Trouble with the Truth is the podcast produced by Lana Estemirova in partnership with the Justice for Journalists Foundation. Lana talks to brave and resilient journalists from around the world who face persecution just for doing their job and lets her audience hear voices that usually remain hidden behind the curtain.
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The Myanmar coup: how people united to resist the military junta
It’s been over three months since the military coup in Myanmar that has resulted in violence and mass protests. Press freedom has suffered immensely, as the military junta shut down the internet, muzzled and attacked journalists. In this latest episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana speaks about the origins and the consequences of the coup with UK-based academic and human rights activist Maung Zarni. He is a co-founder Forces of Renewal Southeast Asia network, Burmese coordinator of the Free Rohingya Coalition and has been engaged in activism for over thirty years. Zarni gave a detailed and thought-provoking account of the events in Myanmar – the unravelling of the coup, how people came together to join the fight against the junta and how civilians and journalists are navigating the social media and information shutdown. He touches on what can be done at a local and global level to help topple the military dictatorship.
A tale of grit and courage: what it takes to be a journalist in Syria
We have reached a grim milestone with the ten-year anniversary of the Syrian revolution that turned into a bloody war and tore the country apart. In the latest episode of Trouble with the Truth, Lana interviews a very special guest: Syrian journalist Zaina Erhaim, who is currently based in London.
It takes an unsurpassed kind of bravery to report on what was happening on the ground and Zaina was one of those journalists. She explains why she chose to leave her studies in London and go back to face the danger, and how she managed to keep herself safe. Zaina also speaks about the challenges of being a female journalist in a conflict zone and why people did not believe she was Syrian. To listen to the full interview, tune into the latest episode of Trouble with the Truth.
“Between a rock and a hard place”- the challenges of being a journalist in Somalia
Somalia has an appalling record when it comes to press freedom – more than 70 journalists have been killed since 1992, their murderers enjoying total impunity. Abdalle has received numerous threats because of his reporting and narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 2015. He was forced to hide his family and go into an exile. This made his subsequent return to Somalia particularly extraordinary – not only did he go back to reporting but he also helped to set up the Somali Journalists Syndicate. Abdalle spoke to me about the organisation of his Syndicate’s mission and how their work has been affected by the global pandemic. He also addressed Somalia’s dangerous new Media Law and stressed why the international community should pay attention to what’s happening in Somalia.
How the rich and powerful drown journalists in lawsuits: the case of Clare Rewcastle-Brown
The focus of their discussion was not the investigation itself, but the legal turmoil and harassment that followed it. Not only has Clare been banned from entering Malaysia, but while living in the UK, the journalist was also subjected to a defamation campaign, hacking, surveillance and intimidation. The harassment was orchestrated by reputable UK-based law firms and PR agencies. Clare is still fighting multiple civil and criminal lawsuits, filed in the UK and Malaysia.
Lana and Clare discuss how SLAPP lawsuits are being utilised to silence the free media and whether the UK government should do more to deal with this problem.
The mysterious murder of Pavel Sheremet
In their latest investigation, Roman and his colleagues examined the suspects involved in the murder of Belarussian journalist Pavel Sheremet, who was working in Ukraine. Pavel was killed by a car bomb as he was leaving his home in 2016. It took three years for the Ukrainian police to come up with the murder suspects. The investigation has proved controversial, with critics calling it flawed as it failed to uncover the masterminds behind the hit. In the interview, Roman elaborates on the details of the investigation: how they went through the phone logs of the murder suspects and discovered new connections. He also talked about who might have been behind the murder and why the pursuit of the truth is so important for Pavel’s colleagues.
Enemy of the state: inside Turkey’s crackdown on independent journalism
The past few years have been disastrous for Turkish independent journalists. In 2016, using the failed coup attempt as a pretext, Tayyop’s Erdogan’s government imprisoned thousands of journalists, activists and academics.
According to Barış, Turkish president has always viewed independent media as an enemy. Those who scrutinized his policies and his personal wealth paid a heavy price. According to Amnesty International, more than 120 journalists are currently imprisoned, and more than 2500 media outlets were closed in the recent surge of repressions.
