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	Civil society is facing threats for simply doing their work by European Agency for Fundamental Rights, agencies   Nov. 2018   Civil society is increasingly finding it harder to operate and face threats for simply doing their work, according to a paper from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).   The 'Civil society space: views of organisations' conference paper summarises the outcomes of a consultation FRA held with its civil society network, the Fundamental Rights Platform, about their experiences. Nearly 140 organisations gave their views.   Civil society organisations are an essential part of a well-functioning democracy. They help give a voice to people on issues that matter to them, and offer assistance. They also help monitor governments and parliaments activities, and hold authorities to account for their actions. Their direct contact with people also makes them an invaluable source of practical hands-on advice to policy makers.   However, to play this role they need a safe and enabling environment. This paper reveals that this is often not the case: over half of the organisations that responded report that they perceive the general situation is worsening for civil society.   The same proportion also says that they face threats or attacks because of their work. This can take the form of verbal and online threats, physical attacks, damage to their property as well as negative media campaigns and threats to their security online.   The vast majority of organisations say they have been affected by legal changes. Typically, this relates to taxation, freedom of expression and assembly and transparency or lobbying laws.   Financing was also difficult. Three quarters report facing obstacles in resourcing or funding. Organisations point to a lack of core funding, which is crucial for them to operate generally beyond project-financed work. In addition, almost a half would welcome funding for education or awareness raising campaigns.   A final challenge that almost all experienced relates to public consultations. They rarely receive feedback on the outcomes of a consultation or on the impact of their contributions. Being not given enough time to properly provide input was also an issue.   This paper was produced for the European Commission's annual Fundamental Rights Colloquium on 'Democracy in the EU'.   It complements FRA's January 2018 report on 'Challenges facing civil society organisations working on human rights in the EU', by providing first-hand evidence from civil society organisations of the difficulties they face. The consultation confirms earlier findings and recommendations from FRA's report. It also includes key recommendations from the Fundamental Rights Forum 2018.   http://fra.europa.eu/en/news/2018/civil-society-outlines-difficulties-facing-it http://fra.europa.eu/en/press-release/2019/severe-labour-exploitation-migrant-workers-fra-report-calls-zero-tolerance-severe http://www.ips-journal.eu/regions/global/article/show/duty-bound-to-protect-3552/ http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/sites/default/files/European-Union-Sanctions-Letter.pdf http://voices.transparency.org/fighting-back-eu-sanctions-for-human-rights-violations-and-corruption-f9455480fe5e Visit the related web page
	Sky News Australia banned from YouTube over Covid misinformation by Guardian News, agencies   Aug. 2021   Sky News Australia banned from YouTube for seven days over Covid misinformation.   Sky News Australia has been banned from uploading content to YouTube for seven days after violating its medical misinformation policies by posting numerous videos which denied the existence of Covid-19 or encouraged people to use hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin.   YouTube has not disclosed which Sky News program the videos were from but said there were “numerous” offending videos which have now been removed.   “We have clear and established Covid-19 medical misinformation policies based on local and global health authority guidance, to prevent the spread of Covid-19 misinformation that could cause real-world harm,” a YouTube spokesperson told Guardian Australia.   “We apply our policies equally for everyone regardless of uploader, and in accordance with these policies and our long-standing strikes system, we removed videos from and issued a strike to Sky News Australia’s channel.   “Specifically, we don’t allow content that denies the existence of Covid-19 or that encourages people to use hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin to treat or prevent the virus. We do allow for videos that have sufficient countervailing context, which the violative videos did not provide.”   One of the most popular videos, with 4.6m views, is Jones’s “Australians must know the truth – this virus is not a pandemic”, which was posted at the height of the pandemic last year.   On 19 July, Sky News was forced to apologise for a Jones interview with MP Craig Kelly in which they claimed the Delta variant is not dangerous and vaccines won’t help you. The video was removed.   http://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/aug/01/sky-news-australia-banned-from-youtube-for-seven-days-over-covid-misinformation http://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-31/fox-news-trump-lawyers-lawsuits-election-lies-four-corners/100419234 http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/fox-and-the-big-lie:-how-the-network-promoted/13510238 http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/fox-and-the-big-lie-part-two/13515016 http://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/aug/25/murdoch-empire-strikes-back-at-abcs-documentary-on-fox-news-championing-of-trump   Rupert Murdoch's sway on politics warrants royal commission, says Kevin Rudd. (SMH)   Living in Australia, many now habitually think our national media landscape is normal. It isn’t. No other Western democracy has the level of print media monopoly that Rupert Murdoch has secured for himself in Australia.   A single American billionaire has now seized control of almost 70 per cent of daily newspaper circulation. In my state of Queensland, which determines most federal elections, this monopoly is almost 100 per cent with every newspaper from Cairns to Coolangatta and Australia’s only commercial 24-hour 'news' channel.   But Murdoch is not just any old businessman. He’s not just interested in money but also in political power and far-right ideology. For Murdoch, it’s long been his triple-aphrodisiac. And the habits of a lifetime lead him to destroy anybody who gets in his way. That’s why people are frightened of him.   Where would Murdoch like to take Australia? Look no further than Fox News in America, which remains the epicentre of the Trump phenomenon, polluting Americans’ minds with bullshit narratives about widespread voter fraud, climate hoaxes and other wild conspiracies. This parallel-universe model is now unfolding in the pages of his Australian newspapers and on Sky News.   Even Rupert’s previous heir-apparent, James Murdoch, has called out his father’s empire for its hidden agendas, legitimising disinformation and wilfully sowing doubt to obscure facts in public debate. Yet despite this bombshell, not a word of it has been published in Murdoch’s publications. Such brutal censorship of politically embarrassing news is something we’d expect of a one-party state, not a vibrant democracy. Yet in Australia we just brush this off as “normal”, such is the slippery slope we’re on.   