Press Freedom

By targeting the media and journalists, government leaders seek to portray them as enemies in order to control the narrative and eliminate criticism.

When Russia seized Crimea in March 2014, I ventured there to report on how Ukrainians were coping under occupation. The full-scale invasion in February 2022 brought an even darker reality.

If you’re waiting for a press crackdown in the U.S. to look like what happened in Syria or Lebanon, you will miss it. In the U.S., the pressure comes differently.

In the darkest and most ferocious moments of Nigeria’s totalitarian experience, two survival strategies worked for us: courage and community.

In Serbia, media freedom has never been a given. We have never had a solid foundation of transparency or accountability. Journalists have been working under pressure for decades.

Kenya exemplifies how journalism, through an unwavering commitment to truth and accountability, can endure and shape society even in restrictive and challenging environments.

Despite the threats we face, my colleagues and I at Rukhshana Media, along with other independent media organizations, continue to tell the stories the Taliban don’t want to be heard.