With the suspension of Radio Free Asia services in Laos, citizen journalists, as well as bloggers and social media reporters, have stepped in. But, these journalists often lack the training to protect themselves and have faced increased government censorship, scrutiny, and harassment.
Date: 4/26
Region: East Asia & Pacific
Country: Laos
Topic: Governance & Rights
Policy Lens: Democracy & Governance
Entry Type: Secondary Effect
Additional Context: This information was collected as part of The Aid Report’s original reporting, "In exile and at risk, journalists navigate life after U.S. funding cuts.”
The Manushya Foundation, which runs a network of safe houses in Thailand, has documented a rise in protection requests from journalists and social media reporters in Laos since the U.S. aid cuts. According to its executive director, the organization has struggled to respond to the rising need because it too was a recipient of USAID funding. U.S. funding reductions have curtailed programs that supported local media and journalist safety.
Source: Devex