In The News

Defectors Launch Anti-NK Leaflets: Korea Herald

Ahn Sung-mi June 23, 2020
Both North Korea and South Korea agreed to stop cross-border distribution of goods and leaflet distribution since a 2018 summit between the two leaders. “A group of North Korean defectors claimed Tuesday it had sent anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border, continuing an activity that has enraged the North regime, which cited it as the reason it wrecked a liaison office with the South,” reports...

Media Under Attack in Philippines: Rappler

Ryan Macasero June 16, 2020
Numerous non-profit organizations in the Philippines accuse the Duterte administration of using the Covid-19 pandemic to attack the press freedoms and block scrutiny of corruption and human rights abuses. A Manila court convicted Rappler’s CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr. of cyber libel for a 2012 report. One group said “the verdict delivers a ‘chilling effect’ to other...

Enemies Circling China’s Xi? New Statesman

George Magnus April 24, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic is roiling governments around the globe, even China, despite a propaganda push that maintains China contained the virus with success. After centralizing control, China’s President Xi Jinping can expect to bear responsibility for pandemic-related challenges, including high debt levels, unemployment, an aging population and families hesitant to have more than one child,...

US-China Relations Worsen Amid Pandemic: Economist

The Economist March 26, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic could have been an opportunity for the U.S. and China to cooperate and disregard previous enmity. On the contrary, both countries approach the worst period since the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 through mutual exchanges of blame and conspiracy theories. The first-stage deal to stop the trade war has been signed, but tensions continue in other areas. In January, China...

Apple, Google Crack Down on COVID-19 Apps: CNBC

Kif Leswing March 7, 2020
Major platforms like Apple and Google are restricting apps on the COVID-19 to those produced or approved by recognized governments and hospitals. “Four independent developers told CNBC that Apple rejected their apps, which would allow people to see stats about which countries have confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus,” reports Kif Leswing for CNBC. “Some of these apps used public data from...

China Media as Government Entities: New York Times

Lara Jakes and Steven Lee Myers February 26, 2020
Rejecting concerns about press freedom, the Trump administration has designated five Chinese media entities as foreign government functionaries. The action comes at the heels of a trade war and scrutiny of Chinese involvement in education, research and telecommunication. Five news outlets will be required to report staff names, personal details, property holdings and US staff turnover under the...

To Hell With the Truth: Folha

Flavia Lima February 19, 2020
WhatsApp and other social media platforms increasingly influence public perceptions during election campaigns. A parliamentary committee in Brazil is examining the spread of misinformation on social media and finds disturbing trends, including a tendency for confirmation bias. A data analysis firm demonstrated how some Brazilian officials support misinformation on official social media accounts,...