The Listening Post

For the past few weeks, the stories of distraught men, women and children arriving at mainland Europe have been dominating newspaper front pages. Fleeing war-torn countries, the vast majority of the refugees have arrived in Hungary as they head further west in search of safety. However, harrowing pictures of refugees being held in squalid campgrounds, reminiscent to Nazi concentration camps, has sparked debate over the Hungarian government's treatment of refugees - and also over its treatment of the media. For journalists covering the crisis, this story has been a crash course on Prime Minister Viktor Orban's disdain of the news media. According to a leaked memo, Hungary's State TV was told by the government-appointed Media Authority not to broadcast images of children. An official reason given was to 'protect the children' but when the memo became public it was seen as a governmental effort to limit sympathy for the refugees. And as we all saw with the photo of three-year-old boy Aylan Kurdi, a single image really does have the power to change discourse, coverage and even policy. Discussing the media coverage of the refugee crisis are: Dan Nolan, a Budapest-based journalist; Tamas Bodoky, editor-in-chief of the online newspaper atlatszo.hu; Peter Bouckaert, the emergency director at Human Rights Watch; and Sue Clayton, a professor of Film and Television at Goldsmiths University, London. Also on this episode of the Listening Post: Nigerian journalists and 'brown envelopes'.

In Kafka's novel, the story begins: "Someone must have been telling lies about Josef K., because he had done nothing wrong, but one day he was arrested." This week, a trial took place that had something of the Kafka-esque. In a 20-month-long ordeal, and after months of extended pre-trial imprisonment, repeated postponements, charges that lack convincing evidence and hearings fraught with complexity - three Al Jazeera journalists were sentenced to three years in prison by a Cairo court. Evidence including footage of a trotting horse from Sky News Arabia; holiday snaps; a pop music video, and like the fictive account of Josef K - a bank employee, who is unexpectedly arrested one morning for an unspecified crime, the story of the 'Al Jazeera 3' makes for uncomfortable reading. One journalist, Peter Greste, remains out of jail after being deported back to Australia in February. But Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been sent back to the notorious Tora Prison, where they already spent more than 400 days. Baher Mohamed has been given six months extra for being found in possession of a spent bullet case picked up at a protest. Six other Al Jazeera journalists have been convicted in absentia. At least 18 other journalists are in jail in Egypt. This trial is about much more than Al Jazeera. This week, we have broken format and bring you a special edition on what many consider a politicised attack on press freedom, and part of a comprehensive crackdown on all forms of Egyptian opposition. We talk to Peter Greste from Sydney; former Al Jazeera English correspondent Sherine Tadros, and journalist Hugh Miles, both in Cairo; and Geoffrey Robertson QC, who is part of the legal team; and political scientists who have been following the story, H.A Hellyer and Mark Levine. Journalism on Egypt and from Egypt may be in short supply - but there are some outlets that you can turn to for original reporting that pushes the limits. We give you a map of some of those outlets - as well as both government and Muslim Brotherhood outlets giving their version of events. Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website http://www.aljazeera.com/

The Pentagon has recently published new rules for its personnel on how to deal with the media, including guidance on how to treat reporters who cover wars. The Law of War manual has entries on many issues relevant to combat reporters, such as suggesting that they seek permission from the authorities or risk being labelled "unprivileged belligerents" - akin to spies or saboteurs - should they raise suspicion in the field. The wording of the manual has led many media organisations and media freedom groups calling for the rules to be revised, saying accurate reporting could be hindered. They also warn that authoritarian governments could adapt some of the rules for use in their own rule books. However, the US Department of Defense says the manual has been "misunderstood by the press." Discussing the Pentagon's new rules for media engagement are: Vanessa Gezari from Columbia University; Major General, Charles J. Dunlap, the former Deputy Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force; John MacLeod from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting; Micheal Oreskas, the head of news at National Public Radio; and defence correspondent at The Independent newspaper, Kim Sengupta. Plus, Twitter: We also take a close look at a tech giant that has made inroads into the news media: Twitter. While not a news outlet in the traditional sense, since the 140-character microblogging platform was conceived in 2006, it has become an essential app on every journalist's smartphone. Twitter has had a hand in making more than a few headlines itself and it now has its own Head of News - time for the Listening Post's Flo Phillips to take a look beyond the hashtags. Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website http://www.aljazeera.com/

