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DARE To Be Informed

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression this week.

U.S.

Trump tweets a video of him wrestling ‘CNN’ to the ground
Cartoonish in quality, the video is an unorthodox way for a sitting president to express himself. But Mr. Trump has ratcheted up his attacks on the news media in recent days—assailing CNN and crudely insulting the hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”—while defending his use of social media as “modern day presidential.” Some journalists denounced its portrayal of violence as dangerous and have raised alarms about a recent spate of arrests and assaults on working journalists.
NEW YORK TIMES

Why the media’s defense against Trump has proven so ineffective
Trump’s attack on Brzezinski, including bizarre claims about a botched facelift, is fully in keeping with the behavior of a man who boasted about committing sexual assault. His decision to post a video in which he attacks a man with the CNN logo superimposed over his face can only be read as encouraging violence against the media. In order to defend itself, the media will have to make the case that Trump’s attacks on the press are bad for the public.
THE ATLANTIC

Hangman’s noose, symbol of racial animus, keeps cropping up
An employee at the United States Mint in Philadelphia hung a noose Wednesday at the workstation of a black colleague, the latest in a series of reports this year involving nooses.
NEW YORK TIMES

Congressman retracts Auschwitz video and apologizes, after criticism
Louisiana Republican Clay Higgins has retracted a video he recorded at Auschwitz, apologizing to “any who may feel that my video posting was wrong or caused pain.”
NPR
 

Global

Health of Chinese Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo worsens, hospital says *PEN Case List
Liu’s family has been asked to be on standby in the hospital over the next 24 hours. China’s best-known political prisoner has been diagnosed with liver cancer.
LOS ANGELES TIMES

Amnesty says Turkey director and activists detained in Istanbul
Idil Eser, the head of Amnesty International Turkey, was taken away on Wednesday along with activists and trainers during a digital security and information management workshop.
THE GUARDIAN

No end in sight to Arab crisis as Qatar rejects demands, including shutting down Al Jazeera
The group of Arab nations said it will press ahead with efforts to isolate Qatar, maintaining a blockade that has undermined the nation’s wealthy economy and fueled regional tensions.
THE WASHINGTON POST

The military’s offensive against the media
On Monday, the military arrested The Irrawaddy’s senior reporter Lawi Weng and two Democratic Voice of Burma reporters, Aye Nai and Pyae Bone Naing, also known as Pyae Phone Aung. They are charged as having violated Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act.
THE IRRAWADDY

At the movies in China, some propaganda with your popcorn
Cinemas have been ordered to play one of four government-issued videos before every movie screening. The videos promote “socialist core values” and feature A-list Chinese celebrities like Jackie Chan.
NEW YORK TIMES

In-Depth Analysis

I’m sad for my friend Liu Xiaobo, and for a China that can’t cherish its finest
A journalist reflects on her friendship with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo, on his life, and on what the news of his medical parole and terminal liver cancer diagnosis says about China.
QUARTZ

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