The Turkish President Erdoğan’s habit of confiscating cigarettes and eliciting a promise from the owners to give up famously involved the Bulgarian Foreign Minister in 2016, and inspired the Cumhuriyet columnist Kadri Gürsel’s 'Erdoğan Wants to Become the New Father to Turks'. Last week, Gürsel was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for his comments that included, ‘Turkey only needs a rebellious child like Muhammad Buazizi, who provided the spark that toppled the Tunisian dictator.’

President Donald Trump and former FBI Director James Comey don’t agree on much anymore. One of the more alarming sentiments they did share near the end of Comey’s chaotic tenure last year was an exchange in which Trump suggested that journalists might talk about their sources “if they spent a couple days in jail,” according to a Comey memo released as part of his book tour. Comey said he laughed at the suggestion.

Social media is just that: social, connections, engagement. It has opened up new channels for journalists to connect with their audience, but with mixed results. With the rise of trolling, online harassment and the manipulation of social media, how do journalists and editors see its role today? How are journalists adapting? How can they move forward in these seemingly chaotic times?

How do you run an independent media organisation in a country where the government imposes censorship rules? How do you support a successful media company without folding to pressure from your funders or your sponsors? The internet has exploded traditional media funding models. And yet, in some parts of the world, legacy media - even print! - remain a strong source of independent information. How are these companies surviving?