Stories about Media & Journalism from January, 2015
How Putin Secretly Conquered Russia's Social Media Over the Past 3 Years
In a special column for RuNet Echo, TV Rain's online chief editor, Ilya Klishin, discusses the Kremlin's slow but steady capture of online social media in Russia.
The Khabarovsk Airport Logo Is a Viral Sensation. It's Also a Flying Bear.
Given the excitement the logo has generated on the RuNet social media, it will probably bear the public relations fruit the airport had hoped for.
Trinidad & Tobago Journalist Marcia Henville's Murder Shocks the Nation
A popular journalist dies in a fire, but autopsy results confirm that she was murdered. Netizens want justice in what many assume to be a domestic violence case.
Japanese PM's ‘Triple Disaster’ Response to ISIS Ransom Demands
The prime minister dispatched a notably pro-Israel Japanese lawmaker to Jordan to deal with the crisis and delivered his response to ISIS's demands standing in front of an Israeli flag.
World Leaders’ Paris March Participation Provokes Wave of Criticism
Internet users responding to images of world leaders at the Paris march against terrorism earlier this month displayed what might be called a "consensus of mockery."
Caribbean Perspectives on the Charlie Hebdo Free Speech vs. Intolerance Debate
Two Caribbean bloggers discuss religious fundamentalism in the context of the Charlie Hebdo attack and wonder if the tragedy can be used as an opportunity to change the idealogical narrative.
Eight Years After His Death, Turkish-Armenian Hrant Dink Still Cannot Rest in Peace
Eight years ago today ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was murdered by a nationalist teenager in broad daylight. The rest of the story remains untold.
Civil Liberties vs. Terrorism: What Are We Willing to Give Up?
European Union Interior Ministers are considering measures to combat terrorism in the region, which many have branded as draconian.
Sketch Comic Faces Accusations of ‘Glorifying’ Terrorism in Spain
The day after the attack on Charlie Hebdo in France, a Spanish judge summoned satirist Facu Díaz for questioning about a satirical sketch broadcast on his online TV show.
‘So Many Kids Lost in Such a Small Place': St. Vincent Mourns Bus Disaster
A bus plunged off a cliff in northern St. Vincent, leaving at least five young people dead as it crashed onto the rocky coastline.
The Internet Takes Down Fox News’ ‘Terrorism Expert’ for Saying Birmingham Is a No-go Area for Non-Muslims
In the aftermath of the Paris attacks, Emerson told the news channel UK city is 'totally Muslim'.
Pro-Russian Forces in Eastern Ukraine Apparently Fire on Another Civilian Vessel by Accident
This is not the first time separatists have boasted of an attack online, quickly followed by an assertion that the attack was actually carried out by the Ukrainians.
What Do Twitter Users in Ukraine and Russia Say About Their Presidents? An Introduction
RuNet Echo collaborates with MITH to investigate how Russian and Ukrainian Twitter users talk about their presidents—Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko.
Twitter Mocks Anti-Muslim Comments with #FoxNewsFacts after ‘Expert’ Says Birmingham, England is ‘Totally Muslim’
Twitter users quickly got into the game, trending #FoxNewsFacts globally. Social search engine Topsy reports that the tag has been tweeted more than 400,000 times this week.
Comedian Aziz Ansari's Hashtag #RupertsFault Takes Off in Response to Murdoch's Anti-Muslim Tweets
Ansari was particularly irked by the idea that each of the world’s 1.6 million Muslims should be held accountable for the attacks committed by extremists.
‘Without Humor, We Are All Dead': Cartoonists Pay Tribute to Fallen Comrades After Charlie Hebdo Massacre
Some of the most striking cartoons and images on the web that have circulated in tribute to those killed.
Venezuelan President Would Free Opposition Leader if US Frees Oscar López Rivera
Puerto Rican Oscar López Rivera has been in prison for 33 years in the United States. He has been called the longest held political prisoner in the Western Hemisphere.
How #EuroMaidan and War with Russia Have Changed Ukraine's Internet
Global Voices takes a look at how #EuroMaidan and Russia's interventions in Crimea and the Donbas have changed Internet use in Ukraine.
Meet Russia's 369 Kremlin-Registered Bloggers
What are the websites that populate Russia’s blogger registry, which is supposedly the Kremlin’s handpicked collection of the nation’s most read web pages?
Your Guide to Sri Lanka's 2015 Presidential Election
Incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa faces off against his former health minister, Maithripala Sirisena, in a presidential contest rife with electoral violations, social media manipulation, and constitutional stakes for Sri Lanka.
Şanar Yurdatapan's Museum of Crimes of Thought Takes Aim at Growing Oppression in Turkey
Sanar Yurdatapan, renowned Turkish composer, song-writer and activist talks about his Museum of Thought Crimes online initiative, which aims to document violations committed by government against pro-democracy forces in Turkey.