The Listening Post

Under a new, ultra-nationalist Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, violence in the occupied Palestinian territories has been escalating at an alarming rate.But the continuing human rights abuses, including the theft of Palestinian land to pave the way for Jewish settlers, are not portrayed as such in the Israeli news media. They either ignore the brutality of the occupation or present a military-friendly version of the story - and neither option is good enough for the Israeli government, which has voices of dissent in its crosshairs.Contributors:Oren Zviv - Journalist, +972 MagGideon Levy - Columnist, HaaretzDiana Buttu - Lawyer and analystOmar Baddar - Political analystOn our radar:The death of one of Rwanda's most prolific investigative journalists - John Williams Ntwali - has sparked suspicion because of how murky the official narrative on his death is. Producer Nic Muirhead reports on the case.Lost in translation: How texts change as they travel:The translation of literature, from one language to another, is tricky business - it’s much more subtle than journalism, less direct. When it comes to Arabic and Persian, literature from the Middle East, translations have been known to come up short, leading to cultural misunderstandings. The kind of misunderstandings that reading the books of the “other” is supposed to correct. Producer Tariq Nafi looks at what gets lost in translation.Contributors:Layla AlAmmar - Author, Silence is a Sense; academic, University of LancasterSusan Bassnet- Translation theorist and emeritus professor, University of WarwickMuhammad Ali Mojaradi - Translator; founder of @persianpoeticsLeri Price - Literary translatorSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

The Indian government’s decision to ban a BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, which left more than a thousand people dead, has become its own story.It has drawn global attention to Modi’s record in office and the subsequent decline of media freedom in the world’s largest democracy.Contributors:Maya Mirchandani - Journalist, The WireMitali Saran - Writer and columnistShruti Kapila - Professor of Indian history and global political thought, University of CambridgeSanjay Kapoor - Editor, HardNews MagazineOn our radar:Investigations by Open Democracy and the Financial Times have uncovered how libel lawyers in London helped Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group and one of Vladimir Putin’s key allies, to go after his critics, including journalists, in the British courts. Producer Tariq Nafi talks us through the findings.Striking Back: United Kingdom's unions vs the media:With the United Kingdom in a state of political disarray, a wave of work stoppages has put trade unions, and the media’s treatment of them, into the spotlight. One particular union leader, Mick Lynch, has flipped the script, putting journalists on the defensive for their habitual anti-union approach. Daniel Turi reports on the coverage of labour issues in the British media.Contributors:Aditya Chakrabortty - Senior economics commentator, The GuardianJulia Langdon - Former political editor, The Sunday Telegraph; former political editor, The Daily Mirror; chairwoman, British Journalism ReviewNicholas Jones - Former industrial correspondent, BBCMick Lynch - General secretary, RMT UnionSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

The stories that have come out of the Twitter Files have touched on much more than institutional bias - revealing that, for years, Twitter has been pressured by some very powerful institutions to suppress, moderate and in some cases amplify its content. But given that Elon Musk was also selective with what he chose to hand over to reporters – what are we not seeing in the Twitter Files?Contributors:Ben Wallace-Wells - Staff writer, The New YorkerEli Clifton - Senior adviser, Quincy InstituteEvan Greer - Director, Fight for the FutureAngelo Carusone - President, Media Matters for AmericaOn our radar:The killing of yet another Palestinian by Israeli soldiers has led to more misinformation from the army – that Israeli news outlets then dutifully report. Flo Phillips reports on how these shifting narratives keep playing out.The Menace of SLAPPs:A SLAPP - a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation - is a type of legal case deployed against journalists, academics and public interest activists. Meenakshi Ravi explains how SLAPPs have become a regular tool to try and silence journalistic work.Contributors:Caroline Kean - Media litigation specialist and partner, Wiggin LLPPaul Radu - Investigative journalist and co-founder, Organized Crime & Corruption Reporting ProjectAnnelie Östlund - Investigative journalist, RealtidSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

