· May, 2010

Stories about Media & Journalism from May, 2010

Russia: Another Top Blogger Hacked

Site of one of the top Russian bloggers Maxim Sviridenkov [RUS] (#16 in Yandex rating [RUS]) had been hacked today, Vladimir Pribylovski reported [RUS]. The site was defaced and the content deleted. This is the second [EN] top blogger hacked this year.

Russia: Moscow Government Abandons Social Media

Moscow mayor's office prepared a draft bill on access to the information with no mention of blogs or any kind of social media, gzt.ru reported [RUS]. Gzt.ru suggests the reason of the absence of Web 2.0 is the inability of the city's telecommunications committee to provide an effective information policy.

Georgia: The Tehran-Tbilisi Connection

Matthew Collin in Georgia comments on news that the government of the former Soviet republic has entered into an agreement with Iran on cooperation in the media sphere. The Frontline Club blogger says that given the situation with freedom of the press in Iran, the move hardly fits in with...

Trinidad & Tobago: Right & Wrong

  22 May 2010

“Clearly something has gone terribly wrong. Who are these people who feel they can just start lecturing us on how to live our lives? We pay THEM. They should be listening to US”: Tattoo vents about the methods being used by the government to jockey for votes in the upcoming...

Taiwan: Responses to Thailand's upheaval, if there is any

  22 May 2010

Taiwan is no stranger in terms of “Red Shirts” and street protests. In September, 2006, the island had its own anti-corruption campaign which also involved about one million red-shirt protesters demonstrating against the former President Chen Shui-bain (who has been still under custody since Nov.12, 2008). And when the first...

Cuba: Monitoring Arrests

  21 May 2010

Ever since the February, 2010 death of Orlando Zapato Tamayo, the first Cuban hunger striker to perish in 40 years, the situation in the island appears to have become even more tense.

Haiti: Burning Seeds

  21 May 2010

Haitian farmers react to news of hybrid seed flooding the country – Repeating Islands links to a comprehensive report.

Bermuda: More on the Media Bill

  21 May 2010

Wishful Thinking says “it's really hit the fan over this Media Council Bill”, while Politics.bm adds: “So, the PLP during the election were against locking up violent criminals but are apparently for locking up the press.”

Russia: Another Web site Closed For Extremism

Alleng.ru, one of the largest educational portals in Russia, has been turned off by the provider Peterhost due to the hosting of the electronic copy of the book “Basics of the Muslim Creed,” which is acknowledged by the Orenburg city court as “extremist,” blogger r_li reported.

Bahrain: Why was Al Jazeera's Office Shut Down?

Bahrain temporarily shut down the office of Al Jazeera Satellite Channel for "violating professional conventions." Bloggers and tweeps react to the development in this post - especially after rumours surfaced that the Qatari station's bureau was closed because of a report it aired on poverty in Bahrain. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera says it doesn't even operate an office in Bahrain so what exactly is going on?

Russia: More Victory Day Commentary

A Good Treaty reviews selected blog and media commentary on Victory Day’s 65th anniversary in Russia: “My own feelings on Russia’s WWII past are far from settled, so let me take a moment to express my gratitude to the aforementioned writers, who made an effort to speak coherently about a...