Journalists Archives » Africa Global Village

Egypt frees Al Jazeera journalist after four years in detention

February 7, 2021 Elwin Mandowaafrica, africafeeds, Aljazeera, Egypt, Journalists, News, North africa, Opinions & Feature, World

– – Egyptian authorities on Saturday released a journalist working for Qatar’s Al Jazeera television network who was held in pre-trial detention for more than four years, his brother and a lawyer told Reuters. Mahmoud Hussein, an Egyptian detained in December 2016‮‮‮ ‬‬‬after arriving in Cairo from Doha on vacation, was held on charges of spreading false news, joining a banned group and receiving foreign funds. He was released after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt agreed in January to restore diplomatic, trade and travel ties with…

Africa East Africa World

Ugandan police chief says journalists are beaten for their own safety

January 10, 2021 Elwin Mandowaafrica, africafeeds, east africa, Journalists, News, police, Uganda

– – Uganda’s Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola, has said that beating up journalists in the line of their duties is for their own safety. Ochola has been under pressure to apologize for the violence meted out to journalists by security forces. Several journalists have suffered abuses and violence ahead of this month’s general elections in Uganda. The International Press Institute (IPI) in November last year, called on Uganda to investigate police attacks on reporters. The New York based rights group Human Rights Watch also warned that the…

Africa World

50 journalists killed in 2020 because of their work

December 29, 2020 Elwin Mandowaafrica, africafeeds, Crisis, Deaths, Journalists, News, Reporters without borders

– – Fifty journalists were killed due to their work in the year 2020, a latest report by Reporters Without Borders revealed. According to the report by the group, most of the killings didn’t happen in countries experiencing conflicts. The report revealed that many of the killings were targeted after journalists published works focusing on organised crime, corruption or environmental issues. 387 journalists are currently detained in connection with their work, according to the report. Fourteen journalists have also been arrested in connection with their coverage of the coronavirus crisis.…

Africa World

Fighting sexual harassment in African media houses

November 26, 2019 Village ReporterAfrica media, Journalists, Media, Opinions & Feature, Sexual Harassment, Special Reports

A multimedia campaign on sexual harassment in media houses across Africa dubbed #TimesUpAfriMedia has been launched by a group of media organizations. The campaign is meant to start series of activities to commemorate the UN’s 16 Days of Activism. African women journalists working in newsrooms, those within the media landscape as well as the associations that support them are backing the campaign. Groups behind the initiative said in a statement that the aim of the campaign “is to link arms and aims to call out the harassment and call in…

Africa Central Africa World

Burundi: 4 journalists charged with undermining state security

October 27, 2019 Village ReporterBurundi, central africa, Iwacu, Journalists, News, violence

Burundian authorities have charged four journalists on Saturday with a crime of undermining state security. The journalists were arrested this week as Burundi’s government continues to clamp down on journalists and human rights groups. According to local media reporting the journalists from a local news website outlet, Iwacu had travelled to report on violence in the northwestern province of Bubanza. They were arrested on Tuesday during this trip together with their driver. Radio journalist Christine Kamikazi, political reporter Agnès Ndirubusa, English-language journalist Egide Harerimana, photographer Térence Mpozenzi and driver Adolphe…

Africa Featured West Africa World

Sierra Leone: President’s bodyguards attack Journalists

September 9, 2019 Village ReporterAttack, Bodyguards, Featured, Journalists, Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone, violence, west africa

Sierra Leone’s government has said it will be constituting a committee to investigate the alleged attack on three local journalists. The journalists were “beaten” by presidential bodyguards in an attack at a football match. The Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone said in a statement on Monday that two female TV commentators and another reporter were attacked while covering a World Cup qualifier between Sierra Leone and Liberia on Sunday in the capital Freetown. Frances Barnard and Esther Marie Samura from the state-owned SLBC TV station and freelance journalist Alimmamy Kamara were…

Africa Gambia West Africa World

The Gambian media; what’s changed after Jammeh’s exit

August 10, 2019 Village ReporterGambia, Journalists, Media, Special Reports, west africa, Yahya Jammeh

The Gambian media for 22 years experienced all forms of harassment, abuses and threats to their work and all took place during the tenure of former President Yahya Jammeh. In 22 years there were reported disappearances and extra judicial killings. Some media outlets were being burnt to ashes, unlawful arrests and detention were the order of the day for journalists who were critical of the government modus operandi under Jammeh era. The Secretary General of the Gambia Press Union Saikou Jammeh testified at the ongoing Truth Reconciliation Commission that, 140…

Africa Opinions

An Open Letter to All Journalists

October 25, 2018October 25, 2018 Global AuthorJamal Khashoggi, Journalists, TM-Sidhi programs

By Arlene J. Schar and Dr. David R. Leffler Terrorism has taken a disturbing turn with the horrific murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Apparently the intent of this murder was to send a message to all journalists dedicated to thoughtful criticism of government. Therefore, what would be the most appropriate journalistic response to such blatant censorship? Is it to continue to report in good conscience, and risk brutal death? Or is it to step away from any controversial reporting and deny the truth to those who need to hear it? There is…

Jailed for being journalists

June 25, 2014 Global AuthorAl Jazeera, Baher Mohamed, Censorship, Egypt, Journalists, Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste

On 23 June, Egypt jailed Al Jazeera English staff Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed for simply doing their job as journalists. Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste were dealt seven years in prison for ‘broadcasting false news’ and apparently promoting the banned Muslim Brotherhood group. Baher Mohamed faces ten years behind bars; his sentence is longer as he has an additional charge of possessing a bullet casing, which he says he picked up as a souvenir. All three were arrested on 29 December. Security forces filmed the arrest of…

Women journalists harassed and abused, often by colleagues – survey

March 11, 2014 Global AuthorJournalists, Media, sexism, violence, Women

A member of the local media records a fire at the Comayaguela market in Tegucigalpa February 18, 2012. REUTERS/Jorge Dan Lopez LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – It’s not news that women journalists are groped and threatened while covering protests and conflict, but often they face this abuse at work, and when they complain, they are told to “grow up”. So says an international survey on women in the news media, which found that nearly two-thirds of respondents said they had experienced intimidation, abuse and even death threats because of…