“It is an extremely important year for publishing on freedom of expression issues, from Bangladesh to Mexico writers face threats and sometimes death just for writing something that someone disagrees with,” said Index on Censorship magazine editor Rachael Jolley after receiving a British Society of Magazine Editors’ award.
The British magazine industry gathered last night at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane Hotel in London for the annual BSME awards.
Jolley was awarded Editor of the Year in the special interest brand category for her work at the helm of a publication which has achieved a constantly high editorial quality within its sector over the past 12 months.
Jolley, who joined Index on Censorship in 2013, has commissioned special reports on issues as diverse as taboos, how Shakespeare can be used as protest and threats to anonymity.
She said: “There are also other challenges to freedom of expression, from ensuring there is academic freedom on campuses to governments using financial pressure to stop media reporting uncomfortable news, plus increasingly sophisticated social media propaganda techniques used to stop the public knowing the truth.”
“This award from the BSME recognises the importance of those stories, and that they, vitally, must continue to be published,” she added. “It is also a recognition of how hard the magazine team, from designer to sub-editors work on each magazine.”
Jeremy Leslie, founder of the magCulture magazine shop and one of the BSME judging panel, said: “This year’s BSME Awards, announced last night, reflect the rise of the small independents.”
Index on Censorship magazine, published by Sage, was created in 1972 and has a team of global contributing editors and regular correspondents. It has readers in 178 countries.
Ziyad Maher, Sage’s global publishing director, said: “We’re so proud of our long-standing relationship with Index on Censorship. Congratulations to Rachael and the team at the magazine for this well-deserved recognition.”
Each quarterly magazine is filled with reports, analysis, photography and creative writing from around the world. Index on Censorship magazine is published four times a year by Sage, and is available in print, online and mobile/tablets. You can subscribe here. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Join Index on Censorship for a candlelit evening of songs censored and silenced, played live by award-winning Norwegian musician Moddi.
Set in the beautifully restored Victorian Hoxton Hall, this one-night-only celebration will feature banned songs from around the world, from artists including Pussy Riot and Kate Bush. Following a sell-out European tour, this is an exclusive opportunity to see a brilliant musician in one of London’s historic East End venues. Moddi’s remarkable collection reveals untold stories of censorship, persecution and repression. Guests will be greeted with a complimentary beer courtesy of cult craft brewery Flying Dog – and the party will continue long after the songs have ended.
We’re also raffling fantastic prizes including a luxury London hotel stay, a Whole Foods gift hamper worth £200, a month’s supply of Divine Chocolate, a case of Flying Dog beer, autographed books by legendary comedy writer John O’Farrell and much more.
If you can’t make the gig, but still want to be in with a chance of winning, donate now to Index on Censorship. Anyone who donates £10 or more between now and December 7 will be entered in to the raffle. (Entrants must be UK-based and be able to collect their prizes in person from our London office by 16 December.)
The event is in support of leading freedom of expression charity Index on Censorship, amplifying the voices of musicians, artists and others around the world who are currently facing censorship and repression.
Moddi (Photo: Jørgen Nordby)
On Moddi:
“Making banned music dangerous once again.” The Independent
“Music still has the power to confront authority” The Guardian
“Witty and spry” Financial Times
“A brave, thought-provoking, musically adventurous project” The Quietus
“An eye-opening lesson in the importance of music” Mojo
Moddi will be performing songs from his Unsongs album:
Raffle prizes include:
Wireless speaker worth £250 from Cambridge Audio
Luxury London hotel stay with Edwardian Hotels
Whole Foods gift hamper & £50 gift voucher (Total value £200)
£120 gift voucher for inamo restaurant
One of a kind Flying Dog beer gift basket
Case of biodynamic prosecco
Case of beer
Month’s supply of Divine Chocolate bars
Google Chromecast x 3
Hamilton playscript
Harry Potter & the Cursed Child playscript & Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay
Signed copy of Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad
Autographed books from John O’Farrell
£20 Pret a Manger voucher
Winners will be notified by Monday 12 December.
With special thanks to Flying Dog Brewery and Divine Chocolate.
Impress has been recognised as an approved regulator by the Press Regulation Panel under the Royal Charter.
The major concern for Index on Censorship remains Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which sets out that an organisation which does not join a recognised regulator but falls under its remit (through being considered a “relevant publisher”) will potentially become subject to exemplary damages should they end up in court, and could also be forced to pay the costs of their opponents. While that remains on the statute and while there is an approved regulator, there is a significant threat to press freedom in the UK.
Though the current government has said it will not enforce Section 40 who knows what a future government might do.
Index on Censorship has fought for free speech since 1972, and as publishers ourselves, we will not join a regulator that has to be approved by a body created by the state. This means we – and many other small publishers – could face crippling costs in any dispute, threatening investigative journalism or those who challenge the powerful or the wealthy.
Index has called for cheaper mediation in press disputes as we, like Impress funder Max Moseley and Impress chair, Walter Merricks, believe this is better for free speech. Where we disagree is in the need for a regulator to be recognised by a panel appointed via the state – or for law that makes it, in effect, compulsory to join an approved regulator or face punitive costs.
Index on Censorship has fought for free speech since 1972, and as publishers ourselves, we will not join a regulator that has to be approved by a body created by the state. This means we – and many other small publishers – could face crippling costs in any dispute, threatening investigative journalism or those who challenge the powerful or the wealthy.
Index has called for cheaper mediation in press disputes as we, like Impress funder Max Moseley and Impress chair, Walter Merricks, believe this is better for free speech. Where we disagree is in the need for a regulator to be recognised by a panel appointed via the state – or for law that makes it, in effect, compulsory to join an approved regulator or face punitive costs.
Yours sincerely,
Jodie Ginsberg
CEO, Index on Censorship[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1483970203305-a92d658b-517d-6″ taxonomies=”8996″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
