1/. Two hundred years ago, a slab of Purbeck stone was set deep into a hillside overlooking London

Called the Free Speech Stone, it is a place where people have gathered whenever their rights were under threat

On #WorldPressFreedomDay https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> it is time to gather there again. #WPFD2021 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
2/. #WorldPressFreedomDay https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is a day to remember journalists who& #39;ve been harassed, intimidated, jailed or even killed

32 were killed in 2020

But it’s also a day to take strength

The truth is powerful

It’s why they fear it

It’s why they try to silence it
3/. “The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed.” (Hannah Arendt)

These are dark days for press freedom ALL around the globe.
#WorldPressFreedomDay https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
4/. “Journalists who used to observe court cases from the press gallery, now watch them from the dock"

As a journalist, I’ve watched first hand how govts try to control the press - in Africa, Asia, the Middle East & in Europe

As a campaigner, I’ve fought against this roll-back https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1388148213929103361">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
5/. “We have a free press! The press are free to die”

Whilst countries where journalists are killed or jailed & may top the #WorldPressFreedomDay https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> charts, more sophisticated govts use subtle ways to intimidate

Journalists aren’t censored

They self-censor http://inthesetimes.com/article/6185/where_the_press_is_free_to_die">https://inthesetimes.com/article/6...
Where the Press is Free to Die

Death of jailed journalist raises questions in Cameroon, one of Africa's most corrupt nations

http://inthesetimes.com/article/6185/where_the_press_is_free_to_die
6/. When a journalist or editor makes a decision motivated by fear of consequences, it has nothing to do with the principles of good journalism

We witnessed this in 2003

@ragehomaar admitted: “I didn’t do my job properly”

@DanRather said: “The war made stenographers out of us" https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1378808405507379201">https://twitter.com/StefSiman...
7/. “We live in a & #39;Mediaocracy& #39; where what is politically possible is defined by the media environment” #JulianAssange

The Iraq War showed how swiftly the media comes to heel at “times of national crisis”

Those who fail to do so - like #Assange - can face draconian consequences https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1378671047860498432">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
8/. During a national crisis - be it war or pandemic - it is vital that false or misleading information isn& #39;t disseminated

However, govts actively discouraging or blocking proper scrutiny of their decisions is profoundly dangerous for democracy #WPFD2021 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1298981880906133505">https://twitter.com/StefSiman...
8/. In July 2020, @mailtis tweeted “No.10 is trying to control the media & everyone in our democracy should be afraid”

The words were from a linked article by @adamboultonSKY written after Downing St banned selected journalists from a briefing

The next day she deleted the tweet https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1265412894092648454">https://twitter.com/StefSiman...
9/. Whilst there& #39;s nothing new about a govt trying to control the media, @BorisJohnson& #39;s govt has taken it to a new level

They starting as soon as the came to office, but since #COVID19 they have been blatant: boycotting news outlets, failing to provide info or answer questions. https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1329345317788119040">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
10/. Pressure on journalists not to dig too deep also comes from editors & other sources

On 13/3/20, @Telegraph ran an article with the chilling headline: “Those questioning govt COVID strategy are a danger to us all”

But it was those NOT questioning stategy who were the danger https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1298350985203654657">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
11/. Stonewalling, boycotting & attacking the media is happening globally

In the US, @sarahkendzior talks about “a disinformation crisis" where “investigative journalism is disappearing & far-right media is consolidating"

Could there be a pattern here? https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1247294204742598656?s=20">https://twitter.com/StefSiman...
12/. In June 2020, Blair’s ex-Chief of staff - someone who knows about political skulduggery - wrote:

“This looks like the beginning of a rolling coup. It starts with the civil service then moves on to the judiciary & the media."

We know the players but who are their backers? https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1298986235164205064">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
13/. In 2015, Bannon asked #CambridgeAnalytica’s @chrisinsilico to “create a psychological warfare tool that would create division & hollow out democracies”...which is what he did

He also set about creating a network of populist govts, sharing tactics, technology & a wider goal. https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1125022414860095490">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
14/. #CambridgeAnalytica were rptdly taught data-scraping by #Palantir, the shadowy CIA-backed company set up by right-wing billionaire, Peter Thiel

Palantir run the NHS #COVID19 data store, & are also collecting population-wide health data in the US & dozens of other countries! https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1330489040387366914">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
15/. The NHS is the most trusted brand in Britain. #CambridgeAnalytica is the least trusted

Yet #Palantir - together with #FacultyAI who ran Vote Leave’s digital campaign - are gathering data, including genomic data

It takes “bio-intrusive surveillance capitalism” to new levels https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1310607600422133771">https://twitter.com/StefSiman...
16/. In Sept 2020, the UK launched a ten-year strategy, #GenomeUK, which will transform the NHS & put genomics at the heart of the PM’s programme for govt

Incredibly it was launched quietly (on a Saturday!) & received no media coverage

#Palantir appear to have a central role.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten"> https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1378967171502592004">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
17/. In the coming decades, genomics will reshape our societies

Population-wide genomic data is the first step

Was the PM alluding to genomics in his “UK as Superman” #GreenwichSpeech?

In the right hands & properly regulated, they’re a force for good

But in the wrong hands... https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1356875898381869056">https://twitter.com/stefsiman...
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