Liu Xiaobo: a voice of conscience who fought oppression for decades
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Articles on Freedom of speech
Displaying 1 - 20 of 71 articles
New legislation may make free speech on campus less free
New laws pending in Wisconsin and North Carolina would require public universities to punish students who disrupt campus speakers. But these laws would do more to hinder free speech than protect it.
The UK’s plan to deny terrorists ‘safe spaces’ online would make us all less safe in the long run
Cracking down on extremism online won’t solve the problem of extremist violence, will inevitably censor speech that's important to protect and risks harming political dissidents and democracy itself.
Facebook’s moderation rules prove it’s OK with being a hostile place for women
Comments like 'little girl needs to keep to herself before daddy breaks her face' get a free pass in the name of free speech.
Iran is using indirect censorship methods to avoid international criticism
Handing over censorship to authors and writers themselves may actually make it harsher.
Pakistan’s outdated blasphemy laws are not fit for the 21st century
A spate of violence linked to accusations of blasphemy has rocked Pakistan.
The state of South African journalism: There’s good news and there’s bad news
The growth of new, vibrant, independent media sites and projects in South Africa have challenged conceptions of what a newsroom is. On limited budgets, some even fare better than mainstream media.
Spain’s freedom of speech repression is no joke
When is a joke not a joke? When it starts to erode a fundamental human right.
Proposed changes may confuse rather than clarify the meaning of Section 18C
The government has not adequately explained what it is hoping to achieve by changing the wording of Section 18C.
Section 18C change appears doomed in Senate
Malcolm Turnbull has announced a watering down of the controversial Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
Free speech? It depends who you are, in Peter Dutton’s view
Peter Dutton has advised Alan Joyce and other business executives who have written to Malcolm Turnbull urging action on same-sex marriage to “stick to their knitting”. It’s advice some in the government…
How human rights are faring in South Africa two decades after democracy
Besides a reminder of a dark period in South Africa's history, Human Rights Day also celebrates the country's unique, highly acclaimed constitution which guarantees human dignity and equal rights.
Racism is still rampant in South Africa. But is criminalising hatred the answer?
The growing incidence of racism on social media in South Africa suggests that there are consequences. Whether there ought to be criminal sanctions remains an ongoing debate.
Australians believe 18C protections should stay
How do we know what we think we know? Accuracy, care and rigorous method gets us somewhere there, especially on issues like racism.
Should cybersecurity be a human right?
Recent developments at the United Nations and the G-20 suggest that the well-known human rights to privacy and freedom of expression may soon be formally extended to online communications.
What did Galaxy’s poll tell us about freedom of speech and 18C? Not what the IPA said it did
Neither Galaxy Research nor the Institute of Public Affairs think-tank discussed the most interesting data they garnered from polling on free speech and reform to Section 18C.
What does Trump’s election mean for digital freedom of speech?
The public must prepare to stand up for a free press, and against online censorship and surveillance.
Change process but not Section 18C, says Jewish council
Amending Section 18C would send a 'dangerous message', according to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
We should follow other countries’ lead on hate speech by changing 18C
A minor change, substituting 'vilify' for 'offend' and 'insult', would bring Section 18C more in line with similar laws in other democracies without undermining its effectiveness.
University changes to academic contracts are threatening freedom of speech
A new clause being embedded in a number of university contracts attempts to restrict academics from speaking freely in public debate about issues that are outside their area of research.
Top contributors
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Professor of Sociology, University of Technology Sydney
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Western Australia
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Professor of Education, University of Derby
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Lecturer in Law, Southern Cross University
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Lecturer in Communication, The University of Queensland
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Director of the Centre for Media History, Macquarie University
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Professor of Institutional Economics, RMIT University
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Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne
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Professor of Law, The University of Queensland
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Head of Department, Journalism, Curtin University
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Senior Lecturer, School of Communication, International Studies and Languages, University of South Australia
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Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology
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Lecturer in Critical Thinking, Director of the UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Journalism, City, University of London
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