Independent journalism in Georgia on the brink, 20 trailblazing women in journalism, and Forbidden Stories goes to the theater

The International Journalism Festival weekly round-up. Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter, by following us on Instagram or Telegram, or by joining us on Bluesky.

Georgia: independent journalism and media pluralism on the brink. MFRR Partners warn that a new wave of repressive legislation threatens Georgian independent journalism with imminent extinction. The #ijf25 panel entitled Journalism under pressure: freedom of the press in Georgia will address this topic

20 trailblazing women in journalism. Interviewers at the top of their game, stars to watch, digital maestros and strategic masterminds – a few of our top picks of women paving the way for others. Carole Cadwalladr, Lea Korsgaard, Lucy Kueng, Eliz Mizon, Meera Selva, Olga Rudenko, Sophia Smith Galer and Anita Zielina will be #ijf25 speakers

Forbidden Stories goes to the theater. The stage is dark, except for the beams of faint white light that illuminate four actors standing in a row, who are taking turns to tell the stories of the murdered journalists they play. Reporters from different corners of the world, shot, decapitated, dismembered, and burned alive because of their work. Laurent Richard will be a #ijf25 speaker

CPJ calls for release of José Rubén Zamora after Guatemala judge orders the journalist back to jail. The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces Monday’s court ruling to revoke the house arrest of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora and send him back to prison. José Rubén Zamora’s son José Zamora will be a #ijf25 speaker

I never thought this day would come. More than 8 years ago, my former boss at ABS CBN News, Chi Almario-Gonzalez, told me that we should persist in documenting the death toll of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs because the day of reckoning would eventually come. And today, with Duterte’s arrest on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, that day of reckoning finally arrived. Che De los Reyes will be a #ijf25 speaker

The women journalists defying Taliban oppression. Increasing restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan is forcing women journalists take extraordinary risks to their own safety to tell their stories.  The work of the news agency Rukhshana Media is increasingly essential not only to inform the people of Afghanistan but also the Afghan diaspora and the international community. Zahra Joya will be a #ijf25 speaker

What the creators of Howtown learned in their first few months on YouTube. “We don’t know if [this strategy] is going to make sense for us from a money perspective. We’re in the ‘out on a limb’ phase, not the ‘we’ve discovered a new business model’ phase.” Adam Cole and Joss Fong will be #ijf25 speakers

Burn him alive on the street’: the Russian journalist targeted in UK by spy ring tasked with his murder. Old Bailey trial of six Bulgarians charged with espionage has provided chilling evidence that Kremlin wanted reporter to be killed

Shattered by a perfect storm: How Trump’s cuts are crippling journalism beyond the United States. From Ukraine to El Salvador, newsrooms have been hit by cuts in USAID and other programmes. Fifteen editors on the impact and how to fight back

What the US aid freeze tells us about the struggles of Russian independent media. To survive, independent Russian media outlets should reconsider rethinking their audiences. Ivan Kolpakov and Galina Timchenko wlll be #ijf25 speakers

Ruth Marcus left The Washington Post after they killed her column. The New Yorker just published it in full. The Streisand effect — the idea that attempts to hide or censor information only lead to increased awareness of it — is in full force

Image credit: screenshot of 10 March 2025 IPI article entitled Georgia: Independent Journalism and Media Pluralism on the Brink