Sowetan | Journalism is not a crime

Former South African president Jacob Zuma’s private prosecution of legal journalist Karyn Maughan sets a dangerous precedent as it seeks to silence those who are willing to stand up against the powerful and corrupt. The case has united South African media, which rallied around Maughan in solidarity this week. Read more here.  

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NiemanLab | Were fears about the ‘infodemic’ overblown?

What is an infodemic? It refers to the vast amounts of low-quality or junk information that floats around on the internet and is sometimes passed down as fact. The Covid-19 pandemic was proof of this. But were concerns about this justified or overblown? Studies suggest that the answer is complex. Find out why here.

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 GIJN | Latin America’s investigative reporters pushed into exile

Journalists in the region are working in an increasingly hostile climate, something which Reporters Without Borders’ recent Press Freedom Index referred to as a ‘toxic environment’ for an industry that often seeks to hold those in power accountable. Hear from those on the ground about how this is impacting their work. Read the article here. 

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Journalism.co.uk | How podcasts can push news subscriptions

As publishers continue to seek out innovative new ways to lure subscribers, takeaways from a Publisher Podcast Summit were that organisations such as The Financial Times have managed to retain loyal, paying customers through podcasts. Find out how here.

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IJNET | This startup provides service journalism for people in conflict zones

Helpdesk.media is a Russian-language news startup that fields questions from reporters operating in conflict zones. Many of the queries that have flooded its hotline are from Russian and Ukraine-based journalists. Learn more about it here.

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