Press Freedom
Mediawatch: Ukraine's war and the media
Some are already calling the invasion of Ukraine a turning point in world history. How we react is shaped by the media coverage - and most of what we get comes from outlets in countries that have… Audio
Reporting Afghanistan after abandonment
Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks prompted the US to invade Afghanistan, the Taliban announced they’ve taken the whole country again this week. Journalists who remain there are at risk in spite of… Audio
Could China become a western news desert?
The Australian media’s last news journalists in China quit the country in a hurry this week. For the first time in nearly 50 years there’s no-one from across the ditch covering this critical country -… Audio
Reporters cop it in the land of the free-for-all
Journalists covering the US protests have been targeted by militarised police officers and actual military police alike - and in some places, the protesters themselves. Many blame Trump’s ‘enemy of… Video, Audio
Aussie news media blacks out for press freedom
It's been an historic day for News Corp Australia and Nine mastheads this morning. All front pages in print and on line showed blacked-out text beside red stamps marked "secret". Rival news… Audio
Bizarre true story of journalist conned by 'fantasist' extremist
In a book that was twice stopped by authorities, "The Messenger" tells how Shiv Malik met, and was subsequently taken in by, Hassan Butt, a notorious British-Pakistani terror spokesman in the… Audio
China compared to Nazi Germany and Australian press freedom
Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst reports on Prime Minister Scott Morrison's visit to the Pacific Islands Forum as a rift opens in Australia's ruling coalition over an MP's comparison of the… Audio
Police raids spook Aussie media
Three times this week week the powers-that-be intruded on journalists in Australia to try and dig out sources of controversial stories of clear public interest. Media freedom advocates there say a new… Audio
AFP 1 v ABC 0
Three police raids on journalists and newsrooms have called into question abuses of Australian law. Audio
Uncharted waters for media freedom
Any complacency about extremism here was extinguished by the attack in Christchurch on 15 March. The media claimed it marked “the end of our innocence”. We're still in the top ten for global press… Audio
NZ Herald paywall & deciphering house price stats
Media commentator Gavin Ellis says there is a lot riding on the New Zealand Herald's imminent paywall - including decisions on whether others will follow suit. Also, the phrase "lies, damned lies and… Audio
China keeps the media in line
International journalists were startled when Chinese officials prevented them from reporting some events at the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea this week. It was a taste of the tactics China employs… Audio
Media freedom under the microscope
New Zealand is back in the top ten in the annual rankings of global media freedom. That's not bad considering we plummeted down the ladder last year. But does that mean everything’s rosy?
Australian media unite to fight laws to jail journalists
Australia's biggest news media companies have united to fight a national security law that could criminalise reporters and their sources. Peter Greste - who knows all about being jailed for journalism… Audio
Reporting risks grow under ‘The Punisher’
Journalists in the Philippines take their life in their hands doing their job. What was already one of the world's riskiest places to be a reporter has become even more difficult under President… Audio
Dateline Pacific morning edition for 4 May 2017
Tonga state broadcaster undergoing overhaul after PM complaints; Pacific journalists say press freedom is still a challenge in the region; village outreach a new approach to healthcare in Niue… Audio
Press freedom still a challenge in the Pacific
Ongoing challenges towards a free press in the Pacific. Audio
Police raid critical newspaper in Istanbul
Turkish police have raided the offices of the opposition Zaman newspaper, placing it under state control.
NZ slips again in anti-corruption rankings
New Zealand has slipped again in global anti-corruption rankings, to fourth place - with a warning it could fall further if action is not taken.