Stories about Media & Journalism from June, 2014
How the Philippine President Managed to Anger Film Legend Nora Aunor's Legions of Fans
The Filipina actress who starred in one of the most memorable Asian films has been nominated for the National Artist title. But the Philippine president rejected the nomination.
Beyond the World Cup Headlines: Iran's Lacking Team Spirit, but Brazil's Favelas Have Plenty
You have to know more than just football to understand the World Cup. Deji Olukotun gives a play-by-play of the important free expression and human rights issues.
These 5 Experts Explain Why Alexander Sodiqov's Arrest in Tajikistan Is So Troubling

Civic activists and journalists fear the arrest of Global Voices' Alexander Sodiqov could have worrying consequences on research in Central Asia.
TJournal.ru Says Enough With Russian Media's Ukraine Coverage

Responding to a flood of anti-Ukraine propaganda in the Russian mass media, the website TJournal has temporarily halted a service that aggregates news stories trending on the RuNet.
Justice Matters for Ethiopian Bloggers
Justice matters is a blog that reports on the trial of detained Zone9 bloggers and journalists in Ethiopia for expressing their opinions: This blog contains the most current information about...
How a Local Newspaper in India Is Empowering Rural Women to Write About Their Communities

Khabar Lahariya is an award-winning rural weekly newspaper published in local languages and run by 40 women. We spoke with editorial coordinator Poorvi Bhargava to find out more.
China's Pixar? A Sneak Peek From New Animation Studio Light Chaser
Below is an edited version of the post “A sneak peek from China’s new animation-house upstart” by Jason Li, originally published on the blog 88 Bar. Light Chaser Animation is a startup...
What Would Buddha Do? Not Attack Sri Lankan Muslims, Buddhists Say
Hardline Buddhist organization Bodu Bala Sena's anti-Muslim rhetoric has fueled deadly riots in Sri Lanka. The group is vocal, but Buddhists are speaking out against them on and offline.
How a Protest to Reinstate a University Professor Relaunched Jamaica's Gay Rights Debate
Jamaica's moral compass is on overdrive ever since the dismissal of Professor Brendan Bain. The controversy continues to fuel the debate over gay rights in an infamously homophobic country.
African Union Moves Towards Gagging Free Speech Online
The 23rd African Union Heads of Government Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea starting on June 26, 2014, might adopt the African Union Convention on Security in Cyberspace and Personal Data...
‘Happy’ in Thailand? How the Coup Regime Is Still Suppressing Democracy

Mass media is being censored, Facebook is under fire and even the Hunger Games salute has been outlawed. Are Thais truly "happy" under the military regime?
TV Networks in Africa Squabble Over World Cup Broadcast Rights
Thanks to legal battles and network decisions, some fans on the continent might have a more complicated time tuning in to the World Cup.
Stop Using Growth as an Excuse to Pollute, African Activists Say
The impact of 2014 World Environment Day on Africa: The need for growth on the continent does not absolve nations from protecting the earth, African advocates say.
Australian Shock and Outrage at Egyptian Sentencing of Al Jazeera Journalists
Journalists have led the way on social media in expressing Australians' shock over the prison sentences for the Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt.
5 Places in Brazil Where People Were Protesting, Not Cheering During the World Cup Kick-Off
Not everyone in Brazil was excited to see the World Cup. Groups around the country staged protests against the money spent on the tournament instead of on the people.
Russian Phone Prankster Fools Belarus Dictator

After Lukashenko found out he was a victim of a prank, he apparently gave his security apparatus "a week" to find Vovan and bring him to some form of justice.
Iran's Internet Under Hassan Rouhani: Hope and Disillusionment as Narenji Bloggers Face Prison Sentence

What explains the recent moves to tighten controls within Iran’s cyberspace alongside Rouhani’s liberal Internet ethos? Mahsa Alimardani and Fred Petrossian explain in this exclusive #longread for GVA.
The Darker, More Violent World Cup Kick-Off in São Paulo That You Didn't See
Just before Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull performed in São Paulo's Arena Corinthians, dozens of protesters and journalists were injured in a heavy-handed crackdown against anti-World Cup demonstrations.
Barbados: No Love in the Cemetery
As a mourner discovers exposed skeletal remains and discarded bits of coffins in a local cemetery, Barbados Free Press laments “the latest indignities to buried friends and relatives”.
Russia's Hacker Collective That Wasn't

There is a new Internet group in Russia that publishes compromising political information that the public was never supposed to see. But who's behind it all?
The Framing of Jamaica's “Gay Menace”
The dismissal of Professor Brendan Bain from his post as head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network is still fueling the debate about gay rights in Jamaica.