Category: The Hot Potato
An Uprising of New Cuban Media Defies State Rule
Cuba’s Constitution prohibits private media. Nevertheless, more than a dozen media outlets outside state control have unfolded in the country since the beginning of the…
Anatomy of Fake News: The Bulgarian Case
As fake stories are flooding the Bulgarian internet, local journalists are responding by debunking lies and tracing the sources of misinformation. They are bracing up…
Controlling the Message in Romania to Lock up the Election in Hungary
The Hungarian government gobbles up media wherever its citizens live. With the recent expansion into Romania’s media, their control over the electorate is nearing completion….
Catalan Referendum: Si Democracia, Yes for Chaos
Madrid failed to show sympathy for, or pay enough attention to, Catalunya. That cost them dearly. Red and yellow striped flags, emblazoned with the blue star…
Facebook’s Fake News Fighters Punish Italian Satirical Website
A popular satire website in Italy found out what happens when Facebook loses its sense of humor: they see fake news everywhere. Publishing under the…
The News of Eastern Europe: Brought to You by Russia
For ten years, the Russian government has built media across eastern Europe. They are becoming a fearsome player in the region’s media market. Last March,…
Malaysiakini Under Fire
Malaysia’s embattled government has already offed most of the critical journalistic outlets in Malaysia. Now, it has a new target. When a prime minister has…
Turkish Media: From Bad to Worse
After a decade of manipulations that ensure a cozy relationship between the press and the president, Erdogan is now overseeing a harsh crackdown that is…
Subtly Silenced by the Hungarian Government
The editor in chief of Budapest Business Journal is leaving the newspaper. Here, he explains why. Along with passing a package of restrictive media laws…
Donald Trump: New Media Success, or Old Media Problem?
The Donald may be master of the Twitter-verse, but his influence extends at least as much from the structural contradictions of old media campaign coverage….