
The onslaught of false news against real news is unprecedented. In the Middle East, an alarming trend of people doubting published news is overwhelming, Mohammed Komani, Thomson mentor and coach for Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ).
In a debate organised by Thomson Foundation and co-hosted with Reporters Without Borders to mark World Press Freedom Day, Mohammed, a mentor on our Connect 6 programme, said mis and disinformation had a big impact on the work of journalists he trained with ARIJ.
As an organisation we are doubling up our skills to have fact-checkers to help ensure everything is verified and documented, he added.
Responding to how this verification process delays their work he said, Its a challenge but they have to take their time to verify information to escape these kinds of rumours against journalists publishing fake news.
Mohammed was taking part in the discussion The Media Siege: how the tools of repression have changed with fellow panellists, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ewen MacAskill and Rebecca Vincent, Director of Programmes and Campaigns for Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF).
2023 World Press Freedom Index RSF published its annual index on the state of media freedom in 180 countries on World Press Freedom Day which revealed seven out of ten countries to be in a bad situation with an unprecedented 31 countries deemed to be in a very serious situation .
Pointing out that each year has its significant rises and falls, Rebecca highlighted some of the positive and negative instances.
The change in leadership in Brazil played an active role in the rise of the countrys rankings.
After many years of talks about the rise of the strongman model, she said. Figures like Jair Bolsonaro's departure and the return of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva moved Brazil 18 places in the rankings.
In Turkey, the active crackdown and targeting of journalists and media organisations lead to its drop in rankings.
Twenty-five Turkish journalists remain detained, she said. Resulting in a drop of 16 places to 165th on the index.
With all eyes on Iran and the protest that broke out in August 2022, more journalists were targeted. Twenty-five journalists remain jailed today, she added. But 70 were targeted, detained at some point in the months following Mahsa Aminis death.
Artificial Intelligence The rapid developments in Artificial Intelligence were highlighted in the press index and during the debate. Rebecca also reiterated the need for the industry to find solutions fast to ensure the protection of quality and independent ethical journalism.
Mohammed agreed AI was one of the challenges journalists now faced. We have to ensure good journalism as we benefit from new technologies, he stressed.
Surveillance is increasingly seen as a tool of repression against journalists.
Recalling his involvement in sensitive projects like the Panama Papers, Mohammed revealed that he did not put his name to six of the investigations in which he was involved to protect his family and himself.
He offered practical steps for journalists to ensure their safety advising them that, the first step is to check your mobile phone, your laptop, encrypting all your documents, emails, messages as well as operating in a safer environment.
Ewen MacAskill was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his work on the revelations about mass surveillance from US National Security Agency contractor and former CIA official Edward Snowden. When he first met the whistle blower in Hong Kong, Snowden told him to turn off his smartphone and lock it in the fridge in his hotel room.
I wasnt aware at that point a mobile phone was basically a speaker, and anyone could easily activate it and listen, he said.
Legal crackdown Media freedom can be achieved through the enforcement of laws, but increasingly the law is being used to try to silence journalists. Libel and defamation laws were the favoured choice to use against journalists but recently that's changed.
Ewen described how governments attempt to intimidate journalists using charges such as irresponsible breaches of national security.
One of the commonest things you see in some countries is not just about jailing people, or torturing or killing, sometimes the law is keener than that, he said. For some journalists, they end up in a form of self-censorship to avoid getting into more trouble or leave journalism all together
Mohammed described how one particular law is used against journalists, forcing them into silence.
There is something called pre-trial detention law, which allows authorities to hold journalists before arraigning them before court every 15 days, he said. Resulting in some journalists spending 4 years without knowing what is going on.
Going forward both Mohammed and Rebecca said that there was a growing need to help financially support journalists under threat including those living in exile. Ewen emphasised the need for transparency, saying the way to combat disinformation is for journalist to be more open about their sources.
Enjoy the full discussion.
-- Play
-- --
The Media Siege: how the tools of repression have changed
A debate to mark World Press Freedom Day 2023
Celebrating 60 years Sixty years after it was founded,Thomson Foundation - now joined by the Berlin based Thomson Media, continues to innovate. Our blended approach to life-long learning supports and inspires journalists and media organisations worldwide because - journalism matters.
Explore our projects across the globe
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
07/04/2026
Ikegami USA will launch a refinement to the UHK-X700 and UHK-X750 3-CMOS -in. UHD cameras in the UNICAM XE series plus two new 7-in. viewfinders at NAB 2026 in...
07/04/2026
The NAB Leadership Foundation and NAB PILOT will host a career mixer for technology students at NAB Show 2026 on April 18, 5-6:30 p.m., North Hall, Room N225/22...
07/04/2026
Audinate Group Limited and Futuresource Consulting have published results from a...
07/04/2026
Eluvio has announced the commercial availability of its Content Fabric Bucharest...
