The Backstory: A media freedom podcast

In this special episode of The Backstory, WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom laureate Carlos Chamorro speaks to Mexican journalist Javier Garza about his journey from political activist to the top of Latin American journalism.

Nicaragua is facing a deep crisis as its populist leader, Daniel Ortega, seeks to consolidate nearly two decades in power at the expense of civil liberties, human rights, and press freedom. Chamorro talks about how, in the battleground between politics and journalism, there is only ever one winner, and what it means to rely on journalistic credibility in the face of violence and oppression.

This episode was produced by Andrew Heslop, Javier Garza and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Crystals by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/crystals)

Africa has made strides towards more press freedom, with countries like Zimbabwe and Malawi recently passing laws to protect free speech or access to information. But while this is a positive development for journalism, there have also been "clawbacks” – a reversal in access. In addition, journalists on the continent continue to self-censor their work in the face of government pressure and intervention, and have struggled to gain public trust. In this episode, we explore some of the trends common across Africa, with a particular focus on Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa, with:

- Nqaba Matshazi, campaign coordinator for the Media Institute of Southern Africa (https://zimbabwe.misa.org/who-we-are/the-team/)

- Susan Makore, director for Advisory and Insights within Wan-Ifra’s Women in News programme and commissioner for the Zimbabwe Media Commission (https://womeninnews.org/2020/08/susan-makore-faces-tough-challenge/)

- John Allen Namu, investigative journalist and co-founder of Africa Uncensored, based in Nairobi, Kenya (https://africauncensored.online/author/j-allan/)

- Nwabisa Makunga, editor of the Sowetan newspaper in Johannesburg, South Africa (https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/authors/nwabisa-makunga/)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by The Freeharmonic Orchestra (https://stevecombsmusic.bandcamp.com/track/sleepless)

The United States has long been held up as a model for press freedom worldwide. But increasing polarisation and the rise in populist politics are challenging this assumption. Instances of government officials undermining the media and the country’s democratic institutions make it increasingly difficult for journalists to do their jobs. Farther south, governments have been using laws to arrest and detain journalists who ask too many questions, while criminals who target journalists go unpunished. In this episode we take a close look at the US, Guatemala and Mexico, while also identifying trends that are spreading regionally, with:

- Lauren Chooljian, radio journalist for New Hampshire public radio in the United States (https://www.nhpr.org/people/lauren-chooljian)

- Joel Simon, founding director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at The City University of New York, in the United States (https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/faculty/joel-simon/)

- José Carlos Zamora, Guatemalan journalist and son of José Rubén Zamora, founder and director of Guatemala’s El Periodico newspaper, who has been in prison since mid-2022 (https://twitter.com/jczamora)

- Martha Ramos, chief editorial officer for Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico’s largest print media company (https://wan-ifra.org/2023/03/meet-martha-ramos-the-new-president-of-the-world-editors-forum/)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/crystals)

Asia is a vast region with extensive news markets and huge audiences, providing a plethora of opportunities for media production and consumption. But the continent is also home to a range of governing styles, from democracies to authoritarian dictatorships, some of which regularly crack down on press freedom. In this episode we hear from media professionals in Indonesia, India and Thailand on the specific challenges facing the news industry, as well as the role of China’s influence in the region, with;

- Siddarth Vardarajan, founding editor, The Wire in India (https://m.thewire.in/author/Siddharth-Varadarajan)

- Sui Lee Wee, Southeast Asia bureau chief for the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/by/sui-lee-wee)

- Luviana Ariyanti, co-founder of alternative women’s media, konde.co, in Indonesia (https://www.konde.co/)

- Ritu Kapur, co-founder and managing director of The Quint in India (https://www.thequint.com/topic/ritu-kapur)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/sandstone/)

The October 2023 elections in Poland marked a turning point for its media freedom, when the far-right Law and Justice party were pushed out of power after nearly a decade of rule and media control. But in other Eastern European countries, governments still exert power over the news industry, and throughout Europe, the rise of populism and the far-right is posing significant challenges to press freedom. In this episode we look at how Poland, Norway and the UK are navigating current challenges, and the impact that the war in Ukraine is having on press freedom on the continent, with:

- Joanna Krawczyk, deputy managing director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, based in Warsaw, Poland (https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/joanna-krawczyk)

- Helje Solberg, news director at public broadcaster NRK in Norway (https://www.nrk.no/presse/helje-solberg-blir-nyhetsdirektor-i-nrk-1.14119443)

- Kamal Ahmed, president of the Society of Editors in the UK, and editor-in-chief and co-founder of The News Movement (https://www.thenewsmovement.com/)

- Gavin O’Reilly, former president of Wan-Ifra; publisher and executive chair of the UK-based The New European (https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Tea K Pea (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/tea-k-pea/ire-desire/lake-2/)

