On October 16, 2017, investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb attack outside her home in Bidnija. Her assassination shocked Europe and exposed the fragility of press freedom in Malta. For many Maltese journalists, Daphne’s death was not only a tragedy but a turning point, one that opened a window to demand protection, accountability, and structural reform to guarantee the safety of the independent press. Eight years later, her name continues to inspire calls to accountability. Now, international press freedom groups are urging Malta to take that next step: to adopt a National Action Plan on Media Freedom and Journalist Safety. This proposal, put forward by 18 organizations, including the International Press Institute (IPI), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), aims to translate years of consultation into concrete policy. Media Landscape Malta’s media environment is small and highly concentrated. The Public

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the country’s media landscape has collapsed. Once home to a vibrant independent press that reached millions of readers, Afghanistan now faces a systematic campaign to silence dissent and turn journalism into a tool of state propaganda. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Taliban has banned, suspended, or shuttered hundreds of independent outlets, while those that remain are tightly controlled. Authorities reject any news or opinion that deviates from their interpretation of “truth,” punishing even personal commentary as propaganda. Meanwhile, the Taliban has built a media empire that spreads its radical Islamist ideology across television, radio, newspapers, and digital platforms such as YouTube, X, and Telegram. Journalists as suspects and spies Afghan journalists face relentless intimidation. Taliban agents monitor everything posted online and detain those who violate their stringent interpretation of Sharia law, which bans music, soap

After more than two decades of intimidation, legal harassment, and violence, journalists in Bolivia fear that risks will intensify as the country heads toward a presidential election with no clear frontrunner. On August 17, Bolivians voted for the first time in 20 years without a single candidate from the once-dominant Movement for Socialism (MAS). The party, which governed for 14 years under Evo Morales, entered the race fractured after an economic crisis and years of authoritarian practices. Neither Mr. Morales nor current President, Luis Arce, appeared on the ballot. Preliminary results set the stage for a runoff on Oct. 19 between Rodrigo Paz Pereira and former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga. But for many journalists, the outcome matters less than whether the next government will make meaningful improvements in safety and press freedom. In interviews with the Committee to Protect Journalists during a fact-finding mission in June, reporters expressed deep distrust