Stories about Media & Journalism from April, 2011
Sri Lanka: Another Lanka-E-News Journalist Arrested
Freedom Of Expression Sri Lanka reports that Shantha Wijesuriya, another journalist working for Lankaenews.com has been arrested by Sri Lankan authorities.
Puerto Rico: ‘Speak Your Mind’ Online
Under the slogan "Speak your Mind," the online magazine Qiibo covers everyday Puerto Rican politics and the latest entertainment and technology news. Global Voices author Cesar Santiago interviewed the staff about their interests, their place within Puerto Rico's online media, the possibility of alliances with traditional media, and the Puerto Rican blogosphere.
Citizen Journalism from Tibet
“The Story Behind the Story” on Radio Free Asia looks at recent video footage that was taken by a Tibetan citizen journalist. The footage, smuggled out of Tibet, appears to...
India: Media Hyperbole And The Bengal Assembly Elections
Shuvo at Words From Solitude warns the supporters of the apparently leading contender of the West Bengal State Assembly elections not to get carried away by the media hyperbole.
Japan: Tohoku Earthquake as seen through Twitter
A video by Rio Akasaka shows how the news of the earthquake spread on Twitter on March 11.
Belarus, Ukraine: “Chernobyl: The First Month”
At OpenDemocracy.net, Barys Piatrovich, a Belarusian writer and journalist, recalls the first month after the Chernobyl catastrophe of April 26, 1986: “It was difficult for me to write this text....
Russia: “Navalny's Nationalism”
A Good Treaty went through the archives of Alexey Navalny's blog and other RuNet sources and wrote about this prominent Russian anti-corruption activist's nationalism.
Maldives: Competency of Maldives Media
Hassan Ziyau criticizes the Maldives media by questioning their competency and the standard of the editors and their playing of a puppet role for the businessmen and the politicians.
Central Asia: “Cyber Chaikhana,” Book Written by Bloggers
"Cyber Chaikhana" is a book project about Central Asian bloggers and their perceptions of their region, culture and everyday life. Edited by Christopher Schwartz and published by HIVOS, the book is a collection of narratives written by the bloggers at NewEurasia.net, the Central Asian blogging network. The aim of the project is to reach out to both the Central Asian (Russian speaking) and global audiences.
Libya: Remembering Photojournalists Hetherington and Hondros
Award-winning, renowned war photojournalists Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros were killed in action on April 20, 2011, in Misrata, while covering the chaotic frontline of the Libyan conflict. Fellow professionals mourned their slain colleagues, and reminisced on two lives lived in full, and in peril, in the pursuit of truth, while all major photography outlets paid tribute to their work.
Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: REDjet Delay
“People don’t take kindly when you make newspaper announcements that you’re coming for dinner, but you didn’t bother to inform the host”: Barbados Free Press blogs about new regional carrier...
Cuba: Fonseca Released
“The publicity on Facebook, Twitter and blogs only intensified…”: Uncommon Sense says that the release of Cuban human rights activist Sara Martha Fonseca “is a victory for freedom.”
Bermuda: Shrinking Population = Shrinking Economy?
In the face of declining local retail sales, Vexed Bermoothes believes that “the real reason for the anaemic economy is that Bermuda’s population has shrunk … and that the local...
China: The Murder Case of Yao Jiaxin
Over the past few months, the cold-blooded murder of a young woman, Zhang Miao, by affluent music student Yao Jiaxin, has been the most heated topic on the Chinese Internet. On the eve of the verdict in the murder trial, propaganda authorities have demanded that all media outlets use the Xinhua report as their only news source, as well as to monitor all related online discussions.
Russia-Switzerland: New magazine for Russia, Belarus and Ukraine
Gedankenbörsen Blog draws attention to [GER] a new magazine in Switzerland – Echo – about Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
China: Facebook's PR strategy
Bill Bishop at DigiCha and Imagethief's Will Moss ruminate on Facebook's PR strategy as speculation grows over the social networking site's possible entry into the Chinese market.
Ukraine: “Chernobyl Tourism: Time to Put an End”
Leopolis writes about the negative effect of “Chernobyl tourism”: “It has been branded as extreme tourism. The only problem is that as opposed to jumping off a cliff, you see...
Azerbaijan: Protest to demand journalist's release
Mark Grigorian [RU] posts photographs of today's protest demonstration outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London in support of imprisoned journalist and Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Eynulla Fatullayev. Marking the...
South Korea: Search Engine Censorship Claims
As South Korea's biggest search engines file an anti-competition charge against Google, net users have started to look back at the various companies' contributions to the Korean net environment. The nation's most visited portal, Naver, has come under particular fire for alleged news screening and censorship of information, along with its monopoly in the field.
Madagascar: Censorship Comes in Different Shapes and Sizes
Blogger Achille52 reviews the state of media and free speech in Madagascar (fr), detailing the different manners in which bloggers are harassed (also explained in an Amnesty International report). He...
Global: Bloggers Take Issue with Anti-Niqaab Punditry
On April 16, 2011, France's ban on the niqaab and burqa went into effect, re-stirring emotions on the subject and sparking protests in the European country and beyond. In cyberspace, bloggers are taking issue with popular pundits on the subject, focusing particular attention on Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy's pro-niqaab ban stance.
