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	Leaders must reject politics of fear and division by Amnesty International, Oxfam, agencies   January 2017   As political and business leaders gather at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, the heads of six of the world’s largest campaigning organizations have called on them to immediately and urgently repudiate narratives of fear, division and blame, and recommit themselves to working together towards a free, just, sustainable and equitable world.   In a joint statement released days before Donald Trump is inaugurated as President of the United States, the leaders of Amnesty International, Avaaz, Greenpeace International, International Trade Union Confederation, Oxfam International, and Transparency International have strongly condemned the new climate of permissiveness for hate crimes and discrimination which has arisen in numerous countries. They stressed that those who peddle the politics of fear and scapegoating are offering the wrong remedies to social and economic grievances.   The statement signed by, among others, Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International, reads:   At a time when justice and human rights face a deeply uncertain future in so many parts of the world, we, the undersigned heads of some of the world''s major campaigning organisations, call on world leaders immediately and urgently to repudiate narratives of fear, division and blame and recommit themselves unambiguously to working together towards a free, just, sustainable and equitable world.   We strongly condemn the growing use of hate speech and deeply irresponsible casting of collective blame onto minority groups for real or perceived social and economic ills. The new climate of permissiveness for hate crimes and discrimination which has arisen in numerous countries is deeply alarming, and needs to be tackled urgently and deliberately.   At the same time, we recognise that self-styled "anti-establishment" or "populist" politicians and leaders have tapped into a deep sense of disillusionment among people which is often rooted in social and economic grievances and anger over gaping inequality, massive corruption, the decent work deficit, impunity, and the unaccountable exercise of power.   However, we believe that those who peddle the politics of fear and scapegoating have offered absolutely the wrong remedies to these grievous ills.   The solutions lie instead in policies which seek to ensure social justice, accountability, transparency, decent work, and the fulfilment of all human rights, including economic, social, labour, and environmental rights.   We also protest strongly at the trend whereby countless organisations and individuals working for justice and human rights face a constant barrage of criticism, threats and violence, which for some has been a matter of life and death, with little or no redress. This is abhorrent and must be brought to an end.   As hundreds of the most influential political and economic leaders of the world gather at Davos this week, our message to world leaders who do not respect human rights is clear: our organisations and the millions of people who stand behind us and the wider movement for human rights and social justice are watching you. We will resist any unjust action every step of the way and make sure you are held to account. http://bit.ly/2iPm4Q8   * WEF: Human Rights in a Multipolar World (External link): http://bit.ly/2jUAfQ6   The Global Economy is Broken. (Oxfam)   Eight billionaires own the same wealth as half the world’s population. That’s right – eight individuals own as much as the poorest 3.6 billion people. Meanwhile, every day 1 in 9 people go to bed hungry.   Such extreme inequality is outrageous. Families living in poverty around the world are forced to suffer impossibly low wages, inhumane working conditions, and a total lack of even the most basic public services like water, education and healthcare. Governments are doing too little to help. And all the while, the usual suspects make billions from a system bent in their favour.   It doesn’t have to be this way. We can choose another future. A future where governments act to help everyone, where people are put before profits, and everyone is given a fair chance. We can help end poverty, and the rich and powerful need to play their part. Send billionaires a message: help build an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.   http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2017-01-16/just-8-men-own-same-wealth-half-world http://actions.oxfam.org/international/davos-international/petition/ http://www.oxfam.org/en/research/making-tax-vanish http://blogs.oxfam.org/en/blogs/16-12-16-worlds-worst-tax-havens-are-state-denial http://blogs.oxfam.org/en/blogs/16-09-07-tax-justice-are-victims-inequality-global-table http://blogs.oxfam.org/en/blogs/17-02-21-its-not-really-about-oxfams-shocking-inequality-stat-is-it http://blogs.oxfam.org/en/blogs/1859 Visit the related web page
	We need a free and unbiased press more than ever before by UN News, EJN, PBS Frontline, agencies   Mar. 2017   Freedom of Expression Monitors issue Joint Declaration on ‘Fake News’, Disinformation and Propaganda.   Leading monitors of freedom of expression around the world have come together to issue a Joint Declaration on freedom of expression, focusing this year on so-called fake news, disinformation and propaganda.   The action was taken by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, along with his counterparts from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).   Mr Kaye says: “Fake news” has emerged as a global topic of concern and there is a risk that efforts to counter it could lead to censorship, the suppression of critical thinking and other approaches contrary to human rights law. In this Joint Declaration, we identify general principles that should apply to any efforts to deal with these issues.”   The Declaration identifies the applicable human rights standards, encourages the promotion of diversity and plurality in the media, and emphasizes the particular roles played by digital intermediaries as well as journalists and media outlets.   * Access the Joint Declaration: http://bit.ly/2lLkJas   Jan 2017   Ethics in the News: Truth-Telling remains Key to Democracy in “Post-Truth” Era   After a year of unprecedented news-making, media around the world are stepping back to ask a pertinent question – what is the future of ethical journalism in an age when it appears that the public around the world are falling out with facts, humanity and accountable truth-telling?   Ethics in the News by the Ethical Journalism Network, throws some light on ethical challenges for media and gives journalists some key tips on ethical survival techniques.   In Europe and America the report looks at how media covered the UK vote to leave the European Union and the Trump election which intensified concerns about the revival of racism, extremism and political propaganda across the western world.   Ethics in the News analyses fake news and how journalism with a public purpose can be overwhelmed in a do-it-yourself world of communications that has led to a so-called post-truth movement in which facts and expert opinion are left on the sidelines of public discourse.   But this is no “western media” crisis. Elsewhere, the question is equally relevant. Turkey, for instance, is on the frontline of a catastrophic and on-going assault on free expression and the year ended with a full-scale information war between India and Pakistan.   