Stories about Media & Journalism from February, 2012
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: White Collar Criminals
“Recently, stories of theft at government agencies have been making the news”: Abeni says that “[people get sent] off to jail…for the petty crimes while the big league thieves strut about the place as happy as could be. Something has got to be wrong with that picture!”
Syria: Citizen Journalist Rami Al Sayed Killed in Homs
Citizen journalist Rami Al Sayed, whose videos and live-streaming of the bombardment of Homs showed the world the daily carnage in Syria, was killed yesterday, reports Ahmed Al Omran, on the NPR news blog.
Syria: Shock and Disbelief Over Murder of Journalists
Netizens covering the daily carnage in Syria on social media had to take a step back today to grieve the murder of journalists who risked their lives to travel to Syria and tell the world about the suffering of Syrians.
Angola: Anti-Corruption Initiative Urges CNN to Refuse Advertising Deal
Maka, a website that monitors corruption in Angola, launched an online campaign petitioning CNN International to stop accepting advertisement from the government of President Dos Santos. The presidential budget for 2012 allocates about US$17 million for promoting a positive image of Angola on CNN International, through a company run by...
Egypt: One year after the revolution, 10% of its Social Media Documentation is already gone
One year after the Egyptian revolution, 10% of its Social Media Documentation is already gone. An article on US magazine The Atlantic explains how this is happening, quoting a study conducted by a phD student in computer science and Web preservation at Old Dominion University. “Twitter gives us a new...
Curacao: Media War?
“In the information era we live in and social media revolutionizing the way we siphon written truths it’s still a sad thing that letters to the editor are not popular in Papiamentu newspapers”: TRIUNFO DI SABLIKA thinks that “Papiamentu newspapers needs to step their political and overall report game up.”
Haiti: Online Reaction to the Duvalier Decision
The investigative magistrate looking into human rights charges against Haiti's ousted dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, recently came to the decision that “the statute of limitations had run out” on those human rights abuses - but apparently not on Duvalier's misappropriation of public funds.
Tunisia: A Year After the Revolution, Limitations on Freedom of Expression Continue
A year after the ouster of the Tunisian ex-president, pressure on freedom of press continues in Tunisia. This week, three newsmen from Tunisian printed newspaper "Ettounisia" were arrested for publishing a controverted picture of Tunisian and Real Madrid soccer player Sami Kedira and model Lena Gercke's naked photograph.
Jordan: Corporate Twitter Accounts are Stupid
Corporate Twitter accounts are stupid, says Jordanian blogger Roba Al Assi. Click here to learn why.
Curacao, Haiti: Media Mandate?
In light of prime minister Schotte's recent welcome of Haitian president Michel Martelly “(who repeatedly suggested a pardon or amnesty of Duvalier) [and] who publicly is seen with…ex dictator Baby Doc Jean Claude Duvalier in Haiti like nothing happened like nobody got terrorized, killed under his regime”, TRIUNFO DI SABLIKA...
Trinidad & Tobago: These Boots were made for Jumping
Trinidadian bloggers go to town over a photograph of the Prime Minister at a Carnival fete sporting expensive brand-name shoes: B.C. Pires says: “She’s bound to get flak for such a vulgar display, even at the height of the vulgarity of one of the world’s most vulgar displays, the modern...
Bermuda: Media Shapes Public's Political Views
Respice Finem says that “two important aspects of the news media on our Island merit attention…first, almost all of the news is event driven with very little investigative journalism. The second…is that the media…have an unwritten code whereby they do not report on the private lives of public figures.”
Reports on North Korea Cell Phone Ban is Incorrect
A Cario-based telecommunication company and the majority owner of North Korea’s cellular network., Orascom corrected recent media reports which claimed that North Koreans have been banned from using mobile phone during a mourning period for North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il. North Korea Tech has more details.
Brazil: LGBT AIDS Prevention Campaign Excluded From TV
Marcelo Gerald, from the blog Eleições Hoje, comments [pt] on the alleged censorship by the Brazilian Ministry of Health of a recently launched campaign on AIDS prevention, focused on the LGBT public. He posts some of the videos that were excluded from the TV a few days after the campaign...
Arab World: Mourning Anthony Shadid
On February 17, the tragic news that New York Times Middle East Correspondent Anthony Shadid had passed away in Syria at the age of 43, reportedly as a result of a severe asthma attack triggered by an allergy to horses, saddened news readers the world over.
Poland: Gossip Portal Accuses Mainstream Media of ACTA Ignorance
A Polish gossip portal's take on the massive anti-ACTA protests has highlighted issues that are truly relevant for today's young people. Katarzyna Odrozek reports on the avalanche of reactions from netizens and the mainstream media that this unlikely source of serious reporting has created.
Caribbean: We'll Always Love You, Whitney
Following the untimely death of singer Whitney Houston, a handful of Caribbean bloggers are talking about her talent, her music and her legacy. From Trinidad and Tobago, The Liming House posts a video of the singer performing “I Look to You” and says: Goodbye, Whitney. Because your voice, even when...
Lebanon: Bloggers Get Together
The first Get Together for Lebanese bloggers organized by LebAgg took place on February 9, 2012. “It was a pretty casual one, the sole purpose was to kick-start a series of more get togethers for bloggers. We were hoping for some brainstorming and bloggers suggesting ideas, but the settings didn't really help whereas there...
Iran: Threatening message targets journalists
Reliable sources, including one Iranian journalist, have told Global Voices that several Iranian activists and journalists have received an email threatening that they will be punished according to the “Islamic Punishment” law of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Jamaica: Media Mandate to Provide Info
A man dies after being shot during a robbery at an ATM; Active Voice wonders “why Jamaican media seems to be conspiring with the bank concerned to keep the exact location of the ATM a secret”, adding: “Such an omission raises serious questions about the media and exactly whose watchdogs...
Mexico: PEN Protesta! International Writers Protest in Solidarity With Mexican Colleagues
On January 29, PEN International, the world’s oldest international literary and human rights organization, held an event in Mexico City called PEN Protesta! to show international solidarity with Mexican writers, poets and journalists, and to demand free press and freedom of expression in Mexico.