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has signed a controversial and wide-ranging anti-terrorism bill that has far-reaching implications for journalists and the media. The law, which rights groups say will be used to crush dissent, will see journalists and news organisations fined a minimum of $25,000 if they publish information contradicting the government's official line. Critics say the steep fines will shut down small newspapers and will deter larger ones from independently reporting on attacks and operations against armed fighters. Under the new bill, those who lead what the government considers "terrorist organisations" will receive a mandatory death sentence; special courts, which will be closed to the public, will be set up to expedite terrorism trials, and the government will expand its surveillance powers. In a country where press freedom has long been under fire, the new law spells more trouble for anyone who veers from the government script on issues relating to national security. Even visiting a website that the government deems to be spreading "terrorist messages" can land you five years in jail. Some would say the law is largely unnecessary with the majority of local journalists already in lock step with Sisi's government. Assessing the consequences of Egypt's new terror law for the media are: Professor Dalia Fahmy of the University of Long Island; Professor Mohamad Elmasry of the University of Alabama; Omar Ashour, the author of The De-Radicalization of Jihadists; and Rana Allam, a journalist and former editor of Daily News Egypt. Plus, The Listening Post's Paolo Ganino reports from Palermo on the troublesome relation between the Mafia and the Italian media. Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/

The historic nuclear agreement between the US and Iran was sealed a month ago - but since then, the media in both countries have become battlegrounds for fierce political debate. Both governments are trying sell the deal - a challenge to sway public opinion in the face of loud opposition from conservative hardliners from both countries. The US and Iran are home to skeptics, conservatives who argue the risks in the agreement outweigh the benefits. And there is also a PR push from an Israeli leader who has had plenty of airtime to state what his country has to lose from the detente. Talking us through the story is Reza Marashi, the research director at the National Iranian American Council; Barbara Slavin, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and Washington Correspondent for Al Monitor; Iran analyst Negar Mortazavi; and Tehran University's Mohammad Marandi. Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/

The front pages of British newspapers have been dominated by one story these last few weeks - migrants trying to get into the country through the Channel Tunnel that connects the UK with France. The tone of some of that coverage has characterised these individuals - many fleeing cash-strapped or war-torn countries - as posing a threat to both British resources and security. When you break down the relatively low number of migrants entering the UK, the amount of attention this story gets in the mainstream media may seem disproportionate. And the way that it is covered says more about the political agendas of the news outlets doing the reporting than about the story that needs to be told. Given the current political climate in Europe with the rise of right-wing, anti-immigrant parties across the continent this is a story that needs to be contextualised and its terminology analysed. Talking us through the story is writer and broadcaster Richard Seymour; Arun Kundani, the author of The End of Tolerance; Jonathan Portes, an Economist journalist; and Fatima Manji, a reporter with Channel 4 News in the UK. Cuban bloggers and their quest for freedom of expression With the diplomatic thaw taking place between Havana and Washington, The Listening Post examined what it means for the Cuban media landscape. In our third and final segment on this story we take a look at the growing community of dissident bloggers and journalists in the country. Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website http://www.aljazeera.com

Hosting the 2015 European Games has reportedly cost Azerbaijan in the region of $1.2bn, and for President Ilham Aliyev it appears to be oil money well spent. But along with the athletes and the countries they represent, journalists have also arrived in Baku, and the Aliyev government has a poor track record when it comes to dealing with the media. Some foreign reporters have been refused entry into the country and on the domestic level, Azerbaijani journalists who do not tow the government's line when reporting on issues like corruption and human rights have landed up in jail. As the European Games come to a close this weekend in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, we examine how the government's public relations efforts have paid off in the media coverage. Plus, Angola, Portugal and reverse colonialism in the media: The Listening Post's Gouri Sharma reports on Angola's news media at home and abroad. Joining us to talk about the Baku games and the media are: Aflatun Amashov, the chairman of Azerbaijan Press Council; Robin Forestier-Walker, an Al Jazeera correspondent; Rahim Haciyev, the deputy editor at Azadliq; and Kenan Aliyev, the executive editor of "Current Time," Radio Free Europe and Voice of America.

