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Ex-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticizes Trump’s deceit as a threat to democracy. Senate takes key step to reverse FCC repeal of net neutrality, setting stage for House showdown. LGBT students in a public high school in rural Oregon were openly bullied and forced to read the Bible as punishment. Sinclair media pushes storyline concerning CNN reporter’s tweet in debunked bias claim. -Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer

 

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression today

U.S.

Tillerson Says Leaders Who ‘Conceal the Truth’ Risk Freedom
“If our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom.”
CNN

Senate Approves Overturning FCC’s Net Neutrality Repeal
The Senate approved a resolution to nullify the FCC’s net neutrality rollback—a symbolic blow. However, the outcome is unlikely to derail the FCC’s repeal. “The prospect that the internet will be changed in some fundamental way is disturbing.”
NPR

LGBT Students in Oregon Were Bullied and Forced to Read Bible, Report Says
In the reports, LGBT high school students described years of harassment and bigotry from school employees and other students, and a deeply religious culture that silenced their complaints. The state found “substantial evidence” of discrimination.
NEW YORK TIMES

Sinclair Broadcasting Segment Takes Aim at CNN’s Chris Cillizza Because He Botched a GIF of Trump
CNN commentator, Chris Cillizza, attempted to tweet a GIF of Donald Trump, accidentally posting an image that appeared to show the president in crosshairs. Some, including Sinclair, have labeled the tweet as “an assassination threat”.
MEDIAITE

 
Global

Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in ‘Anti-Fake News Campaign’
A new law in Kenya is the latest in East Africa to punish the spreading of “false information” and impose a jail term on offenders. Critics of the “fake news” laws in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania say they’re meant to muzzle independent media.
BBC

Taiwan Whips Out the Censor’s Pen for Books Published On the Chinese Mainland
Booksellers and publishers in Taiwan are calling for a revision of a 2003 regulation on introducing publications from the Chinese mainland, after Taiwan regulators shocked the industry by requiring censorship of such books.
GLOBAL TIMES

Dutch Lawmaker Wilders Appeals Discrimination Conviction
Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders began his appeal against a conviction for inciting discrimination, accusing prosecutors destroying his right to free speech. “What the Islamists haven’t been able to do… [is] destroy freedom of expression”.
REUTERS

Former Phnom Penh Post Journalist Describes State of Press Freedom in Cambodia as ‘Dire’
The acquisition of the Phnom Penh Post by a Malaysian businessman made the newsroom “apprehensive” and “concerned” according to one of the paper’s former journalists, Erin Handley. “The current state of press freedom in Cambodia is dire.”
PRESS GAZETTE

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