Stories about Media & Journalism from June, 2013
Indian Journalist Slammed for Reporting Atop Flood Victim's Shoulders
Indian journalist Narayan Pargaien is in the news for the wrong reasons. He was seen reporting the recent devastating floods from the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, seated upon the shoulders of a local flood victim. Netizens strongly criticized his action.
‘Code For Japan’ in the Works
Among others, Haruyuki Seki, a software developer at Georepublic Japan[ja] and social media consultant Hiroyasu Ichikawa are currently working toward the launch of Code For Japan [ja], an organization that aims to...
Russians Celebrate Number One Political Prisoner's Birthday
Nearly 10 years after his arrest and conviction, Russian society remains largely apathetic about Khodorkovsky. Those who do care are divided about both his guilt and its consequences.
China's People's Daily Bashes American Political System
Fresh off its “Dishonest Americans" series, which claimed to offer an “objective picture of what real Americans are like”, the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece newspaper, the People's Daily, has shocked again with another attempt to bash the American political system.
Father of China's Great Firewall to Quit His Job as University President
Fang Binxing, an information security expert nicknamed the “father of China’s Great Fire Wall”, has resigned as president of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. His abrupt decision to step down--made during a university commencement speech --has ignited uproar online and touched a nerve with China’s Internet-savvy community.
Japanese Official Suspended Over Twitter Comment
A Japanese reconstruction official in charge of helping victims of the 2011 post-tsunami meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant has been taken off duty after sharp-eyed journalists unearthed tweets he wrote insulting area activists.
Mexican Reporter to US Colleagues: Investigate Corruption
“The battle we have at hand is not only for freedom of expression. It is for peoples’ right to be informed.”
Russian NGOs Learn to Invest in Paper Shredders
At 3AM, last Saturday, Russian riot police and private security raided the offices of one of the country's oldest human rights organizations. Those inside, including the group's leader, Lev Ponomarev, were forcibly evicted from the premises. Later, allegations arose that the group was involved in certain "unpatriotic" activities.
Are Chinese Netizens a Bunch of Losers?
According to the 2013 China New Media Development Report released by China's News and Communications Research Center under China’s Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the majority of Weibo users are a group of “low...
Podcast: Chinese Dissident's NYU Departure
Sinica Podcast hosts New Yorker correspondent Evan Osnos who talks about Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng's departure from NYU, how the Snowden affair may or may not affect Sino-American diplomacy, and...
Hacker Attacks on South and North Korea
Hacker collective Anonymous previously announced they will attack North Korean sites on June 25. But it took an unexpected turn as several major South Korean sites, including the website of...
UFO Sighting in Kerala, India reported
Sans Serif reports that two south Indian newspapers carried out a story that an unidentified flying object (UFO) was sighted in Kannur district in Kerala, India. A commenter on the...
Censorship and Police Brutality Mark Three Weeks of Turkish Protests
It's been three weeks since massive protests started across Turkey. Since their start on May 31, the country has witnessed media censorship, police brutality, protests by the thousands and the deaths and injury of protestors. Here is the summary of past three weeks.
Haiti: Model Camp Morphed into Slum
Three years after its star-studded launch, the model camp for Haiti’s 2010 earthquake victims has helped give birth to what might become the country’s most expansive – and most expensive...
One Dead as Massive Wave of Protests Sweeps Across Brazil
A young man was killed after he was hit by a car in Ribeirao Preto and dozens were hurt in confrontations with the police in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador as more than a million people took to the streets of large and small cities throughout Brazil in the biggest protests seen in the country in two decades.
The Kremlin's Kitchen Serves Up Russia's Free Press
Novaya Gazeta has implicated Vladimir Putin’s favorite restaurant owner in a bizarre scheme to defame several of the country’s most prominent news publications, involving a conspiracy to plant false information in different newspapers, in order to convince Russians that the news is for hire.
‘Qandisha’, the Women's Webzine that is Ruffling Feathers in Morocco
A webzine for women in Morocco is causing a stir for its frank treatment of religion and sexuality. Global Voices recently caught up with the founder, Fedoua Miski.
Interview: “How Are Things in Bamako, Mali?”
At the time of writing, June 2013, France is still fighting Islamists in Mali. Paris-based Anne Morin and Awa Traoré, her friend in Bamako decided to share a video journal of their conversations on Skype on YouTube. Anne wanted to stay up to date with the region's news, and also with her friends. She told Global Voices' Anna Gueye more about this journal as well as her links with Mali.
Ecuador Passes Controversial Communications Law
After almost four years of debate, the Ecuadorian National Assembly passed a controversial Law of Communications propelled by President Rafael Correa. While government authorities have celebrated the passage of the law, journalistic organizations and the opposition consider it a "gag" on freedom of expression in the country.
Julian Assange, Calle 13, and Twitter Users Write a Song Together
René Pérez, from the musical group Calle 13, and Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, gathered ideas and suggestions from Twitter users to write a song together that will go on Calle 13's next album.
