· April, 2013

Stories about Media & Journalism from April, 2013

Terrorism Won't Work in China

  17 April 2013

Offbeat China translated an interesting online conversation on why a terrorist attack won't work in China after the Boston Marathon Explosions. The answer lies in the difference between the U.S and China in their media environments.

Beer & Twitter Prove Toxic Mix for Russian Journalist

RuNet Echo  16 April 2013

Trains are a cheap and reliable way to get around Russia, particularly compared to the country's famously poor roads. Russia is a big country and journeys between cities can take hours (or even days). Given these difficulties, it is not uncommon for some passengers to have a drink or two to pass the time. Sometimes people—even journalists—can overdo it.

Chinese React to Boston Marathon Explosions

  16 April 2013

US's quick reaction to the Boston Marathon explosions have Chinese netizens imagining how the Chinese government would react to such a situation in China. Offbeat China has translated some comments from Sina Weibo.

Russia's #1 Netizen Heads to Trial

RuNet Echo  14 April 2013

Pussy Riot, eat your heart out. Later this week, Russia’s most polarizing blogger, Alexey Navalny, will stand trial for embezzling roughly half a million dollars from a state-owned timber company in the city of Kirov. In a country constantly plagued by politicized legal proceedings, prosecuting the nation’s most prominent netizen promises fireworks.

Haiti: CARICOM Should Speak Up

  12 April 2013

Appalled by the “legal immunity” that the United Nations appears to have in the country's cholera epidemic, Kevin Edmonds says that it's high time Caribbean leaders speak up for Haiti.

Macedonia's Media Law Lacks Media's Input

  10 April 2013

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) explains [en] why Macedonian journalists are demanding an open debate “on the scope and the contents” of the draft Law on the Media (via @Macedonia_en): […] It was prepared, in its entirety, by the Government and is offered today to the public to...

Yemen Court Summons Investigative Reporter

“Yemen’s Press and Publications Court (YPPC) has issued a summon statement against prominent investigative journalist, Mohammed Abdo Alabsi, to appear before court and interrogate him for his investigative reports,” writes Yemeni Afrah Nasser. According to Nasser, Alabsi is being interrogated for a report involving corruption in the treatment of those...

Jamaica: Twitter 101

  9 April 2013

2012 was the year a handful of name-brand Jamaican journalists decided it was time to start using Twitter. That was pretty late in the day already. The majority however are still holding back… Active Voice explains why they shouldn't.

Japan's First Non-Profit Radio Turns 10

  8 April 2013

The first non-profit community radio station to be licensed for broadcast in Japan made its debut a decade ago out of a small corner cafe in Kyoto city. Kyoto Sanjo Radio Cafe [ja], FM 79.7 on the dial, celebrated its 10-year anniversary on March 31, 2013. They aired a program to...

China: Death of a News Censor

  8 April 2013

David Bandurski from China Media Project blogs about the life of Zeng Li, a “content examiner” at Southern Weekly, who had recently passed away. Before his retirement, he wrote a farewell letter to his colleagues with remorse about his role as news censor.

Bird Flu is Not News on China's State TV

  7 April 2013

While Chinese social media is brimming with discussion of bird flu, Chinese state media CCTV news failed to mention anything about it, which has triggered sharp criticism online. CHINA DIGITAL TIMES has more details.

Podcast: China's Apple Attack

  7 April 2013

Sinica discusses and analyzes the Chinese state media's two-week attack on Apple's service policy as part of a campaign for Chinese consumers.

E-book on Digital Activism in Chile

  6 April 2013

Chilean website El Quinto Poder has published an e-book on digital activism in Chile [es, PDF], as part of the project “Social Media and Citizen Advocacy: Towards a new political legitimacy?” [es]. The book analyzes different activism initiatives and it considers “the symbolic dimensions of the forms of discourse which are...

VIDEO: Guinea-Bissau Community Radio Serves People, Not Politics

  6 April 2013

Guinea-Bissau's community radio does much more than fill local airwaves with music, according to the documentary "Voice of the Population". Stations have saved lives during a cholera outbreak, fought against illegal logging, and pushed back against gender discrimination, all the while uniting local communities around the rich musicality of Guinea-Bissau.

Taiwan Independent News Academy Hits at Corporate Media

  6 April 2013

A group of Taiwanese independent journalists and academics in journalism and communication launched the Academy of Independent Media in March 2013. The academy is to provide journalistic skill to citizen reporters and serve as incubator for independent media organizations.

Twitter Turns Mexicans Into ‘War Correspondents’

  5 April 2013

An American study finds that Mexican Twitter users have become the reliable source of information about topics related to the country's drug violence, taking on the role of traditional media outlets. Sara Plaza Écija summarizes the study's findings in Periodismo Ciudadano.

Jamaica: Could Buju Go Free?

  5 April 2013

If…this new evidence results in a mistrial I hope Mr. Banton will consider lifestyle changes and…focus more on…bringing Jamaica and the world the music we love. Iriegal is following the news that reggae star Buju Banton, currently serving a 10 year prison sentence in the U.S. for trying to set...