In Cameroon, where English-speaking separatists are fighting the largely French-speaking government to establish a new nation, journalists covering the violence are increasingly finding themselves behind bars on a surprising charge: fake news. In the immediate aftermath of his death, in one of the country’s unstable regions, Cameroonian journalist Mimi Mefo Takambou sought to find out who killed him. As of early December, seven journalists were in custody — four for reporting false news, the three others for a variety of charges, including embezzlement and defamation, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Two of the journalists were later released, but Cameroon remains the second-leading jailer of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa after Eritrea, CPJ said. (Joyce Lee/The Washington Post)Press advocates see a recent uptick in accusations of fake news as the government’s attempt to stifle journalists reporting on the growing internal crisis.

Source: Washington Post December 16, 2018 07:52 UTC