Stories about Media & Journalism from August, 2015
Journalists Reporting in Mali Receive Death Threats From ‘Guardians of Jihad’
A militant group threatens to kill journalists working for foreign media who report on Mali.
India Has a Less-Than-Rosy Track Record on Media Freedom
The government recently threatened to pull the licenses of three news channels over criticism of the execution of Yakub Menon, convicted of the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
Dismissal of Mexico Coach Sparks Debate Over Freedom of Speech
A dispute between a Mexican football coach and a sports reporter who criticized him has resulted in physical assault and sparked a debate about the freedom of speech.
Australian National TV Airs Lewd Twitter Handle About Prime Minister
The handle, "AbbottLovesAnal," was broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Q&A program.
Everyday People Put Solidarity Into Action Helping Refugees in Greece
"It's not charity, it's solidarity from everybody to anybody...It's also love from human beings to human beings regardless of skin color, ethnicity or religion."
Ecuador Cancels Visa for a Franco-Brazilian Journalist Assaulted During Protest
"Hostility to journalists, the media and activists has increased in Ecuador, and attacks on freedom of expression are becoming more frequent."
Did Russia's Biggest Search Engine Censor Itself to Protect Putin's Spokesman?
Vladimir Putin's spokesman is back in the news, after Internet users discovered this weekend that Yandex, the country’s most popular search engine, might be censoring itself to protect him.
Guyanese Police Officers Punished for Being Pregnant
Outdated laws in Guyana make it possible for the police service to dismiss female officers who get pregnant while on probation. Could that change sometime soon?
Malaysia Considers Forcing News Websites to Register with Government, As Political Scandal Unfolds
"It is highly unlikely that this move is intended to achieve anything other than the shutting down of criticism."
Hong Kong Investigative Journalism Start-Up ‘Factwire’ Crowdfunds HK $3 Million
“Hong Kong is one of the few places where information flows almost completely freely. If Paris has Agence France-Presse, New York has the Associated Press...why [shouldn’t] Hong Kong have FactWire?”
How One News Website Is Taking On Russia's Attorney General (and Losing)
How one small oppositionist news website has gobbled up almost half the Russian Attorney General's online censorship efforts.
Russia Blocks Euronews ISIS Video Over ‘Extremist’ User Comment
Russian censors have blocked another YouTube video, although it did not violate any Russian laws. Instead, an offending user comment under the video caused Roscomnadzor to ban the page wholesale.
Saeed Kamali Dehghan on Covering Iran for The Guardian
"The common problem in many western media organisations is that they see Iran as black and white, and Iran is not like that. It’s a spectrum, it’s a rainbow.”
Tianjin Lives Up to Its ‘City Without News’ Nickname After Deadly Blasts
Netizens were shocked that local media aired Korean dramas and cartoons in the immediate wake of the disaster, then followed up with coverage dripping with praise for local authorities.
A Trailblazing Media Outlet Fact-Checked the Peruvian President's National Address
Were the president's claims about his government's investment in education true? False? Misleading? Ojo-Público had the answer in real-time.
The Bold and the Uniformed: How New Ukrainian Police Are Taking Over Social Media
Ukrainian capital Kyiv has recently revamped its police force in an attempt to improve law enforcement's reputation, and the fresh new officers are taking social media by storm.
Human Rights Protections Weaken as Tunisia Fights Terror
Despite the PM's reassurance that "people can talk or write whatever they like," authorities have been cracking down on speech.
The Hilarious Mystery Surrounding Items Forgotten on Japanese Trains
A Matome Naver user has compiled a list of perplexing items that Twitter users have found inside train cars, including a brass tea kettle, a bonsai tree and a tomato.
Kyrgyz Rappers Trash Bribe-Takers in Hip-Hop News Segment
"There are no clean people on this old stage."
Iranians Coordinate a Global Event to Support the Iranian Nuclear Deal
"I have no idea who is doing this, but it's kind of awesome."
Serbian State Utility Company to Spend 350,000 Euros on Logo Redesign
Serbian social media users are curious: "Does this logo vacuum clean and bear children or what?"
