Griffith In Asia

Global press freedom is at one of its lowest points with restrictions placed on the media on the rise in a number of countries. The recent politically motivated charge and ‘cyber libel’ conviction of Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler and Reynaldo Santos Jr. former Rappler reporter by a Philippines court is a case in point. Such conditions used to the be the scope of authoritarian regimes, however recent developments show that the practice is spreading to both new and established democracies. These worrying trends need to be taken seriously as threats to media freedom risk undermining not only faith in journalism and the media but also eroding the pillars of democracy and the trust that people place in it. Chaired by Stefan Armbruster, this Perspectives:Asia webinar looks at the changes in press freedoms in our region specifically Australia, the Pacific and South East Asia. Speakers: Marites Danguilan Vitug has been a journalist for more than three decades and is one of the Philippines’ most accomplished journalis