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SPJ International Community

The international community is an extension of the Society of Professional Journalists that brings together a community that believes in the protection of journalism globally. We are working to improve and protect international journalism by encouraging the free practice of journalism in all countries.

Our aim is to provide the resources necessary for journalists that report abroad to do safely and efficiently. More importantly, it is a community where journalists can receive support from colleagues.

You can view many of the #ICTalks we have held at our YouTube Channel.

We would love to hear from Individuals or international groups looking to connect with the us. Please send an email at spj.internationalcommunity@gmail.com.
 

Read our latest newsletter HERE

50 Years as a Foreign Correspondent:
A Discussion with Lewis Simons


Recorded: March 15, 2023
March 15, 2023: Interview sponsored by the New England SPJ Chapter with Pulitzer Prize winner and foreign correspondent Lewis Simmons. Host: International Community Co-Chair Elle Toussi.
From our latest newsletter
 
Mongolian Media Law Update
Earlier this year we learned about proposed legislation in Mongolia that could have had a major impact on press freedom in the Asian country. The bill was pushed through, according to NEXT, without the proper period of discussion and review.

The first round in the battle against the law was won when the president vetoed the law and sent it back to the Parliament January 27. Now the legislative body is once again taking up the law.

Our friends at the Nest Center for Journalism Innovations and Development in Mongolia told us the Parliament had taken up the legislation once more. According to the Nest Center, however, this time around there was more opposition to the proposed law from local citizens, civil society and international media and human rights groups.

According to the Nest Center, after the President vetoed the Law on January 27th, the Parliament needed to decide on whether to accept or override the veto within the first 10 days of their Spring session, which opened March 15. The Standing Committee on Law met on the first day of the Spring session and upheld the President's veto unanimously. Other committees of the Parliament also took up the veto and the law. After all that discussion 89% of the members of Parliament voted to sustain the President's veto.

The press freedom and human rights issues addressed in the legislation will be taken up again. However, according to NEST, the Parliament will follow the proper process of proposing and debating legislation.

Brazilian Media and Bolsonaro Falsehoods
We got hold of an interesting report from Knight Center/LatAm Journalism Review that showed mainstream Brazilian media tended to echo the multitude of falsehoods about COVID-19 put out by then-President Jair Bolsonaro.

From the report:
"According to the fact-checking platform Aos Fatos, Bolsonaro made 1,383 false statements and 1,221 distorted statements about the coronavirus in his four years in office. Many of them ended up in the titles or headlines of major Brazilian news outlets without contextualization or correction, amplifying the denialist discourse of the then-president."

The study looked at 111 headlines about Bolsonaro from six media outlets. Almost two-thirds -- 60% -- were classified as direct statements without context. More than half of these headlines placed the Bolsonaro statements in quotes. One authors said the it could have been an attempt to gain clicks or to ensure there would be no accusations of bias in the headlines.

The problem, the authors said, is that too many people just read the headline and do not go into the article to see information contradicting the false statements reported in the the headline.
Mexican Military Unit Spying on Journalists
We already know that the Mexican government has been using the spyware Pegasus against journalists and its critics. There is now moire evidence of how an arm of the Mexican army used Pegasus and other means to spy on journalists.

The report is well worth your time: Spying on Mexican journalists and activist took place in a secret military unit, reveals 'Spy Army' investigation; NGOs call for international support
Persian Swan
A point of personal privilege: Congratulations to International Community co-Chair Elle Toussi and best wishes for the success of her latest project - Persian Swan. Elle's other producer is another journalist, Kelly Johnstone, who works for Bloomberg Asia.

The movie is about principal dancer Tara Ghassemieh as she discovers her place within the world of ballet and uncovers a forgotten piece of Iranian history.

Thanks to Elle, there is a discount for our readers. Just click HERE to go to the proper page to view the film at the discount rate.
 
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