In this new MediaFile series, the International section will be taking on the task of curating a list of five important world news stories that you may have missed this week because of news from the election cycle.

In press freedom this week, a major leftist newspaper in Hungary has temporarily closed citing a poor business model. Népszabadság’s writers, came out in the thousands to protest the right-wing parliament for interfering with the media’s voice in the country. The journalists of the organization were only told of the closure when they were not permitted entry to their office building on Saturday. Many believe that this move is politically driven. You can read more about Népszabadság and their protests here:

Protests in Hungary at closure of main leftwing opposition newspaper

The Islamic State appears to have had a dramatic reduction in media production over the past year. The New York Times reports that since the increase of military pressure on the militant group, ISIS has been unable to cultivate followers the way it once was able to via social and multimedia platforms. ISIS has also been unable to follow through on their claims to a caliphate as the Times suggests, which has may also contribute to their decrease in perceived legitimacy. More on the importance of media to the Islamic State here:
ISIS Media Output Drops as Military Pressure Rises, Report Says

This week in Pakistan a popular political journalist, Cyril Almeida, has been banned from leaving the country after writing a story about the government’s involvement with local militant groups that were responsible for attacks in the neighboring countries India and Afghanistan. This story especially comes at a difficult time for Pakistan’s continuously strained relations with India. The government has officially placed Almeida on the country’s “exit control list” and the journalist has since sparked a twitter movement, #StandByCyril. You can read an op-ed in MediaFile today about Cyril, and more about the impact of his ban, here:
After A Sensitive Story, A Pakistani Journalist Is Barred From Leaving

In South Africa, peaceful protests for free college education turned increasingly violent this week after students were shot with rubber bullets by police officers. One of those critically injured was a Catholic Priest, whose wounds to his face can be seen in this graphic video attached to the New York Times’ reporting. Rev. Graham Pugin stepped between a police vehicle after they were trying to target students who were fleeing towards his church for safety. Watch video of Rev. Pugin at the protest, here:

CBS News’ Elizabeth Palmer has had unique access into Syria, and has been documenting what has become of cities like Homs and Aleppo during this civil war. In this piece, Palmer shows how President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has planned to take back the few cities that remain, like Aleppo, from the opposition by force. In this graphic video, you see aid workers trying to help people out after airstrikes hit a building, only to be struck again minutes later in the same spot, what Palmer refers to as a “double-tap.” You can check out Palmer’s most recent reporting here:

These are just a few of the many current affairs going on around the world, and if you have any suggestions regarding next week’s post, please tweet @MediaFileDC and let us know.