Journalists working in the the Middle East and North Africa face some of the biggest challenges to the profession anywhere in the world. The area has seen great upheaval in recent years, with revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, and conflicts that have engulfed the region, like the current war in Gaza. But journalists remain dedicated to promoting the truth, working both pragmatically and creatively to ensure that their stories reach the rest of the world. In this episode we dip into the immense challenges facing the media industry in the MENA region, with:

- Malek Khadhraoui, director of Tunisian investigative magazine Inkyfada

(https://inkyfada.com/fr/author/malek-khadhraoui/)

- Ayman Mhanna, executive director of the Samir Kassir Foundation's Skeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom in Beirut, Lebanon (https://www.skeyesmedia.org/en/)

- Diana Moukalled, founder of media platform Daraj, in Lebanon (https://daraj.media/en/author/dfb37d025b8e3227fbe94311703e8c8b/)

- Rasha Qandeel, Egyptian journalist, professor at the American University in Cairo (https://www.youtube.com/user/rashaqandeel/videos)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Swelling (https://swelling.bandcamp.com/track/night-ii)

News organisations around the world are facing a new digital reality. In order to survive, they must not only hold onto their audiences, but also build new ones. How are African news media using innovation to address these issues? While innovative ideas tend to be tech-focused, the fundamental issue for many African media organisations is not just about technology, it’s also about how the news itself is reported and presented – and especially, how the continent is portrayed, and the narratives around it.

In this episode:

- Chris Roper (twitter.com/ChrisRoper), Deputy CEO, Code for Africa, South Africa (github.com/CodeForAfrica)

- Nigel Mugamu (twitter.com/SirNige), Chief Storyteller, 263Chat, Zimbabwe (263chat.com)

- Moky Makura (twitter.com/mokymakura), Executive Director, Africa No Filter (africanofilter.org)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Broke for Free(https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Something_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Something_EP_-_05_Something_Elated)

What are the threats and challenges facing reporters who cover Africa’s biggest stories? How have threats evolved over the years, and what support do journalists have? Three journalists talk about their experiences of covering three very different, uniquely challenging beats (environment, elections, LGBTQ+ issues), and how they get to the story while keeping themselves and their sources safe.

In this episode:

- Madeline Ngeunga (twitter.com/NgeungaM), Data journalist, InfoCongo, Cameroon(infocongo.org/en/)

- Eric Oduor (twitter.com/Oduorerick), Editor of the Nation Media Group (www.nationmedia.com), and Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Journalists

- Caleb Okereke (twitter.com/CalebOkereke), Managing Editor of Minority Africa, Uganda (minorityafrica.org)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Sal by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/polyrhythms/sal)

Capturing the attention of young people means understanding what news and information they want and how they want to get it. Traditional media across Africa are reassessing their offer, while innovative platforms featuring images and video are growing in popularity. What can media companies do to attract – and keep – this booming demographic that cares deeply about the issues that affect our world?

In this episode:

- Tshepo Tshabalala (twitter.com/TshepototheT), Director, Journalism and Media Lab Africa (Jamlab) in South Africa (www.jamlab.africa)

- Kanyinsola Aroyewun, Head of marketing and content growth, Pulse, Nigeria (www.pulse.africa)

- Edwin Madu (twitter.com/dwinmadu), Editor in chief, Zikoko, Nigeria (www.zikoko.com)

- Yusuf Omar (twitter.com/YusufOmarSA), Co-founder, Hashtag Our Stories (www.hashtagourstories.com)

For more resources and tips visit WAN-IFRA's press freedom page (wan-ifra.org/about-us/press-freedom).

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Colette Davidson, Irene Abalo and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Simple Hop by Broke for Free (freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Slam_Funk/Broke_For_Free_-_Slam_Funk_-_11_Simple_Hop)

In a time of exceptional crisis for newsrooms and media companies everywhere, African media is facing huge financial challenges. But this time of uncertainty is also forcing media companies to find innovative ways of coping. Where is the money coming from, and how is the digital transition helping – or hindering – a future economic model? In this episode, we look at the struggles that African media companies are confronting, and the solutions they are finding.

In this episode:

-Charles Kanamugire (twitter.com/jckanam), Managing Director, Kigali Today, Rwanda (www.kigalitoday.com/)

-Lisa MacLeod (twitter.com/lisataljard), publishing consultant, FT Strategies and former head of digital at Tiso Blackstar Group in South Africa

-Alexander Owino, financial expert in Kenya

For more resources and tips visit WAN-IFRA's press freedom page (wan-ifra.org/about-us/press-freedom/).

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Sal by Xylo-Ziko (freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/polyrhythms/sal)