Fighting the good fight: Press freedom in Asia

Asia is a vast region with extensive news markets and huge audiences, providing a plethora of opportunities for media production and consumption. But the continent is also home to a range of governing styles, from democracies to authoritarian dictatorships, some of which regularly crack down on press freedom. In this episode we hear from media professionals in Indonesia, India and Thailand on the specific challenges facing the news industry, as well as the role of China’s influence in the region, with; - Siddarth Vardarajan, founding editor, The Wire in India (https://m.thewire.in/author/Siddharth-Varadarajan) - Sui Lee Wee, Southeast Asia bureau chief for the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/by/sui-lee-wee) - Luviana Ariyanti, co-founder of alternative women’s media, konde.co, in Indonesia (https://www.konde.co/) - Ritu Kapur, co-founder and managing director of The Quint in India (https://www.thequint.com/topic/ritu-kapur)

The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.

Music in this episode: Something Elated by Xylo-Ziko (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/motif-remix/sandstone/)