Murdoch’s Australian newspapers – including The Australian, Daily Telegraph, Herald-Sun and Courier-Mail – have all been weaponised to protect Murdoch’s commercial and political interests.   Politicians, businesspeople and others know that if they cross Murdoch, they will be destroyed. They’ve seen it happen so many times that they’ve lost count. This well-resourced protection racket will also defend politicians who advance his objectives. Exiled News Corp journalists speak openly about their articles being suppressed or re-written.   Over the last decade, News Corp has ceased to be a news organisation. It functions as a political party in coalition with the Liberals and Nationals. It is the government’s primary communications arm.   Murdoch dailies have campaigned for Conservative Coalition parties at every single federal and state election for the last decade – 18 out of 18 elections – and are now onto their 19th in Queensland.   News Corp’s executive chairman holds an effective veto over who can, and who cannot, lead the Liberal Party. Look no further than the Malcolm Turnbull saga and Murdoch’s notorious interventions at the height of the Liberal leadership crisis in 2018.   Some claim News Corp’s power is waning amid the rise of online news. However this is a scam. Despite others’ best efforts, Murdoch’s newspapers continue to set the agenda, the framing of stories and the questions to be asked by the rest of the media – including the ABC and evening TV news.   Legitimate news organisations struggle amid collapsing business models and new platforms – like Facebook, Google and Twitter – that reward the most sensational, polarising or outright false news. Yet, despite losing money, Murdoch uses his empire’s enormous wealth to keep these newspapers running and therefore maintain political and commercial influence.   A free, independent and balanced national media is the essential infrastructure of democracy. And that infrastructure is now under threat. That’s why a royal commission, with full powers and independence, is needed to examine our entire media landscape, weigh alternative regulatory models and make recommendations to ensure a strong, diverse news media for the future.   There is no parliamentary committee capable of doing this systemic, arms-length analysis; they are too close to the problem and too vulnerable to Murdoch’s power. In less than a week, 300,000 Australians have added their voice to the official parliamentary petition I launched calling for such a commission.   In fact, Parliament House tells us the petition was visited almost a million times in the first few days, crashing the website. It’s impossible to know how many Australians were unable to sign, or mistakenly believe their signature has been registered. I encourage them to try again before the the petition closes at midnight on November 4.   This commission is not all about News Corporation. Many Australians are concerned by Nine’s takeover of this newspaper and its subsequent decision – with Murdoch – to cease funding the independent AAP Newswire, jeopardising its future.   Worrying new monopolies are emerging online, including Google and Facebook. The ABC is also under attack. And professional journalists have legitimate concerns including about unjust searches, official secrecy and freedom of information that should all be addressed.   Some have attacked my motives for launching this petition. Sour grapes is the usual complaint. My answer is: no, the problem is that Murdoch’s bias has only increased since I left office and has now reached industrial scale.   They cry hypocrisy, noting that I sought Murdoch’s support in 2007. You betcha. If you were the Labor leader, you’d try to reduce the level of bias as well – even from 75-25 for the conservatives to something approaching balance – although the record shows Murdoch’s papers did everything they could over 2007 to destroy my leadership with one confected scandal after another.   Then there’s academic Rod Tiffen who, in a Herald opinion piece last Tuesday, attacked my role in the Gillard government’s decision to invite News Corp to tender to provide Australia’s international broadcaster. In fact, I never suggested putting Australia Network to tender. I first learned of it when the then-PM told me in September 2010 that she had already promised News Corp a shot at the 10-year, $233 million contract.   I recused myself from any involvement in the process and handed it to the head of my department, Dennis Richardson, and a panel of officials selected by him, to assess the tenders before cabinet would make the final call (I again recused myself).   Personally, as a lifelong supporter of the ABC, I would have preferred we allocate the contract to the national broadcaster, as ultimately happened. Turnbull’s subsequent abolition of Australia Network wrought havoc with the ABC budget and ceded our diplomatic clout in the Asia-Pacific to China – all to the clinking of champagne flutes at News Corp.   The bottom line is: it’s time for the people to have their voice through this petition to Parliament. Otherwise this giant cancer on our democracy, the Murdoch media monopoly, will suffocate the democracy itself.   * Kevin Rudd is a former Labor prime minister of Australia. Malcolm Turnbull a former Liberal Prime Minister has joined the call for a royal commission, along with over 500,000 Australians.   http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/24/sky-news-australia-is-tapping-into-the-global-conspiracy-set-and-its-paying-off   * Fox News (Media Matters)   Fox News is a controversial right-wing cable channel founded in 1996 by Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes and owned by Fox Corporation.   Fox News serves as a propagandist outlet for right wing Republicans and declared itself the “voice of the opposition” during Democratic President Barack Obama's administration.   During the Trump administration, many hosts and commentators were openly pro-Trump and some served as unofficial presidential advisers. Many former Fox figures were hired in high profile roles in the Trump administration.   Numerous sexual harassment and sexual assault scandals led to the ouster of its founder and former chairman and CEO Roger Ailes for his serial sexual harassment against employees, the firing of former host Bill O'Reilly and others. The network shows no signs of departing from its current model of divisive, dangerous, bigoted, and inflammatory rhetoric and commentary masquerading as news.   http://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news http://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/2-weeks-after-it-called-election-fox-news-cast-doubt-results-nearly-800-times http://january6th.house.gov/ http://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/fox-has-undermined-vaccines-nearly-every-day-last-six-months http://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-keeps-turning-vaccine-resisters-culture-war-heroes http://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/covid-19-deaths-eclipse-700000-in-us-as-delta-variant-rages http://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/400-moments-defined-fox-news Visit the related web page
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