The recent invasion of Brazil’s democratic institutions, days after President Lula da Silva was sworn in, looks like a carbon copy of the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol in the United States.Like MAGA Americans, many of Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters have been radicalised online and, as the Trump-Bolsonaro effect hits Brazil, the country’s issues with misinformation are exposed.Contributors:David Nemer - Assistant professor, University of VirginiaCharlotte Peet - JournalistGustavo Ribeiro - Founder, The Brazilian ReportRose Marie Santini - Professor, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Director, NetLabOn our radar:In Belarus this week, reporters from what was once the country’s top independent news outlet went on trial. Meenakshi Ravi reports on Alexander Lukashenko’s crackdown on journalists that looks Putin-esque.The Mafia’s TikTok takeover:Elements of the Italian underworld are surfacing online. Flo Phillips reports from Rome on the Mafia’s new stomping ground - TikTok.Contributors:Alessandra Dolci - Deputy prosecutor, Milan Anti-Mafia DirectorateNico Falco - Journalist, FanpageMarcello Ravveduto - Professor of digital public history, University of SalernoSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

On this special edition of our programme - a timeline of our reports through 2022 on the media dimension of this conflict - from the build-up to the invasion, right through the messaging war and the global media’s news coverage.Contributors:Max Seddon - Moscow bureau chief, Financial TimesEkaterina Kotrikadze - News director and anchor, TV RainTerrell Starr - Host, Black Diplomats podcastAlexey Kovalyov - Investigative editor, MeduzaBranko Marcetic - Writer, JacobinNatalia Antelava - Editor-in-chief, Coda StoryVera Tolz - Professor of Russian Studies, University of ManchesterMaria Avdeeva - Disinformation researcherMelinda Haring - Eurasia Center, Atlantic CouncilJames Rodgers - Author, Assignment MoscowAglaya Snetkov - Associate professor, International Politics of Russia, University College LondonMikhail Fishman - Anchor, TV RainJade McGlynn - Department of War Studies, King’s College LondonKatrina vanden Heuvel - Editorial director, The NationGeorge Beebe - Former director of Russia Analysis, CIALeonid Ragozin - Journalist and author

Gautam Adani - India’s richest man with close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi - is in the midst of a takeover of NDTV, a news network considered one of the last bastions of critical journalism on the Indian airwaves. If the sale does go through - what are the chances that Adani will prioritise his relationship with power over the channel’s independence?Contributors:Ravi Nair - Journalist & commentatorRaksha Kumar - Mumbai-based journalistAtul Chaurasia - Executive editor, NewslaundryKapil Komireddi - Author, Malevolent RepublicOn our radar:Meta - the company that owns Facebook - is being sued for nearly $2bn for allegedly not adequately monitoring violent and hateful posts from Ethiopia on its platform. Producer Meenakshi Ravi has the details of the case.Changing the Face(book) of Italy’s media landscape:In the decade since its birth, Fanpage has grown from a Facebook page to an award-winning investigative news website, gradually reshaping the staid Italian media landscape. Producer Flo Phillips reports, from Naples, on how the Facebook page-turned-news source symbolises a shift in the country’s media.Contributors:Gaia Martignetti - Video reporter, FanpageFrancesco Cancellato - Editor-in-chief, FanpageAlessio Cornia - Research associate, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of OxfordSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

Israel’s incoming government, elected six weeks ago, is shaping up as the most extreme in the country’s history - waging war on media workers, then trying to cover up its crimes.But evidence of those crimes frequently ends up online thanks to citizen journalism and satellite imagery - and that is making an impact, often bigger abroad than at home.Contributors:Yara Hawari - Senior policy analyst, al-ShabakaDiana Buttu - Human rights lawyer & former adviser to the PLOJoshua Leifer - Contributing editor, Jewish CurrentsDaniel Levy - President, US/Middle East ProjectOn our radar:Just five months after fleeing Moscow and setting up shop in the Latvian capital, Riga, independent Russian broadcaster, TV Rain, or Dozhd, has had its broadcasting licence revoked, once again. Producer Meenakshi Ravi outlines the NATO country’s reasoning.The Middle East’s first World Cup:Ever since Qatar won its bid to host the World Cup 12 years ago, football journalists have been reporting on issues that go well beyond the pitch. Producer Johanna Hoes reports, from Doha, on the news coverage of the World Cup and what the tournament's legacy could be for Brand Qatar.Contributors:Abdullah al-Arian - Author, Football in the Middle EastZahra Babar - Georgetown University in QatarCraig LaMay - Northwestern University in QatarSam Cunningham - Chief football correspondent, The iPaperSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

