· August, 2012

Stories about Media & Journalism from August, 2012

Pakistan: Conflicting Reports in #SaveRimsha Blasphemy Case

  31 August 2012

The blasphemy law in Pakistan has been the focus of a heated debate yet again, after a minor christian girl named Rimsha was accused of blasphemy and was sent to jail. There have been a few conflicting reports about the case, and the most significant one being a picture of a girl being used, that has now become the face of the #SaveRimsha campaign.

Russia: Censorship Law Threatens Children's Classics

RuNet Echo  29 August 2012

After news that Russian television will soon be forced to curtail showings of a classic children’s cartoon “Nu, Pogodi!” [wiki] (the Soviet version of Tom & Jerry but with wolf and bunny instead of cat and mouse) because it is too violent for a new law protecting children from the...

East Timor: Return Trip of an Indonesian

  28 August 2012

Dalih Sembiring, an Indonesian journalist and travel blogger, wrote “Postcards from Dili“, on a trip he did to East Timor 16 years after he left the country. On his post he republishes an article he wrote for the Jakarta Globe “focusing on how [he] reacquainted with a special person in Bairro...

China: Editor's Suicide Prompts Reflection, Reproach

  28 August 2012

Xu Huaiqian, the chief editor of the People’s Daily‘s “Earth” supplement committed suicide last week on 22 of August, 2012. He once said during his lifetime that what pained him was that what he dared to think he dared not say, what he dared to say he dared not write,...

EU in Crisis: First E-Book by Global Voices

  27 August 2012

"EU in crisis" is the first production of our new Global Voices Books project and includes the best material from social conversation, participation and mobilization boosted by citizens going through the tough times of austerity in the old continent and beyond.

Caribbean: No Escape; Isaac Strikes

  26 August 2012

Despite Caribbean bloggers' hopes that Tropical Storm Isaac would go easy on them, some islands are today coping with the disarray the storm has left in its path. Haiti experienced some of the worst effects from the weather system; flooding and landslides reportedly caused a few deaths and some people had to be evacuated.

Myanmar: Mizzima Website Hacked

  25 August 2012

“We regret to inform you that Mizzima’s websites have come under DDoS attack. Mizzima has received several threats in reference to our coverage of ongoing hostilities in Rakhine State.” Mizzima, a Myanmar independent media website, issued a statement about the DDoS attacks.

Philippines: Senator Accused of Plagiarism

  25 August 2012

A Philippine senator is accused of plagiarism when he delivered a speech without mentioning that he copied several parts of the speech from a blog. The senator, instead of apologizing, has denied that he committed plagiarism. He said his office doesn't quote from blogs. His chief of staff later added that 'copying' is normal in the Senate.

India: Social Media Blamed for Fueling Assam Unrest

  23 August 2012

'A temporary ban was put on bulk SMS and MMS. Local police swung into action and began arresting people forwarding ‘hate' SMS examples. Social media sites were warned to monitor and remove inflammatory content. About 310 webpages were blocked.'

Syria: Ali Farzat Insults Al Arabia Anchor for her Sect

Al Arabiya correspondent Alia Ibrahim was allegedly insulted by famous Syrian cartoonist Ali Farzat for her sect. What happened saddened Syrian activist Mohammed Al Abdallah [ar] who apologized on the behalf of Farzat.  Asa'ad Abu Khalil blogged about Farzat, saying: “The man has now exposed himself to be a petty,...

Caribbean: Marking Eid

  20 August 2012

There were just two posts from within the Caribbean region talking about Eid-ul-Fitr, which was celebrated yesterday: this one from Guyana and this, from Trinidad and Tobago, which republishes the President's Eid message.

Argentina: A Public Ethics Law for Journalists?

  19 August 2012

Through the use of national broadcasts, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner makes announcements about the achievements of her government and speaks on various topics. During her last national broadcast President Fernández suggested the creation of a public ethics law for the practice of journalism, a proposal that caused numerous reactions from Argentine bloggers and journalists.