Journalism or stenography? Anonymous official sources go after Edward Snowden in the UK’s media. Last week, the front page of Britain's Sunday Times bore the headline: British Spies Betrayed to Russians and Chinese. For the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper's largely conservative audience, the implied breach of security perpetrated by former US National Surveillance Agency (NSA) analyst Edward Snowden could not have been more alarming. However, standing behind that headline was not a shred of evidence, not one provable fact. Rather, the Sunday Times' bold statement was founded on unnamed government sources making unsubstantiated claims which the journalists involved apparently left unquestioned. Plus: Radio & TV Marti: 30 years of covering Cuba from Miami.: For our feature story we return to Cuba - this time viewed from Miami where state department-funded Radio and TV Marti has spent the last three decades trying to offer citizens of the revolutionary island a more US-friendly version of the news. The broadcaster now has a job to convince its funders that it still has relevance as US-Cuba relations thaw. The Listening Post's Marcela Pizarro reports from Miami on Radio and TV Marti's existential question.

A ferry capsizing on the Yangtze river in China, killing a reported 431 people, has become a case study in how Beijing manages the news media when disaster strikes. Shortly after the news broke, journalists got their orders from Beijing, telling them not to travel to the scene, to base their coverage on official press releases and to rely on state-run news platforms for updates. The results were clear from the coverage - news outlets published the same photos, painted the same picture and stuck to the same script, reporting the story Beijing's way. But controlling information in the digital age is far from easy, even in China. Talking us through the methods and the limitations of China's media disaster management are: Jason Q. Ng, research fellow, The Citizen Lab; Sam Geall, editor, China Dialogue; Qiao Mu, associate professor, Beijing Foreign Studies University; and Li Hongwei, managing editor, The Global Times. Also on The Listening Post: The anchorman: In the United States, evening news anchors are an institution and they have outlasted the countless changes in the media ecosystem around them. The news networks pay them huge salaries to take on the role of being the face and brand of their journalism. Their importance comes down to viewer ratings but in light of the scandal involving NBC's Brian Williams' mis-telling of an old Iraq war story, questions have been raised about the trust we invest in the anchor's seat. The Listening Post's Nic Muirhead reports.

When Turks go to the polls on June 7, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes his Justice and Development Party - the AKP - will secure enough seats in parliament to change Turkey's constitution. During the campaign, Erdogan and his Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu have been fixated on the media - accusations, arrests, reporting bans and court convictions against journalists. Last week, Erdogan publicly accused the editor of the Cumhuriyet newspaper of espionage and slammed the New York Times for holding a grudge against him and Turkey itself. The election will have great influence on the future of Turkish journalism, at least in the short term. Talking us through the story are: Bulent Kenes, the editor-in-chief of Today's Zaman; Can Dundar, the editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet; Mehmet Karaca, the Ankara editor-in-chief of ATV; and Besir Atalay, the deputy chair and spokesman for the AKP. In the second half of the show, Richard Gizbert sits down with Daniel Ellsberg, the first whistleblower prosecuted in US history. In 1971, Ellsberg gave the so-called Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, the Washington Post and 17 other newspapers. He has re-emerged as an advocate for those who want the truth to get out like Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning.

Washington puts mass surveillance under the microscope - as lawmakers there struggle to deal with the fallout from the Edward Snowden files. The US Patriot Act is the legislation that enabled the National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct mass surveillance on American citizens - as revealed by one if its former contactors, Edward Snowden nearly two years ago - and on June 1, 2015 one of the most controversial sections of that act will expire. It will be up to the US Congress to decide on whether or not to renew the law. If undecided, there is a piece of legislation lying in wait called the USA Freedom Act which will reform the NSA and effectively end aspects of the surveillance programme as we know it. But is this really Congress' decision to make? And Japan: where the media are proving to be no match for a prime minister who wants to push his story, Shinzo Abe.