Barış recounts how Kurdish reporters, being members of a marginalized minority, face even tougher crackdown from the Turkish government. Another aspect of this crisis is the soaring unemployment amongst journalists, with many having fled the country fearing prosecution. Tune into the new episode of Trouble with the Truth to hear Barış’s detailed and eloquent account.
There Were More: The Insider and Bellingcat Links Alexei Navalny’s Poisoners to Three Political Assassinations
Journalist Timur Kuashev, activist Ruslan Magomedragimov and a politician Nikita Isaev (once close to Kremlin) all died suspiciously – there is now evidence that Navalny’s poisoners were involved in the string of assassinations. To find out the details of this investigation and the way it was carried out, to learn more about Kremlin’s fears and what drives fearless journalism in Russia- tune in to the new episode of Trouble with the Truth.
SLAPPs, corruption and dirty money: how UK firms help silence investigative journalism
Susan is the editor of the Centre’s latest report “Unsafe for Scrutiny…” that explores the role that the United Kingdom plays as a hub for the facilitation of global financial crime and corruption, as well as for services that can be utilised against journalists reporting on this topic.
Strategic litigation against public participation, or SLAPP, has become a powerful silencing tool used against independent journalists from all over the world. London remains the capital of “libel tourism” for corrupt officials and businessmen from all over the world.
Why is this damaging for the UK international reputation and will it get worse after Brexit? Who are the journalists affected by SLAPPs? What does all of this have to do with Russia Report? Tune in to find out.
Inside the Justice for Journalists Foundation
Maria Ordzhonikidze, the JFJ’s Director, talks about the origins of the foundation, the projects it sponsored over the course of this year, and how their Media Safety Academy is helping journalists from the post-Soviet space stay safe. Maria also reflects on the events that help feel hopeful during these uncertain times.
Tackling disinformation in the times of the coronavirus pandemic
The news about vaccine was met with glee but also contributed to the spread of conspiracy theories and false information online. What impact has the continuous disinformation had on independent journalism before and during the pandemic? Why have some populist leaders thrived because of the coronavirus falsehoods? Against all of this, has the role a journalist morphed into something more than simple reporting of the truth? Find out in the new episode.
In Mexico, being a journalist is deadly business – Part 2
Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist. More than 140 journalists have been killed there since 2000 and countless more have been intimidated, harassed, attacked and driven out of the country. In more than 99% of cases, the murderers have not been found and prosecuted. How does one decide to become a journalist in such a risky environment? Can certain politicians be as dangerous as drug cartels when it comes to stoking up hated against independent media? What mechanisms are in place to ensure the safety of journalists and what are the limitations? We discussed all the above and much more in the new episode of Trouble with the Truth.
This is bigger than one man: Rebecca Vincent on Julian Assange’s trial, how to combat disinformation and handle twitter trolls
Rebecca has been monitoring the extradition trial of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. After spending seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy, the journalist has been arrested by the Met police in 2019 and if extradited to the US, he’s facing 175 years in prison. Rebecca talks about the importance of this case for freedom of the speech worldwide and why we must look beyond Assange’s controversial persona when talking about the trial. They also spoke about the pandemic of disinformation that was exacerbated by Donald Trump’s presidency and how to handle online hate from twitter trolls.
Breaking taboos – the danger of speaking out on women’s rights in the North Caucasus
“I’ve been given orders to handle the feminists,”– said man’s voice on the phone. It wasn’t the first time Dagestani journalist Svetlana Anokhina has been threatened. Daptar, the online portal where she works, dares to frankly discuss topics considered taboo in the North Caucasus: domestic violence, bride kidnappings, honour killing, feminism amongst others. It is not the only outlet that talks about women’s rights. There are multiple accounts on Telegram, Vkontakte, Instagram that do the same – and quickly become swamped with threats and abuse, mostly from men. In this ultra-conservative, patriarchal region of Russia, women are finding their own ways of talking about what matters to them, despite the danger that truth brings. To bring this episode to life, Lana has spoken to Svetlana Anokhina and anonymous admins from a successful women’s Telegram channel. A representative from a civil rights organization Janette Akhilgova kindly provided some background to this complicated issue.
