Holding the Line: South East Asia Media Freedom Report 2019

As our title suggests, South East Asia’s media is determinedly Holding the Line against forces both overt and unseen, both online and offline that are trying in various ways to silence them. Together they are fighting back, they are building solidarity and they are raising the voice of media freedom in this complex and challenged region. The 2019 South East Asia Media Freedom Report details some of these key legal cases across the region over the period, including that of Maria Ressa who is fronting a large scale attempt by the Philippines government to silence her and her Rappler, online media outlet. Rappler is currently facing 10 cases and investigations, including the revocation of its license to operate after it was found to have accommodated a foreign investor, allegedly in violation of regulations on media ownership.