Journalism Matters this week: F&O’s fresh sheet

Venezuela spins at the rim of a black hole,  by Jonathan Manthorpe   Column


Venezuela is being sucked into a political and social vacuum. The awful probability is that the vacuum will be filled by violence. That’s usually what happens when human societies lose their way.

Why America’s health care is so bad, by Tom Regan   Column


Feminists mourn Wendy Robbins

Feminists across Canada and abroad are mourning the sudden death of Professor Wendy Robbins, a Canadian sociologist who championed women in academia, health care, and activism.

How One Major Internet Company Helps Serve Up Hate, by Ken Schwencke, ProPublica

The widespread use of Cloudflare’s services by racist groups is not an accident. Cloudflare has said it is not in the business of censoring websites and will not deny its services to even the most offensive purveyors of hate. Based in San Francisco, Cloudflare operates more than 100 data centers spread across the world, serving as a sort of middleman for websites.

Journalism at risk from surveillance, data collection: UNESCO report, by Julie Posetti  Expert Witness

The ability of journalists to report without fear is under threat from mass surveillance and data retention. My UNESCO report Protecting Journalism Sources in the Digital Age shows that laws protecting journalists and sources globally are not keeping up with the challenges posed by indiscriminate data collection and the spill-over effects of anti-terrorism and national security legislation.