Since the story of the killing of Osama bin Laden broke four years ago, there have been varying accounts of exactly what happened, but journalists - and also Hollywood directors - have, on the whole, accepted the narrative presented by the Obama administration. But four years on, one of America's best known investigative journalists, Seymour Hersh, has published a report challenging Washington's version of the story. Hersh's investigations led him to conclude that it was not the CIA that traced Bin Laden to his compound in Abbottabad, but an officer in the Pakistani intelligence service who gave him up. According to Hersh, the Pakistan government had been keeping the al-Qaeda leader prisoner for five years. The response has been telling. Instead of using Hersh's account as an opportunity to revisit the official story, much of the US media turned its attention to Hersh himself and his methods. Does Sy Hersh deserve the scrutiny he has received? Or is this another case of journalists too close to power to question its narrative? Also on the Listening Post - Cuba: Media in transition. Latin America is one of the regions to which we pay close attention. However, Cuba has long been a difficult country to cover. Ever since the 1959 revolution that overthrew a US-backed dictatorship, obtaining foreign press accreditation has been notoriously difficult. But a recent diplomatic thaw seems to have put relations between the two countries on a path to recovery. What does this all mean for the Cuban media landscape?

On May 7, 2015, the UK voted and the incumbent Prime Minister David Cameron and his Conservative Party won a majority. It was a result that no-one had expected. The polls predicted another coalition government and most news outlets reported it as a neck-and-neck race right up until the end. The media have played a big role in this election and once again media ownership has been a crucial factor. British newspapers are predominantly owned by a few wealthy individuals who lean to the political right. The press tends to set the talking points in the country and the broadcast media follows suit. It is a formula that holds huge sway on both political coverage and public opinion. With a majority Conservative government now leading the country, the next five years could spell significant change for the British media. Talking us through the story this week is Guardian journalist Zoe Williams; the managing editor of the Sun newspaper, Stig Abell; author Dan Hind; and professor of journalism, George Brock. Other stories on our radar this week: A former CIA officer is jailed for sharing classified information with a New York Times journalist; Al Jazeera is sued by its former Cairo bureau chief, Mohamed Fahmy, for $100m and another blogger is murdered in Bangladesh - the third this year. Macedonia's wiretapping scandal Over the past three months, the republic of Macedonia has been dealing with a political crisis that has revealed a lot about its media. The main opposition party has accused the government of carrying out an illegal surveillance programme over a four-year period which saw the wiretapping of more than 20,000 people, including more than 100 journalists. In this week's feature, The Listening Post's Flo Philips looks at the wiretapping scandal that is being dubbed "The Truth about Macedonia".

Since the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq has been one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists. According to figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 200 media workers have lost their lives since the fighting began, and Press Freedom day on May 3 was marred by the death of another journalist - Ammar al-Shahbander. He, along with 17 other victims, died in a car bomb that the armed group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for. Shahbander's killing was not targeted, but in Iraq rival political factions and ISIL have been blamed for a number of targeted killings and kidnappings of journalists. Talking us through the story are: Chatham House's Middle East analyst Tim Eaton; Sadoun Dhamad, an Al-Hurra TV presenter; Abbas Kadhim, a fellow from The Foreign Policy Institute; and Al Jazeera correspondent Imran Khan. Other media stories on our radar this week: Indian media's coverage of relief efforts in Nepal has come in for criticism; a Somali radio journalist is the latest media worker to be killed in the country; and 18 months since the launch of Al Jazeera America, its CEO departs the channel. Plus, Thailand's media under pressure - Meenakshi Ravi reports on the Thai media, the general and the red lines for journalists in the country.

Broadcasters were affected by spending cuts in Greece, France, Spain and the UK, but in Italy, the reform of the public broadcaster RAI is not just about money, it is first and foremost about political power. With almost 2,000 journalists, 11 newsrooms, sister channels that compete against one another, when co-operating would save money, no one in Italy would argue RAI is perfect and does not need some kind of reform. A bill that would modernise the network's structure and spending has has been put before parliament. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says he wants to free RAI from the interference of the political parties that have controlled the public broadcaster for decades. But the opposition is beyond skeptical and sees a government mouthpiece in the making. pending has has been put before the Italian parliament. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says he wants to free RAI from the interference of the political parties that have controlled the public broadcaster for decades. The opposition is beyond skeptical and sees a government mouthpiece in the making.