Thread by @EthnicMediaSvc

Worldwide, journalists are being killed, harassed, and imprisoned, as public opinion about #journalism globally is at an all-time low. At 11 am PST we'll discuss this with @pressfreedom, @RicardoTrotti, Slavic Sacramento and @goldkorn. Join via FB: fb.me/e/1yrfRL17N

Welcome to today's briefing, "#Journalists in the Crosshairs: The War on Information." You can follow the conversation here @EthnicMediaSvc and via FB Live: fb.me/e/1yrfRL17N

"In the 50 years I have been working in this field, it feels like a very dangerous time to be a #journalist," says EMS Director Sandy Close. #PressFreedom

"We used to take information and access to news for granted. We can no longer do so, no matter where we live," she adds.

Our first speaker is Carlos Martinez de la Serna, Program Director for @pressfreedom. "Any place where there is a crisis of any kind... information and #journalism becomes a target."

If you think of the recent protests against racism, there were record numbers of journalists attacked and imprisoned. And in #Ukraine, there is a similar war on information.

We are seeing record numbers of journalists killed and imprisoned around the world. Even one killed creates a chilling effect on the local community and the global community of journalists.

Journalists investigating corruption are often targeted, but there are new trends. Last year @pressfreedom documented 47 journalists jailed on trumped up charges of false news.

Read @pressfreedom report on the most dangerous countries for journalists in 2021: cpj.org/data/killed/20…

Important to note that the killing of journalists are rarely solved, and that there is a growing community of journalists in exile because they cannot do their work within their home countries.

This applies to countries like #Nicaragua and #Ukraine, among many others.

There is a direct link between the use of #socialmedia to attack journalists and journalists' physical safety. This has to be taken into account even before we talk about the spread of #misinformation, says de la Serna.

What can we as journalists do to combat the growing mistrust of media, asks Henrietta Burroughs of @epatoday. "Journalists have to be part of the communities we are serving."

Our next speaker is @ricardotrotti, ED of @sip_oficial. "12 journalists have been killed in the Americas this year," says Trotti.

Police and paramilitaries are a large part of the problem, while impunity remains high. Protection systems do not work, and lack resources. And the stigmatization of media by leaders like Lopez Obrador of Mexico or Bolsanoro in Brazil fuel the attacks.

In #Nicaragua, the Ortega regime has imprisoned journalists and closed media outlets. It has expelled more than 150 journalists who are now in exile.

Yesterday there was a sentence of the general manager of @laprensa who was sentenced to 13 years in jail. "Journalists are detained, persecuted, they cannot move freely and are 'invited' to escape from the country."

In #Venezuela, Maduro has stolen the assets of more than 115 news outlets. In January, in #Cuba the penalties for crimes of content against the state were increased, erasing the possibility of criticism against the government.

Other problems are the lack of access to public information. This makes it hard to fight corruption, violence and poverty. And there is no transparency.

As we know, the most critical revenue - advertising - migrated to larger, digital platforms. The news deserts that advance as a result. 60% of cities in Colombia do not have local journalism. The same is true in Argentina, Brazil, etc.

"We are facing a bomb exploding in our hands without realizing it. Societies without local journalism cannot monitor their governments," says @RicardoTrotti

I believe there is a revaluing of the profession of #journalism in the wake of the #pandemic and other crises. "This is a positive sign for our profession," says @RicardoTrotti.

Our next speaker is Ruslan Gurzhiy of Slavic Sacramento, which provides news and information for one of the largest Russian-speaking communities in the US.

Since 2014, we have done a lot of investigations about corruption... in #Ukraine, Russia, but also here in California. "I was nearly arrested by #Ukrainian police during this investigation."

Many of those in our community in Sacramento do not speak English, and so they tune into Russia-based programming, which is essentially propaganda. With limited resources... we try to engage this community to bring them accurate information.

For this work we've been banned in Russia along with other outlets, says Gurzhiy.

Our next speaker is @goldkorn, editor in chief of @supchinanews. "It is a tough time to do China related journalism, or journalism related to the Chinese diaspora in the US."

In China, the environment for journalists is as repressive as its been since the 1980s. Independent media in China has just about been shut down. Any hope that existed has been shut down. "It's all about propaganda."

Foreign journalists get harassed all the time, and there are growing feelings of nationalism that have become more extreme during the pandemic. Thuggery on social media is "pretty high."

"If you're a Chinese journalist, you're either in jail, left the profession, or writing press releases. It's pretty sad," says @goldkorn

As for here in the US, you have media that have its roots in Taiwan, newer media companies supported by the Chinese govt or depend on Chinese biz for ads, which makes it awkward to speak truth to power.

As a journalist in the US, if you are seen as anti-China your media can be boycotted by people associated with the PRC, and you can be harassed online. It can be "very frightening."

If you are seen as hard on China, there is a subsection of media commentators who will accuse you of being behind the anti-Asian violence here. If you are pro-China, you are attacked and may be investigated by the US govt.

Social media has become an extremely toxic place for journalists. Covering China is very bad now... and this applies whether you are pro or anti-China, says @goldkorn

Check out our new Q&A with SupChina editor in chief @goldkorn
ethnicmediaservices.org/politics/big-s…

Local journalism is critical to our #democracy, says @RicardoTrotti. Everyone should pay for media, adds @goldkorn. "It is important for publishers to have revenue, and it is tougher than ever."

Every journalist killed in the line of duty in the US since the 1970s have been members of the #ethnicmedia. Covering your own community can be as dangerous as covering those in power, notes Sandy Close.

Making sure the flow of information is sustained is our mission, but the vulnerability when doing that job is not well understood, Close adds.

Thanks to all out speakers. You can watch the briefing in its entirety via our FB page: fb.me/e/1yrfRL17N And visit ethnicmediaservices.org for a full write up of today's briefing as well as past events.

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