In Mexico, being a journalist is a deadly business
Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist. More than 140 journalists have been killed there since 2000 and countless more have been intimidated, harassed, attacked and driven out of the country. In more than 99% of cases, the murderers have not been found and prosecuted. How does one decide to become a journalist in such a risky environment? Can certain politicians be as dangerous as drug cartels when it comes to stoking up hated against independent media? How easy is it cover the pandemic in Mexico? We discussed all the above and much more in the new episode of Trouble with the Truth.
Kyrgyz Kloop media and the power of youth journalism
Several days prior to Kyrgyzstan’s post-election protests that resulted in toppling of the government, Lana recorded an interview with Bektour Iskender, one of the founders of Kloopmedia. What started as a website run by a university dropout in 2006, turned into a successful online platform that carries out impressive investigative work and trains a generation of new journalists.
Fittingly, they spoke about the impact of the revolution of 2010 and how it helped to put their website on the map. They also discussed the power of youth journalism, what media organisations can learn from international drug cartels and the fate of the first Kyrgyz satellite, build by a team of girls.
The humiliation of Salman Tepsurkaev: Another love of depravity in the crackdown on Kadyrov’s critics
On the 7th of September, a shocking video started circulating across Chechen social media. In the video, a young man called Salman Tepsurkaev denounces his work for Adat telegram channel and is forced to rape himself with a bottle. Adat is one of the few outlets that writes about human rights abuses in Chechnya and corruption amongst the elites. In Chechen, Adat means an unwritten set of laws and rules, a fitting name for the outlet. These channels are being constantly hunted by the authorities. Salman is their first victim.
For this podcast, Lana spoke to several journalists working in the region and incorporated their responses into the podcast without revealing their identities. Criticism of the regime is not tolerated in Ramzan Kadyrov’s Chechnya – it is dangerous for foreign and Russian journalists and is deadly for the locals. The republic is a very challenging place for reporting because the lives of the sources are under threat too if they speak out. Social platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp and telegram provide a space for ordinary Chechens to express their anger with the regime anonymously and it is where journalists can find all the information they need.
However, as Salman’s case shows, you can still be identified and caught. In the podcast, Lana also talks about murders and attempted murders of Chechen bloggers critical of Kadyrov’s regime who live abroad – it is a terrifying trend that proves that nowhere is safe anymore.
After Daphne: Shift News continues the fight against corruption in Malta
It’s impossible to talk about independent media in Malta without mentioning Daphne Caruana Galizia- a courageous investigative journalist who was killed three years ago for exposing the corrupt underbelly of her country. Caroline analyses the public enquiry into her murder. Daphne’s gruesome death pushed Caroline to found her own media outlet- Shift News: sponsored through public donations, it takes on corrupt politicians and businessmen, while remaining fully independent. Caroline discusses her team’s latest journalistic investigations and safety precautions they need to take.
Ivan Safronov’s treason charge- a warning to the Russian journalist community?
They discuss the case of Ivan Safronov, a former journalist who was arrested and charged with treason in what appears to be a politically motivated move. A correspondent for Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers and military reporter in the past, Ivan had been working for the Russian Space agency when he was arrested and charged. His friends and colleagues are convinced that his arrest is politically motivated. Ivan has published exclusive exposes on sensitive military topics and has been threatened on multiple occasions for his work. His father, also a journalist and columnist who covered military affairs for the daily newspaper Kommersant, died after falling from the fifth floor of his Moscow apartment building in 2007.
The conversation also touches upon the rising trend of treason charges, the important role of investigative journalism and the difficulties of being an independent journalist in Putin’s Russia.
Protests in Belarus
The conversation is focused on the challenges of reporting in times of the revolution, how and why the protests started, what is happening with the President-elect Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and finally – what the international response to President Lukashenko’s war against his people should be.
Since 9 August, Belarus witnessed the most remarkable protests in its history. Angered by the rigged presidential election, people took to the streets, calling for Alexander Lukashenko to resign. His government responded with brutal force: riot police indiscriminately attacked peaceful protesters and imprisoned thousands. The reports coming from journalists and ordinary citizens speak of violent beating, torture and inhumane conditions in prisons. The work of independent journalists was also hindered by blocked internet, targeted beatings and illegal imprisonments.
Trouble with the Truth is the podcast produced by Lana Estemirova in partnership with the Justice for Journalists Foundation. Lana talks to brave and resilient journalists from around the world who face persecution just for doing their job and lets her audience hear voices that usually remain hidden behind the curtain.