07/04/2026
Eluvio has unveiled a new architecture for video AI and an updated Eluvio Video Intelligence Editor (EVIE) ahead of NAB Show 2026. Eluvio AI runs analysis and i...
07/04/2026
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced a deal with Sky New Zealand...
07/04/2026
The NBA and Enjoy Basketball, the digital media company co-founded by YouTube cr...
07/04/2026
The 4,000-sq.-ft. space in Frisco, TX, has produced live and packaged programmin...
07/04/2026
What began as a referee training tool is evolving into a powerful production ass...
07/04/2026
Manifold Technologies will announce at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C.1808) that its manifold CLOUD platform will be available as a deployable application within NEP Pl...
07/04/2026
Shaquille O'Neal, Authentic Brands Group, and TNT Sports, in partnership wit...
07/04/2026
Telos Alliance will debut the Omnia XII, a new FM/HD/DAB audio processor, at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas.
Built on a 2RU hardware platform, Omnia XII features a...
07/04/2026
Amazon Web Services (AWS) will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (April 18-22, Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth W1701), with demonstrations, speaking sessions, and int...
07/04/2026
Synamedia will demonstrate AI by Quortex at NAB Show 2026, a framework that applies AI capabilities to video workflows on demand rather than continuously. The s...
07/04/2026
TVNewsCheck will present its 15th annual Women in Technology Awards on Tuesday, April 21, at 5 p.m. PT at NAB Show, in the Media and Entertainment Theater (W146...
07/04/2026
Akta will demonstrate its AI video platform at NAB Show 2026, highlighting new capabilities in media processing and vertical video formatting alongside its exis...
07/04/2026
ESPN and Disney have announced the launch of ESPN on Disney in Europe and select Asia-Pacific markets, bringing the offering to 53 countries and territories a...
07/04/2026
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 7, 2026 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the fellows selected for the 2026 Native Lab, the signature initiative of the ...
07/04/2026
Starting today, Prompted Playlist is expanding beyond music to now include podca...
07/04/2026
Launched alongside piano promotion
The latest instalment in VSL's Synchron Series line-up captures the sound of a faithful copy of a Fran ois tienne Bl...
07/04/2026
Flagship sampling pad gets an update
Roland's flagship sampling pad has just received a major update that kits it out with an array of new features and ...
07/04/2026
Popular compact wireless system upgraded
Sound Devices have recently introduced a new and improved version of their compact wireless transmitter bodypacks, ...
07/04/2026
The November 2025 YEP Newsletter highlights a recent YEP Coffee Chat, offering members the chance to connect with industry professionals in an informal setting ...
07/04/2026
The December 2025 YEP Newsletter includes a Spotlight on Emily Vail, showcasing her career journey and work in the industry, alongside Mentorship Reflections by...
07/04/2026
Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) telescope operated...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Catgut Sound Owner and Production Sound Mixer Chris Welcker, CAS, has built a career at the intersection of music and film. A former musician and composer, Welc...
07/04/2026
SDVI Corporation today announced the next generation of its Rally media supply chain management platform, introducing a redesigned orchestration engine that rep...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Frequency, the engine behind many of the world's leading streaming television channels, at NAB 2026 will be launching new Studio services to help content ow...
07/04/2026
Ikegami USA has chosen NAB 2026 in Las Vegas as the launch platform for new additions to its range of broadcast-quality television production equipment. These w...
07/04/2026
April 19, 2026, Las Vegas Kiloview, an innovative provider of AV-over-IP technologies, will showcase its latest broadcast IP solutions at NAB 2026, presenting...
07/04/2026
Bitmovin has announced support for Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) across its playback products using HLS interstitials, enabling more advanced ad-supported s...
07/04/2026
Synamedia is unveiling AI by Quortex at The NAB show, a just-in-time AI plugin framework that applies intelligence only when needed across video processing, dis...
07/04/2026
Cuez will showcase four additions to its cloud-based newsroom, rundown and automation platform at NAB Show 2026 (April 18 22, Las Vegas, Booth N1867):
Cuez ...
07/04/2026
CueScript to Showcase Innovations at NAB that Add Mobility Options, Ease Editing...
07/04/2026
Barix Extends Transport Options for Multi-Engine IP Encoder
Brie Clayton April 7, 2026
0 Comments
New for NAB, Barix adds SRT and RIST support to Mult...
07/04/2026
Elite Media Technologies Selects Interra Systems' BATON File-Based QC Soluti...
07/04/2026
Tightrope Media Systems to Debut Cablecast LiveBridge for Simultaneous Streaming...
07/04/2026
Cuez Brings Four New Innovations to NAB 2026: From Story-Centric Newsroom to Ope...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Designed for synchronized multi-stream playback, low-latency delivery, and real-time analytics, MATCH introduces a unified viewing experience for sports broadca...