Stories about Media & Journalism from November, 2012
Russia: Attempted Hijacking of Regional News Website
When internet domains are hijacked, the theft is usually facilitated by hackers. A stolen email password, a virus, or compromised server can wreak havoc on the ability of owners to maintain control of a website. However, it now appears that technological savvy is unnecessary for such a hostile takeover.
Israeli Media Criticized for Coverage of Gaza Conflict
The latest round of fighting between Israel and Gaza militants was covered around the clock in Israel. Media outlets largely adopted the government's narrative and justifications for the offensive. Leftist Israeli bloggers and netizens, while criticizing the government throughout the operation, also attacked what they saw as a biased coverage of the events.
Mapa76: Database Journalism Reveals Abuses of the Argentine Dictatorship
Paula Gonzalo of Periodismo Ciudadano (Citizen Journalism) highlights the work of Sandra Crucianelli in the field of database journalism and the Mapa76 project, a map that compiles information about the victims of human rights abuses during the dictatorship in Argentina (1976-83).
Mauritanian Teachers Break into Education Minister's Office
A group of secondary school teachers broke into and entered the office of the Minister of Education in protest against the arbitrary transfer of 120 teachers following their participation in last year's strikes.
Did News Story on Riches of China's Premier Weaken Reformists?
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo’s final days in office have been tainted by allegations that his family has used their power and influence to amass a personal fortune. The scandal also prompted China’s netizens to speculate on the internal struggle within the Communist Party.
Philippines: How “I’m a Liar?” Became #amalayer Hashtag
A college student from the Philippines berated a female guard at a Manila train station and accused the latter of being rude. The students tirade was documented on video and was uploaded on the internet. Filipino netizens accused the student of being arrogant and disrespectful. The #amalayer hashtag, which trended worldwide, was used in reference to the student’s pronunciation of ‘I'm a liar’.
Confessions of Paid Political Trolls in South Korea
The practice of hiring trolls to hijack the comment section in online political posts is an open secret in South Korea. These paid commenters copy-and-paste slanderous messages crafted by their leaders and post it on major online platforms, some more skilled workers conjure up original vicious comments all by themselves.
Turkmenistan's Omnipresent Leader
Imagine if every poster on the wall, every advertisement on the side of a bus, hanging in the center of every wall in an office, and even overlooking little children playing in kindergarten, was the face of one man.
Outrage as Facebook Post Leads to Arrests in India
Police detained a 21-year-old woman after she posted a Facebook a status update protesting the total shutdown of Mumbai city following the death of the founder of the Shiv Shena party. Her friend, who ‘liked’ the update was also arrested. Both were later released on bail.
Coming out of the Water Closet: Haiti on World Toilet Day
Today is World Toilet Day. Of a global population of 7 billion, a staggering 2.5 billion people have no access to clean toilet facilities - that's about 1 in 3 people. Some of them live in the Caribbean; many of these live in Haiti - and the lack of this fundamental human right to sanitation continues to cause unnecessary disease and death.
Palestine: Social Media in Conflict, Four Years On
Back in 2008, during Israel's attack on Gaza that left more than 1,400 (more than 700 of whom were civilians) dead, individuals the world over took to social media to comment on the attacks and the politics behind them. Four years later, the world — and the Internet — has changed. Now, as Israel once again unleashes a barrage of air strikes against Gaza's population, social media has become a secondary battlefield.
Night Clashes Overshadow Portugal's Largely Peaceful General Strike
The general strike of November 14, 2012, in Portugal once again brought people against austerity to the streets across the country. The real motivations for the demonstrations however, were ignored by mainstream media, as by the end of an intense day of peaceful marches and sit-ins, confrontations between police and protesters turned the violence into top news.
Less Censorship in Thailand?
Jon Russell reviews the latest Google Transparency Report for the period of January to June 2012 and notes that there were fewer requests made by the Thailand government to censor websites that insult the monarchy.
Police Raid Video Blogger's Home in Japan
Japan's police raided the house of a video blogger who films anti-nuclear protests, for evidence of charges against a violent protester. Every Friday, anti-nuclear activists gather in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo and various places in Japan to carry out protests. While mainstream media rarely covers these anti-nuclear protests, videos from citizen media are crucial to tell the story.
Zambia's Gossip Girl
Do you know who Zambia's gossip girl is? Read Neelika's post on Africa is a Country blog: We’ve grown to love serious reportage coupled with compromising photographs and cheeky headlines, such as “Kambwili grabs Roan golf club, turns it into grazing field for his cows,” replete with a stock image...
Guinea-Bissau: International Arrest Warrant Against Blogger
The most visible face of Guinea-Bissau's blogosphere, António Aly Silva, wrote [pt] that he is being accused of “the crime of incitement to war” and that an international arrest warrant was issued against him by the regime in power since the coup of April 2012. In an interview [pt] for...
Mauritania: RIP Constitutional Institutions
Various opposition groups held a demonstration in front of the Mauritanian Parliament in protest against the constitutional void that the country is witnessing with the Mauritanian president out of the country for treatment.
Madagascar: Journalists and Blogger Prosecuted over Rosewood Trafficking Report
Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) reports that four journalists and a blogger are prosecuted for defamation and “complicity in spreading false news” [fr]. The charges against the reporters were submitted by Mamy Ravatomanga, a billionaire who owns several news outlets and is the former employer of the Minister of Communication. Blogger...
Catalan TV Show Flares Debate Over Independence from Spain
Catalan public television, TV3, recently broadcast a special news program called "Independence, step by step". It has caused massive debate at a heated moment in Catalan politics, not long before an election that is considered a plebiscite over the Catalonia's independence from Spain.
“Latinitas,” Empowering Young Latinas With Technology
Latinitas is a non-profit organization in the United States dedicated to the empowerment of young Latinas aged between nine to 18 years, through instruction and the use of media and technology.
India Reacts to the Re-Election of US President Barack Obama
The recently concluded US presidential election generated much interest in India. Congratulations were abound at government level. But what about those on the ground in India - what has been their response?
