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Martin Bright

@martinbright.bsky.social
1.3K followers 2.4K following 166 posts

Senior Lecturer in Journalism at University of Essex, Editor-at-Large at Index on Censorship, founder of Creative Society

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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Pleased to have worked as contributing editor for this report for Reporters Without Borders on National Security rsf.org/en/new-rsf-r...
rsf.org
New RSF Report: National Security as a Weapon Against Journalism
In the name of national security, journalists are being prosecuted, imprisoned, surveilled, forced into exile and even killed. In its new report, “National Security as a Weapon Against Journalism,” Re...
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Royal women aren’t the only victims of coverage that pits them against each other. You are too. observer.co.uk/culture/book...
observer.co.uk
Royal women aren’t the only victims of coverage that pits...
For centuries royal women have been co-opted into culture wars and to tell reductive stories about all women. In our age of rising populism, rampant disinformation and deepfakes, the jeopardy is great...
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
We only went and won it!! 🎉🎉🎉 A newsletter has just won the biggest prize in British journalism Absolutely delighted. Huge thanks to Khadija and to all Democracy for Sale’s supporters 😊
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Alice Roberts @profaliceroberts.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Yesterday I witnessed something extraordinary: the author Sarah Wynn-Williams sitting silent on a stage at @hayfestival.bsky.social. And she got a standing ovation. I hope the attempt to censor her backfires magnificently. I have just ordered her book. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Meta legal action forces Facebook whistleblower to sit in silence at Hay festival
Sarah Wynn-Williams did not speak during event after lawyers warned of possible sanctions from tech firm
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Why has Murray from Flight of the Conchords been appointed as US tourism envoy?
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Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
If Starmer was any good at politics (which he isn't), he could use this – very loudly and publicly – to further clamp down on all foreign donations to any party or member of parliament/the Lords.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
What to do this weekend, from Banksy’s statue to a Soho clown show observer.co.uk/the-sensemak...
observer.co.uk
What to do this weekend, from Banksy’s statue to a Soho c...
Our critic picks five cultural highlights, whether you have a few minutes, an hour or a night out to spare
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Barnet very close. Follow the coverage from The Finch here thefinch.news/article/barn...
thefinch.news
The Finch — Hyperlocal news for Finchley, North London
The Finch is an independent newspaper covering Finchley and North London. Local news, community, sport, food, culture and opinion.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Really impressive live feed of local election results in The Finch thefinch.news/article/barn...
thefinch.news
The Finch — Hyperlocal news for Finchley, North London
The Finch is an independent newspaper covering Finchley and North London. Local news, community, sport, food, culture and opinion.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
This from @stephenkb.bsky.social is so good. www.ft.com/content/5cdf...
ft.com
How not to defeat antisemitism
The only way to overcome this scourge is to see it for what it is: racism
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Hobbled onto this train in obvious discomfort. Every single person in this photo is younger than me. Not one offered me a seat. Their phones are more important.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
This testimony from Olly Robbins is devastating. No. 10 pressure for a quick decision on Mandelson’s appointment demonstrates a catastrophic error of judgement.
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Zoë Grünewald @zoegrunewald.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
🎉Really excited to see the launch of Arguably today. I’m proud to be part of this group of writers and to contribute to a new space for progressive ideas and serious debate at a moment when both feel urgently needed.
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Timothy Garton Ash @fromtga.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
‘Hungary, Europe!’ Spontaneous chant I just heard on streets of Budapest … Supermajority means Tisza really can dismantle the Orban system… and Orban has conceded… It will be a tough road ahead but truly hard to imagine a better result… I’ll be writing about it soon…
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
The fall of Orbán is the first good news in Europe for some time. The scenes from Budapest are incredible www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2...
bbc.co.uk
Hungary election: Viktor Orbán ousted after 16 years in power as opposition heads for landslide - follow live
The long-serving prime minister concedes defeat to Péter Magyar, who has promised closer EU ties and an anti-corruption drive.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
All news is local news. Kudos to ProPublica on this initiative.
