Index on Censorship CEO Jodie Ginsberg told Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday 15 May 2019 that that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right.
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Social media bans don’t just hurt those you disagree with – free speech is damaged when the axe falls too freely (Independent, 17 May 2019)
The White House announced this week it was launching a sort of hotline for people to report their experiences of censorship on social media....
Spotlight on threats against journalists in Malta in European report (The Shift News, 10 May 2019)
“Burned in effigy. Insulted. Menaced. Spat at. Discredited by their nation’s leaders. Assaulted. Sued. Homes strafed with automatic weapons. Rape...
Is the end of free speech a natural solution to the hatred shared online? (Metro, 8 May 2019)
The internet has a problem with hate speech. So wouldn’t it be easier to just turn it all off? Would limiting what people can say really stop the...
UK tax researcher fired from think tank for tweeting that ‘men cannot change into women’ (Christian Post, 8 May 2019)
For saying that males who identify as trans are not women, an internationally renowned tax expert was fired and is contesting her termination in...
From A Turkish Prison To Tate Modern: The Story Of Zehra DoÄźan, The Kurdish Artist And Journalist Endorsed By Banksy And Ai Wei Wei (Run Riot, 7 May 2019)
Zehra Doğan was released from prison on 24 February 2019. She was jailed over a painting she adapted from a Turkish army photograph where she...
Tax expert Maya Forstater fired for saying trans women aren’t women (The Times, 5 May 2019)
An internationally renowned researcher on tax avoidance is believed to be the first person in Britain to lose her job for saying that transgender...
What is left of a free Press? (Buenos Aires Times, 4 May 2019)
The last and really big incident was the murder in Pinamar on January 25, 1997, of Noticias reporter and photographer José Luis Cabezas, aged 36,...
World Press Freedom Day should bring freedom for Musa Kart and his Cumhuriyet colleagues
Index on Censorship joins Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI) to report that the internationally acclaimed cartoonist Musa Kart is again a prisoner this World Press Freedom Day.
This week at Index: #WorldPressFreedomDay Governments must do more to ensure the safety of journalists
On World Press Freedom Day we call on governments to do more to ensure the safety of journalists
Jeremy Hunt’s sudden enthusiasm for media freedom is welcome – but the UK should look at its own track record first (Independent, 2 May 2019)
With press freedom and journalists under attack all over the world, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt’s decision to make global media freedom his...
Online harms and media freedom: UK response to Council of Europe lacks concrete details
“The UK’s response to our Council of Europe alert lacks concrete details about how government proposals dealing with online harms will not damage media freedom and the public’s right to information,” said Joy Hyvarinen, head of advocacy, Index on Censorship.
Index Awards 2017: Celebrating defenders of free expression
Index on Censorship is a nonprofit that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide. We publish work by censored writers and artists, promote debate, and monitor threats to free speech. We believe that everyone should be free to express themselves without fear of harm or persecution – no matter what their views.
Index’s aim is to raise awareness about threats to free expression and the value of free speech as the first step to tackling censorship.
Index relies entirely on the support of donors and readers to do our work.
We work in four ways:
Informing
Index on Censorship publishes an award-winning quarterly magazine that has featured some of the world’s best-known writers. We publish original creative writing and articles about free expression from across the globe.
Our website offers additional information to help people understand the current threats to free expression globally. And we reach a wider audience through social media.
Influencing
Each year, Index on Censorship identifies some of the greatest threats to free speech around the world and develops advocacy campaigns to push for change in legislation or public attitudes. We choose topics where our work can make a significant impact – and deliberately choose areas where others might not be focused. You can see our current areas of focus on our Campaigns and Projects work.
We use a mixture of research, reporting, direct advocacy and media campaigning to achieve our goals.
Debating
Index on Censorship believes that free expression encourages more open and tolerant societies. We actively promote debate with an exciting series of events each year to help people better understand the value of free speech. This includes performances, exhibitions, talks and concerts. We are also regularly quoted in international media on free expression issues. Read more about our current events programme here.
Supporting
Index on Censorship directly supports groups and individuals facing censorship through our Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship. The fellowship offers a year-long programme of tailored support to a small group of fellows selected for their outstanding work in the fields of journalism, arts, campaigning and digital advocacy. Read more about this innovative work here.