Free speech under siege: the battle to control the media

The freedom of the press has come under severe pressure over the last years with an increasing number of governments curtailing the rights of journalists to report and investigate. Reporters Without Borders asserts that a "deep and disturbing decline" in respect for media freedom at levels both regional and global has been the case, calling it "the new era of propaganda". The decline of press freedom will have important consequences for citizens and democratic values in the future as crucial information is not shared and investigated. Can this worrying trend be reversed? How can the freedom of press be preserved and defended to allow greater transparency and hold governments accountable? Those and more questions will be discussed in our monthly Conversation Club.

Join us for an inspring and informative debate. We are pleased to welcome two distinguished speakers to our conversation

Rebecca Vincent Rebecca Vincent is the UK Bureau Director for Reporters Without Borders, known internationally as Reporters sans frontières. She is a human rights activist, writer, and former US diplomat. She has worked with a wide range of international and Azerbaijani NGOs, and has published widely on human rights issues. rsf.org/en

Anna Pivovarchuk is the Co-Founder, Deputy Managing Editor and Culture Editor of Fair Observer, having previously held the position of Europe Editor. As a freelance writer and editor, she has contributed to various organizations such as the BBC, United Nations, NBC, Arise TV, Foreign Policy Association and The Moscow Times. fairobserver.com/

We look forward to seeing you at the event!