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Index on Censorship @indexoncensorship.org · 08/04/2026
Last year, @martinbright.bsky.social attended Battle for the Soul of Europe, organised by Orbán-funded MCC Brussels. The event brought together far-right figures from across Europe, highlighting growing networks opposed to the EU & free expression. Read more ⬇️ shop.exacteditions.com/index-on-cen...
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Kamala Harris @kamalaharris.com · 07/04/2026
The President of the United States is threatening to commit war crimes and wipe out a "whole civilization" — all because he started a disastrous war of his own making and had no plan and no strategy for how to end it. This is abhorrent, and the American people do not support this.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Serious question. When will the American people stop this maniac?
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Serious question. When will the American people act to stop this maniac?
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
This is an interesting development
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Thanks to @eurozine.bsky.social for republishing this piece about the Brussels-based think tank pushing Orbán’s anti-EU agenda.
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Philadelphia is the city I wish UK politics was obsessed with: every year there’s a new spin-out from the universities. This is what we should want (and could have) for all our cities!
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Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
"Look at the results... PBS, defunded. NPR, defunded. Joy Reid, gone from MSNBC. Sleepy-eyes Chuck Todd, gone. Jim Acosta, gone. John Dickerson, gone Stephen Colbert is leaving. CBS is under new ownership, and soon enough, CNN is gonna have new ownership as well." www.status.news/p/brendan-ca...
status.news
Carr Blares the Horn
The FCC chairman’s comments at CPAC laid bare that the administration views controlling the media and sidelining critics as a political victory.
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Index on Censorship @indexoncensorship.org · 23/03/2026
#UK: Following a close call, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed increased funding for the BBC World Service. Index's @martinbright.bsky.social reminds us why we need it more than ever: www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/03/we-n...
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Will Mojtaba Khamenei turn out to be Iran’s Richard Cromwell?
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Everyone needs to follow @danneidle.bsky.social right now. This is such important work.
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Index on Censorship @indexoncensorship.org · 28/01/2026
#USA: At Davos last week, #Trump made his intentions clear: tighter control over the free press. His backing down over #Greenland offers a lesson for the US media - stand up to him before it's too late. Index's @martinbright.bsky.social writes ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/01/the-...
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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
So important. What they say is not the story. That is never the story. What happened is the story. Write what happened.
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
The far right is coming in 2026 - its message is coherent, unified and it hates the EU www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/01/the-...
indexoncensorship.org
The Far Right is on the rise in 2026...you have been warned - Index on Censorship
A conference in Brussels brought together a movement of "patriots" deeply hostile to the European Union
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
A proud moment. The work of the London Centre for the Study of Antisemitism is vitally important. londonantisemitism.com/team/martin-...
londonantisemitism.com
Martin Bright - London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism
Martin Bright Martin Bright is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism in the Department of Literature Film and Theatre Studies (LiFTS) at Essex University He has worked for over 30 years in journalism on nat...
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/12/tyra...
indexoncensorship.org
Tyrant of the year 2025: Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada - Index on Censorship
The Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law regulations introduced this year are some of the most repressive anywhere
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Are the mainstream media here? They should be.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
open.substack.com/pub/martinbr...
open.substack.com
The Resistible Rise of Frank Furedi
“All across Europe something extraordinary is happening.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
A beautuful tribite to Rachel Cooke from @timadamswrites.bsky.social Terribly sad news observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
Remembering Rachel Cooke | The Observer
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
www.instagram.com/reel/DRAa6a_... This song gets me even when it isn’t sung by Jesse Hughes from Eagles of Death Metal with the survivors of the Bataclan massacre.
instagram.com
France tv on Instagram: "Les frissons.🙏 Jesse Hughes, du groupe Eagles of Death Metal, chante le célèbre "You’ll never walk alone" avec le Chœur du 13, composé de survivants et de familles de victime...
120K likes, 1,630 comments - france.tv on November 13, 2025: "Les frissons.🙏 Jesse Hughes, du groupe Eagles of Death Metal, chante le célèbre "You’ll never walk alone" avec le Chœur du 13, composé de...
