William Horsley is CFOM’s International Director. He has a leading role to promote CFOM’s global mission to strengthen international protections for free and independent media and freedom of expression through research and analysis, advocacy, topical public events and seminars and policy advice to governments and media. He also engages with inter-governmental organisations, such as UNESCO and the Council of Europe.
His International Director’s Column focuses on issues of media freedom across the world alongside providing a snapshot of the advocacy work that William does. You can find his pieces below.
Two-and-a-half cheers for the UK’s Freedom of Information Act
British newspapers and press freedom campaigners heaved a sigh of relief after a government-appointed commission stepped back from proposals to impose charges for disclosure requests, and on 1 March Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock announced “We will not make any...
What can the Commonwealth do for journalists?
How can the Commonwealth confront the repression – and in some cases forceful oppression - of independent and critical journalists in some of its member states? This week Patricia Scotland, a Labour life peer and former Attorney-General, starts work as Commonwealth...
Big Media ‘must do more’ to protect journalists
The big guns of the world’s media have found themselves at fault. At UNESCO’s Paris headquarters on 5 February, 200 senior media managers, editors and journalists from around the world, whose everyday job is to hold others to account, publicly examined their own...
Our International Director’s Report on the 2nd November London event “Stop the Killing of Journalists! Prevention and Justice to end Impunity”
End Impunity Day London Event 2 November 2015 – Report: Stop the Killing of Journalists! Prevention and Justice to end Impunity. Public debate in the UK Parliament on 2 November 2015, organised by the Centre for Freedom of the Media, University of Sheffield; PEN...
EU leaders must act to protect journalists threatened with violence
This year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists highlights why the safety of journalists is vital to all our freedom, writes William Horsley. 700 journalists killed for their work in 10 years, and a total failure of states to convict any...