1 Assaulted
This category will include any incident where a journalist, media institution, or a human rights defender (HRD) or activists is physically assaulted, tortured, or wounded during the course of their work.
2. Bombed
This category will include incidents where a journalist, a human rights defender’s home or the office of the media house/outlet/organization is sabotaged through bombing, arson, vandalism or theft.
3. Censored
This category will include incidents where information is prevented from being communicated. For example, issuing a gagging order forcing editorial changes using legislation like interdicts and court orders to stop information from being published, shutting down or suspending production and confiscating equipment or materials.
4. Detained
This category documents incidents where a media worker, activist or a digital user is imprisoned or detained. It can be legal or illegal and includes being sentenced to a jail term or incommunicado, held for preventative reasons or arrested.
5. Expelled
This category includes incidents where journalists and activists are expelled from or prevented from entering or leaving (such as by denying visas, work papers or accreditation) and/or certain areas to perform their work.
6. Killed or Missing
This category captures incidents where journalists, HRDs, digital users have been killed, kidnapped or gone missing in circumstances that suggest a link to their work, comment or role as a journalist.
7. Legislated
The category captures all issues related to aspects of the legislative process and the application of common law. It includes instances where official proposals are made for new laws, legislation is passed, laws are amended or struck down either in parliament or by the courts and civil litigation is instituted against media.
8. Sentenced
This category is when a judgement is handed down against a media worker, a human rights defender or a digital user involving either a prison term or a fine.
9. Threatened
This category involves a threat from a public official, death threat, various forms of harassment such as veiled warnings threats of action, interference in editorial processes, cyber-attacks, raids and forcibly occupying a home or office), or interrogated on their sources.
10. Victory
This category includes immediate victories for the media workers, HRDs, digital users or media organizations including being released unconditionally, having charges dropped, winning or avoiding civil litigation over turning gagging orders and being acquitted of criminal charges. This category also includes incidents that advance media freedom, access to information or freedom of expression in general. For example, favorable policy statements, media friendly laws or policies and favorable and precedented setting court judgements.
11. Violation of Public FoE
This category includes incidents that affect freedom of expression (FoE) or speech in general and do not necessary involve media workers or organizations. For example, cases of sedition against members of the public, general curbs on free speech and access to information, violations of the rights to freedom of assembly and protest, restrictions on artistic or academic freedom and restrictions on access to public media.
12. Internet Censorship
This category includes incidents of internet censorship in general and do not limit to journalist and media organizations only but extend to ordinary citizens who are digital users. For example, cases of defamation.