The report also examines the continuing global rise of hate speech, particularly in Asia, where there are increasing regional tensions around China and Japan, not least because of territorial disputes and increasing nationalism. Ethics in the News shows how a glossary for hate in Hong Kong might help take the sting out of some of the media’s bad language.   In Africa, media struggle to rise above conflicts in central and eastern regions covering Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Kenya and South Sudan. The report highlights the efforts of journalists to cool things down through the EJN’s ‘Turning the Page of Hate campaign’.   Beyond politics the report examines how media covers the plight of women who are victimised by repressive social and cultural attitudes that continue to dominate media coverage of the shockingly misnamed “honour killings” in Pakistan.   Despite the grim news agenda, it was not all bad news for journalism in 2016. Perhaps the biggest single, corruption-busting story of the decade came from an unprecedented piece of investigative journalism carried out by 400 journalists in 80 countries – the Panama Papers.   The report highlights two areas of particular ethical practice that make journalism a cornerstone of reliability and trust: firstly, a tribute to all the whistle-blowers and sources who make public interest journalism possible through the eyes of the reporter; and, second, a thoughtful examination of how we use images to tell stories, focused on migration.   Ethics in the News also provides tips for journalists on how to stick to the facts, protect sources, report fairly on migration, identify hate speech, block fake news and guard against war-mongering and propaganda.   The report notes a growing movement to strengthen the craft of journalism and how, in every part of the world, even where megaphone politics is in power, journalists committed to the values of accuracy, humanity and transparency are doing good work and connecting with audiences. But much more needs to be done to support media.   * Access the report via the link below.   March 2017   A Devastating Budget, by Raney Aronson-Rath Executive Producer PBS Frontline   You usually hear from me when I’m eager to share an inside look at one of our upcoming investigations, new innovations or collaborations. Today my message is even more pressing.   As you may have heard, President Trump’s budget proposal calls for ending funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.   This is just the beginning of what will likely be a vigorous debate, and it’s worth noting that past calls to end funding of public media have failed due to deep, bipartisan support – in Washington and around the country.   That said, the specter of such cuts is very serious; if they do come to pass, our work, and the work of so many others across public media, would suffer. So, your support is all the more important and appreciated now.   At Frontline, we are dedicated to telling stories others can’t or won’t. We have been bringing you powerful, thought-provoking, investigative journalism for nearly 35 years. Our team of award-winning journalists tackles the toughest, most controversial and complex stories of our time, shining a light in the darkest places and holding those in power accountable.   And because we are public media, we strive to make our journalism available and accessible to all. We proudly air on PBS, and you can also access and stream more than 200 documentaries online, any time, for free on www.pbs.org/frontline.   Credible, clear-eyed, unflinching reporting combined with a powerful narrative — that is at the heart of what we do and part of a public media mission that you’ve come to rely on and trust. And of course, we answer to no one but you.   And yet, critical funding that makes our work possible is in jeopardy. The federal funding for public broadcasting represents less than 1/100th of one percent of the federal budget, while PBS is watched by 82 percent of U.S. households. It costs only $1.35 per citizen each year. This investment is critical to providing every American with free access to public media — award-winning educational children’s programming, critical stories about science, history, and culture and, yes, a proven, reliable source of in-depth and informative journalism.   If you feel as I do that public media is essential to our democracy and to enhancing public understanding of the critical issues of our day, please make your voice heard. Visit www.ProtectMyPublicMedia.org to both sign a petition to support continued funding and to find information about the ways public media serves our communities. Let your friends and family know how important public media is to you and watch for updates with additional information on how you can make a difference.   http://protectmypublicmedia.org/   * What role does the media play in driving xenophobia? World Policy Journal asks five experts from around the globe how the media has promoted or deterred xenophobia: http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2017/04/28/world-policy-newsletter-week-april-28th   * Developments in America: http://rsf.org/en/news/us-trumps-attacks-media-send-dangerous-message-worlds-press-freedom-predators http://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/25/opinion/trump-is-damaging-press-freedom-in-the-us-and-abroad.html http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/27/steve-bannon-white-house-official-media-keep-mouth-shut-threat http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/business/media/stephen-bannon-trump-news-media.html http://news.wgbh.org/2017/02/08/news/steve-bannon-aligns-vatican-hard-liners-who-oppose-pope-francis http://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/12/business/media/rupert-murdoch-donald-trump-news-corporation.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/18/thats-how-dictators-get-started-mccain-criticizes-trump-for-calling-media-the-enemy/ http://rsf.org/en/news/trump-media-public-enemy-number-one http://bit.ly/2kDfR6g http://bit.ly/2jQjTuV http://dartcenter.org/resources/trump-trauma-and-news-lessons-campaign-trail http://www.niemanlab.org/2017/02/how-to-cover-pols-who-lie-and-why-facts-dont-always-change-minds-updates-from-the-fake-news-world/   http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/ http://www.warren.senate.gov/ http://www.sanders.senate.gov/ http://billmoyers.com/story/welcome-to-the-vortex/ http://robertreich.org/ http://business-humanrights.org/en/companies-denounce-rightwing-us-website-breitbart-after-criticism http://www.prwatch.org/news/2017/01/13204/marc-short-koch-dark-money-operative-trump-legislative-director http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/the-heritage-foundation-a-heritage-of-propaganda-as-news http://theintercept.com/2017/01/24/get-ready-for-the-first-shocks-of-trumps-disaster-capitalism/ http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/01/24/trump-issues-media-blackout-multiple-federal-agencies http://www.thenation.com/article/the-real-enemy-of-the-people-is-a-president-who-opposes-the-free-press/ http://www.thestar.com/news/world/uselection/2016/11/04/donald-trump-the-unauthorized-database-of-false-things.html Visit the related web page
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