After two years of some of the most stringent COVID restrictions in the world, many in China are fed up and are demanding a loosening of the controls - in some cases, even calling out President Xi Jinping. They are running the gauntlet of a surveillance state that comes down hard on dissent.Contributors:Victor Gao - vice president, Center for China and GlobalizationCarl Zha - host, Silk & Steel podcastLizzi Lee - journalist, Wall St TV & Host, Live with Lizzi LeeJosh Chin - deputy China bureau chief, Wall Street JournalOn our radar:An open letter to Washington from five international newspapers says that the United States's demand for Wikileaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange's extradition sets a “dangerous precedent” for freedom of the press.Art in times of turmoil in Sri Lanka:The Sri Lankan protests which forced former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa out of office featured memes, viral videos, songs, dances, cartoons and caricatures. The protest art conveyed what mainstream media could not - or would not: Sri Lankans were done with the Rajapaksas and their corruption.Contributors:Hasini Haputhanthri - cultural sociologistSanjana Hattotuwa - research fellow, The Disinfo ProjectRandy Chriz Perera - artist and animatorVasi Samudra Devi - artist and activistSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

As the war in Ukraine hits nine months, the news output is becoming harder, not easier, to navigate.Much of the coverage is misleading at best and dangerous at worst - and with the war showing no signs of stopping, even the term diplomacy has somehow become a dirty word.Contributors:Branko Marcetic - writer, Jacobin magazineLeonid Ragozin - journalistGeorge Beebe - director of grand strategy, Quincy Institute think tankOn our radar:One week down, three weeks to go for World Cup 2022 and some Western news outlets are still doubting Qatar’s suitability as a host country. Others are pointing out the double standards at play. Producer Johanna Hoes reports from Doha on the competing narratives off the pitch.Destination Damascus: Social media tourism arrives in Syria:As travel content out of Syria draws millions of hits online, some Syrians raise concerns about its potential PR benefits. Producer Ahmed Madi explores the curious world of travel vlogging and what looks like a victory lap for Bashar al-Assad's regime.Contributors:Paul Nabil Matthis - Syrian-American author and TikTok content creatorSarah Hunaidi - exiled Syrian writer and communications and advocacy consultantDavud Akhundzada - travel content creatorSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

It has been less than a month since Elon Musk took over Twitter - and things do not seem to be going well for "social media’s public square". With thousands of employees laid off and advertisers pulling money from the platform, many wonder what will be left of Twitter by the time Musk is done?Contributors:Lia Holland - Campaigns and communications director, Fight for the FutureChris Stokel-Walker - Technology journalist  and author, TikTok BoomJenna Golden - Founder, Golden Strategies and former Twitter employeeMarwa Fatafta - MENA policy director, Access NowOn our radar:Football fans everywhere are turning their attention to Qatar as the 2022 World Cup officially kicks off. Producer Johanna Hoes reports from Doha on the - at times unwanted - media attention Qatar is receiving, and how organisers are attempting to manage the messaging, a PR legacy that will live well beyond December 18th.As the world overheats, what’s it like to be a climate journalist?Another COP summit has come and gone and whether approaching climate change from the Global South or North - it is a challenging story to cover. The Listening Post speaks with two journalists who share the relentless effort it takes to report on the world’s most complex issue.Contributors:Leo Hickman - Director, Carbon BriefElaíze Farias - Journalist, Amazônia Real