Lukashenko wins Belarus presidential vote, according to official exit poll

Russia has sentenced a former star journalist to jail and revoked the license of a Kremlin-critical newspaper, further tightening the screws on independent media. Getting uncensored information is harder than ever.

The Chinese Communist Party would like everyone to see the world as it does. A new report reveals its efforts to step up its sway over international media — and what a democracy's response must be.

Russia's most prominent independent newspaper was accused of violating the country's "foreign agents" law. The paper ceased printing in March following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, now it is no longer available online.

A complex debate on media freedom is underway in Malawi, with opinion strongly divided. It comes after authorities revoked the licenses of several independent broadcasters over unpaid fees.

Former DW reporter Andrei Alexandrov has been handed a 14-year prison term. Human rights activists and journalists in Belarus believe this is a clear case of revenge by Alexander Lukashenko's regime.

CNBC's Tyler Mathisen reports that Kanye West is going to buy right-wing social media platform Parler.

Where do you get your news and how independent do you think it is? The age of everybody reading a newspaper is long gone, but consumption of news media is high and has a big impact on us and our societies. Reporters without Borders recently documented how social and political tensions are fuelled by social media and new opinion media in countries, including France. It also says that suppression of independent media is contributing to a sharp polarisation in so-called illiberal democracies, citing Poland as one example.

Smart algorithms can bundle and evaluate information at lightning speed, which helps determine what content is shown to users. This benefits apps like Shein and TikTok enormously.

Right-wing media questioning Trump's hold on Republicans: DW's Sumi Somaskanda

The 64-year-old had been the country's top diplomat for a decade and was seen as a possible successor to strongman Alexander Lukashenko.

The regime's brutal treatment of protesters and lack of reliable sources make social networks an indispensable medium of passing on information from the streets.

As China eases its zero-Covid policy amidst international fears of a new wave, a report by an anglophone journalist in China from late December is being used online as "proof" that the coronavirus figures in Shanghai are hardly cause for concern. But is all as it seems? We take a closer look in this edition with Vedika Bahl.