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
I’ve been thinking about this piece by Rachele Dini all week. It’s a very depressing read, but beautifully done, which is some consolation: lareviewofbooks.org/article/lite...
lareviewofbooks.org
Literature Is Not a Vibe: On ChatGPT and the Humanities | Los Angeles Review of Books
Rachele Dini discusses OpenAI’s “A Machine-Shaped Hand” and an academic sector in crisis.
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
As ever @sundersays.bsky.social sets the right tone:
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
This is really rather good. I don’t know why I was sceptical. A sophisticated and mature take on a very difficult and morally complicated story. Journalist on journalist stories are never comfortable reading/viewing. Especially for journalists.
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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
@freepress.bsky.social joined @wgawest.bsky.social today to protest ABC/Disney’s capitulation to the Trump administration’s calls to censor Jimmy Kimmel.
SAG AFTRA member holds sign of Mickey Mouse’s middle finger in front of FreePress.net sign.Writer’s Guild member holds sign that reads, “FuCC this!”Two protesters hold signs shaming ABC for canceling Kimmel and a picture of Donald Trump as CEO of Disney.Crowd of protesters, WGA member holds a sign that reads “cowards” with Mickey’s head taking the place of the “o.”
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
“See you in Valhalla”. Where have we heard that before? theconversation.com/far-right-ex...
theconversation.com
Far-right extremists keep co-opting Norse symbolism – here’s why
Norse symbols and references to Valhalla repeatedly show up the manifestos of far right terrorists. An expert explains why.
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Jeff (Hot Type) Jarvis @jeffjarvis.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
The AI impersonation plot thickens... Business Insider yanked 40 essays with suspect bylines. Are they related? www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
washingtonpost.com
Business Insider yanked 40 essays with suspect bylines. Are they related?
“Margaux Blanchard” appears to be one dubious element of a broader scheme to peddle bogus articles to a number of publications.
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Index on Censorship @indexoncensorship.org · 03/09/2025
The arrest of Graham Linehan over a series of posts on X has been a stark example of overpolicing what we say online in the UK. Index's @martinbright.bsky.social writes about the episode: www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/09/the-...
indexoncensorship.org
The arrest of Graham Linehan is a cop and ball story - Index on Censorship
The Father Ted writer was arrested by five armed police officers on arrival in the UK over historic tweets on trans people
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Could you get in touch please? @gregwilliams718.bsky.social
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Join us this Tuesday for Land of the Free? A magazine launch and panel on #Trump's assault on free expression. With @ericawagner.bsky.social, @anveebhutani.bsky.social, and @charlieholt.bsky.social. 📅 Tuesday 5 August 📍 St John's Waterloo Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/land-of-th...
eventbrite.co.uk
Land of the free? Trump's war on press, protest and academic freedom
Join Index on Censorship for a magazine launch and panel discussion on the Trump administration's attack on freedom of expression
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Can we now talk about the American Dissident? A conversation with @benjaminnathans.bsky.social for @indexoncensorship.org www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/07/has-...
indexoncensorship.org
Has President Trump launched the age of the American dissident? - Index on Censorship
A new era of authoritarianism has dawned in the “land of liberty”. What can US political activists learn from those who defied Soviet repression?
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Index on Censorship @indexoncensorship.org · 29/07/2025
The term "dissident" emerged during the Cold War. Index was created at this time & worked with dissidents from the USSR. So what can US political activists now learn from the original dissidents? Index's editor-at-large @martinbright.bsky.social explores: www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/07/has-...
indexoncensorship.org
Has President Trump launched the age of the American dissident? - Index on Censorship
A new era of authoritarianism has dawned in the “land of liberty”. What can US political activists learn from those who defied Soviet repression?
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Martin Bright @martinbright.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
At risk of sounding like an old git, Glastonbury seems to be just a series of bland acts playing songs using the same intervals with that pop-country-Swedish vibe. It’s as predictable and predigested as the politics.
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Index on Censorship @indexoncensorship.org · 24/06/2025
As Health Secretary Wes Streeting announces a national inquiry into maternity care, revisit the ground-breaking investigation by Index's @martinbright.bsky.social on the culture of secrecy shrouding maternity services and women’s healthcare in #England: www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/04/whis...
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