South Asia Journalism Symposium

Watch this space for live updates on the SAJP Symposium 'New Threats to Media Freedom: The View From South Asia' to be held on May 15, 2019, 12 PM-7 PM.

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

Folks, South Asia Journalism Programme Symposium is back! This year we are dealing with 'New Threats to Media Freedom' in the subcontinent. Reserve the date: May 15. Do register! https://t.co/rgfKCCqETw. @cheveningfco @UKinIndia @ukinpakistan @UKinSriLanka @UKinBangladesh

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

With this we sign off. Adios until next year when a new batch of SAJP fellows from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will land in London.

#SAJP #SAJPSymposium @cheveningfco

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

Uttaran Das Gupta (@UttaranDasGupta), SAJP Fellow, delivers concluding remarks as the #SAJPSymposium thanking all who organised SAJP and helped us through last two months.

#FCO #Chevening #UniversityofWestminster #JeanSeaton #RosieThomas

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"We have started a campaign to combat hate speech by working with journalists to promote ethical journalism & ways to identify hate speech. People don't understand how they unknowingly become part of disseminating hate speech," @HarbZ1 of @EJNetwork..

#DefendMediaFreedom

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"Tech platforms have a lot of questions to answer but we need to ask the right questions. Before we take knee jerk reactions like blocking that curb freedom of expression," @flashboy at #SAJPSymposium

@cheveningfco #DefendMediaFreedom

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"Question is if the capability exists to match the scale of the problem of misinformation and disinformation. There are limited ways of being right and more ways of being wrong. And all of them are on social media,"FullFact editor Tom Phillips(@flashboy).

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"We are working in the field of automated fact checking but it is not the solution. Technology cannot be the solution but what it can be is a facilitator to find the solution," Tom Phillips (@flashboy).

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"Although the government blocked social media in Sri Lanka to supposedly stop misinformation, government handles are still posting and updating their handles," @RaisaLW at #SAJPSymposium

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

Raisa Wickremtunge (RaisaLW), Editor-Groundviews (Sri Lanka), "Very recently we have in Sri Lanka after the Easter Sunday blasts, social media has been used to spread hate messages against Muslims despite ban on social media."

@cheveningfco #SAJP2019 #DefendMediaFreedom

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"Those using social media for nefarious purposes use very sophisticated ways to spread misinformation and hate messages. Blocking social media or banning certain accounts doesn't and wont work to curb the spread," @raisalw, an SAJP Fellow from Sri Lanka.

#DefendMediaFreedom

[Maitri Porecha @dawalelo]

"In monologue news shows in #Egypt there is almost every evening a call by intelligence agencies (allegedly) to broadcast what they want to broadcast, how do you even tackle that," says @HarbZ1 #sajp2019 #DefendMediaFreedom @SAJPSymposium

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

Prof Zahera Harb (@HarbZ1) cites Egyptian examples of social media being used to harass and victimise journalists who do not toe a certain line. "Social media can be destructive mechanism that can destroy journalists," she says quoting a local journalist.

@cheveningfco #SAJP2019

[Chevening Awards🇬🇧 @CheveningFCDO]

Panel four discusses the role of social media in journalism. Does it hinder professional journalism and spread fake news or is it keeping journalists more honest? How can media organisations adapt to the new flow of information & disinfo? #DefendMediaFreedom @SAJPSymposium

[Maitri Porecha @dawalelo]

"what we will see tomorrow on Facebook is bubbling on dark web today," says #PadriacRyan @Storyful #sajp2019 #DefendMediaFreedom @SAJPSymposium

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"Landscapes of social media platforms are broken and are being exploited and misused. We are expected to no longer believe what we are seeing with our own eyes," Padraic Ryan (@ryan_padraic) says at #SAJPSymposium.

#DefendMediaFreedom

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"When the world is being run by viral advertising, it's a challenge to find a platform for minority voices in media. The platforms that the technology has given us are driven by companies like Google and Facebook," Prof Jean Seaton.

#DefendMediaFreedom @cheveningfco

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

Is Social Media Journalists’ New ‘Frenemy’? Prof Jean Seaton opens the conversation with with Prof Zahera Harb (@HarbZ1), FullFact editor Tom Phillips(@flashboy), Storyful's @ryan_padraic & Chevening fellow Raisa Wickrematunge (@RaisaLW). The final session of the day.

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

Multilateral global institutions can step in to call for a freer media landscape. If we can get more international weight it can be used by civil society groups in South Asia to secure journalists and journalism, @DavidLoyn on possible solutions.

#DefendMediaFreedom

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"A secular, vibrant India was something that Pakistanis could use as a stick to beat the government with. If India can do with, so can you. Then comes Narendra Modi and something begins to change," @iamthedrifter says at #SAJPSymposium #DefendMediaFreedom #SAJP2019

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

Ayesha Siddiqa (@iamthedrifter): Increasingly it has become difficult to comment in Pakistani papers. Then you write in Indian newspapers. But there are certain issues which you cant write in even Indian newspapers. If you write you will be slaughtered."

#DefendMediaFreedom

[South Asia Journalism Symposium @SAJPSymposium]

"The Pakistani military has become sharper in its narrative and it has taken upon itself to reinvent the state and nationalism" - Ayesha Siddiqa (@iamthedrifter) #DefendMediaFreedom #SAJP2019 @cheveningfco