Media Freedom in MENA and Beyond

Professor Peter Greste is an award-winning foreign correspondent who spent 25 years working for the BBC, Reuters and Al Jazeera in some of the world’s most volatile places.

This Southern Talks is of an hour with a section dedicated to Q&A.

The YouTube video is timestamped / divided into chapters for easy viewing.

VIDEO CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

02:28 Prof. Greste’s 400-day incarceration in Egypt.

03:54 “Global War on Journalism”. 

18:32 Iran and Egypt, detention and imprisonment of journalists. 

20:32 The Grey Zone (and its destruction).

22:40 G.W.Bush - "either with us or with the terrorists”. 

25:35 "The War on Terror” is unwinnable. 

28:20 Security is being hijacked to legitimize crackdowns. 

29:25 European Media Freedom Act.

33:00 Treatment of whistle-blowers - Julian Assange. 

39:40 The spread of misinformation and disinformation. 

44:44 A.I., interference and conspiracy theories.

45:48 What is the Truth?

49:48 Looking to the future.

• How journalism has changed in recent decades.
• The effects of national Security Legislation on Media Freedom worldwide.
• The undermining effects on journalism of: Social Media, Tech companies, AI and the need for financially profitable business models.
• Russia, China and others are taking advantage of the information gap in MENA by pushing their narratives.
• How hostile actors are exploiting the weaknesses in media freedom and spreading disinformation for strategic reasons.
• How greater Media Freedom improves accountability, which directly assists overall security efforts and the protection of civilians.
• What can be done to protect journalism and Media Freedom in MENA and beyond.