Prédateur

XI Jinping

Président de la République populaire de Chine depuis le 14 mars 2013

Secrétaire général du Parti communiste chinois depuis le 15 novembre 2012

Président de la Commission militaire centrale depuis le 14 mars 2013.

Prédateur depuis 2013

Chine, 177e/180 au Classement mondial de la liberté de la presse 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MODE DE PRÉDATION : totalement décomplexé

Quand Xi Jinping, dont la famille a été victime de la Révolution culturelle, a accédé au pouvoir en Chine en 2013, on aurait pu s’attendre à ce qu’il mette en place des réformes libérales. Tout au contraire, il a renforcé la mainmise du régime sur l’information, restaurant en quelques années une culture médiatique digne de l'ère maoïste. En s'appuyant sur l'utilisation massive des nouvelles technologies, Xi Jinping a imposé un modèle social basé sur la censure, la propagande et la surveillance. L’administration chinoise du cyberespace (Cyberspace Administration of China, ou CAC), un organisme supervisé par Xi Jinping lui-même, empêche le milliard d'internautes chinois de recevoir et de communiquer librement des informations indépendantes. Les médias d'État ne doivent pas seulement obéir au Parti, mais également « refléter sa volonté, protéger son autorité et son unité ». L'application pour smartphone « Étudier Xi, rendre le pays plus fort », dont l’usage est obligatoire pour tous les journalistes depuis 2019, permet non seulement au régime de tester leur loyauté, mais est aussi soupçonnée d’accéder aux données contenues dans leurs téléphones. Sous Xi Jinping, le harcèlement des correspondants étrangers et de leurs sources a atteint de nouveaux records, tandis qu'à l'étranger, le régime tente par tous les moyens de promouvoir et d’exporter son modèle oppressif.

CIBLES DE PRÉDILECTION : tout ce qui n’est pas dans la ligne

La Chine de Xi Jinping est la plus grande prison au monde pour les défenseurs de la liberté de la presse, avec plus de 115 personnes détenues en 2021 dans des conditions qui laissent souvent craindre pour leur vie. Le système de « résidence surveillée dans un lieu désigné » (RSLD), un euphémisme qui désigne la détention à l’isolement dans les « prisons noires » chinoises, où les détenus sont privés de leurs droits et risquent la torture, est couramment utilisé pour faire taire les journalistes qui ne suivent pas le narratif officiel. Kunchok Jinpa, source d’information importante pour les médias sur le Tibet, est mort en février 2021 des suites de mauvais traitements durant sa détention, tout comme le prix Nobel de la paix et lauréat du Prix RSF de la liberté de la presse, Liu Xiaobo, et le commentateur politique Yang Tongyan, en 2017.

DISCOURS OFFICIEL : endoctrinement paternaliste

« Les médias dirigés par le Parti et le gouvernement sont des outils de propagande qui doivent avoir le Parti comme nom de famille. » (Discours prononcé par Xi Jinping le 19 février 2016 lors d'une tournée d'inspection des médias d'État.)

« Les journalistes doivent aimer le Parti, protéger le Parti et suivre fidèlement le leadership du Parti en pensée, politiquement et par leurs actes. » (À propos des journalistes de CCTV, de l’agence Xinhua et du Quotidien du Peuple, février 2016.)