to exclude the media from the list of companies and associations that could receive its instructions under the state of emergency and asked for a revision of the law to guarantee press freedom at any time.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese government declared on April 7 a state of emergency for most of the country, putting into effect its special-measures law that entitles the government to give “instructions” to a number of designated companies and associations listed on its website, including public broadcaster NHK. Many have raised concerns that the ambiguous formulation of the law could be interpreted as an authorization to infringe on the media’s editorial independence.
RSF urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to remove NHK from the designated list and ensure that no other media are added. RSF also asked the Japanese lawmakers to modify the emergency law with due haste to make it fully compatible with the Japanese constitution and the Japanese Broadcasting Act, both of which guarantee press freedom.
“When confronted with a public health crisis, independent information concerning measures taken by the authorities and the steps recommended to limit the spread of the epidemic are indispensable to the public,” said Cédric Alviani, RSF East Asia bureau head, who urges the Japanese government “to fully ensure media’s editorial independence and act with transparency.”
On March 15, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare apologized for posting inaccurate content on Twitter. Another false tweet also posted on March 5 was aimed at attacking the TV Asahi’s news report on coronavirus.
Since Shinzo Abe took office as prime minister in 2012, many journalists have complained about a climate of mistrust and hostility coming from the government, which has tried on several occasions to interfere with the media’s editorial independence, including NHK.
UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression David Kaye has expressed serious concerns about freedom of the press in Japan in 2017 and noted a further erosion of freedom in 2019
