Stories about Media & Journalism from August, 2007
Afghanistan: Replacing a minister
From Afghanistan, Sanjar reports that he and his colleagues have launched a petition demanding the removal of the current Minister for Information and Culture. Rumours have it that a successor has already been chosen, and Sanjar voices his discontent over President Karzai's choice.
China: Temporary Reporter System
Because of the Fake Baozhi news, many mainstream media in China have fired temporary staffs. CCTV has fired up to 1,800 temporary workers, many are reporters. Zhao shilong has once been a temporary reporter in Southern Weekly magazine, even though he has finally got an office reporter status (with a...
El Salvador: Media Coverage of MS-13
Tim's El Salvador Blog responds to the assertion from a recent news program guest, who claimed that media coverage of the Mara Salvatrucha gang has helped drawn more attention and glamorized the gang to some youth.
Palestine: Morocco Reporting
Palestinian Kabobfest‘s Nimr takes a look at how a popular website reports news on Morocco.
New Arab-American Paper Launched
A new Arab-American newspaper has just been launched in the US, reports Will, from Palestinian blog Kabobfest.
Uganda: Bloggers Respond to Controversial Daily Monitor Articles
Uganda’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community has gotten a lot of press recently in the form of a number of articles written by Katherine Roubos, a 22-year-old Stanford student from the United States. Most recently, Roubos covered the first ever LGBTI press conference, a story that prompted an anti-gay rally in Kampala.
Russia: Panyushkin's Detention
Robert Amsterdam writes about a recent detention of journalist Valery Panyushkin under Russia's extremism law.
Russia: Arrests in Politkovskaya's Murder Case
Ten unnamed people have been arrested in connection with last year's slaying of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Sean's Russia Blog writes that she “as ‘political football’ has been dusted off and re-inflated just in time for a new season.” Robert Amsterdam doesn't think Russian prosecutors are capable of getting their jobs...
Brazil: The side effects of a ban on outdoor advertising
Bruno Giussiani writes about São Paulo's radical ban on outdoor advertising: how it brought up a new identity to the city, and also removed the camouflage of some previously hidden realities.
Iran:Fox Attacks
Robert Greenwald's short film, “FOX Attacks: Iran“, outlines “the evidence from the station's own broadcasts, comparing their reporting before the Iraq war with what they are saying now about Iran.”
Japan: Crazy for a Bug
A catchy tune about a funny-looking bug that bites people's bums and makes them happy, featured regularly as filler between children's programming on the national broadcaster NHK, is catching on like crazy across Japan. In this post, read more about the thinking behind the song, reactions from Japanese bloggers, and a post from one of the creators of the clip.
South Africa: Introducing Thought Leader
The South African Mail & Guardian has a new blogging platform: “Today the Mail & Guardian Online linked to our new blogging platform called Thought Leader so I may as well post about it here and shed some light on our strategy and thinking.”
Japan: Yokozuna gets the boot
Never far from controversy, Mongolian Yokozuna (sumo champion) Asashoryu is again in hot water. He left Japan having submitted a doctor's note claiming he was injured, after which a video image showing the yokozuna playing soccer in Mongolia made it onto some of the major Japanese TV networks, sparking a controversy.
Russia: Tešanović on Politkovskaya
On Boing Boing, Jasmina Tešanović writes about Anna Politkovskaya, who was her friend.
Trinidad & Tobago: Costly Mistake
“For an event that is asking people to pay $100,000 per plate you would think that they would at least get the invitation right!” Now is Wow has a bone to pick with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
Bermuda: Responsible Headlines
Politics.bm thinks newspapers “have a responsibility to be more accurate” in their headlines.
Afghan bloggers irritated by Iranian TV series
The Afghan embassy in Iran has complained about an Iranian television series on Channel 3, Char Khoone, that depicts Afghans characters as villains. Several Afghan and even Iranian bloggers have reacted to this news. Dialogue 3, an Afghan blogger, says: Since the beginning of the summer Iranian TV has aired...
China: Porn crackdown targets online fiction
Maya from DANWEI writes about the recent Internet crack down of erotic online fiction in China: this crackdown is part of China's general push to “clean up” before the Olympics.
Malawi: Moving on Despite the Politics of Section 65
The phenomenal story of 19 year-old Malawian blogger William Kamkwamba continues to attract attention from around the globe. William began making headlines after his appearance at the TEDGlobal 2007 conference in Tanzania, in June, where he talked about how he built a windmill using locally available resources in a remote part of Malawi where the easiest means of energy is fuel, wood, kerosene and candlelight.
Syria: Journalists Arrested in Occupied Golan
“Two Syrian journalists have been arrested by Israeli Occupation Forces. Ata Farahat and Yousef Shams – correspondents for Al Watan – have been detained on unknown charges. They are Syrians, working on Syrian territory,” Sasa reports.
Trinidad & Tobago: Getting the Boot?
The Manicou Report refers to a newspaper story that suggests a government MP will not automatically be nominated to contest his seat in the upcoming Trinidad and Tobago general elections, following a controversial altercation with anti-smelter protesters.
