Stories about Media & Journalism from March, 2015
Outing the Russian Military in Eastern Ukraine
A number of citizen data verification initiatives, both Ukrainian and Russian, specifically focus on tracking down information about the origins and fates of individuals fighting in Donbas.
Nintendo Finally Goes Mobile After Years of Resisting
"Although Nintendo's decision to enter the mobile market is a sign of the times and is a business decision, it's a bit of sad situation."
Firing of Mexican Journalist Carmen Aristegui Unleashes Heated Comments on Twitter
At the launching of MéxicoLeaks, a platform that collects leaked information about possible corruption, journalist Carmen Aristegui and her research team declared that they would back the project. This lead MVS Radio, their employer, to fire Aristegui's collaborators, Daniel Lizarraga and Iriving Huerta, for supposedly compromising the company name. In...
Back-to-Back Murders of Journalists Raise Concerns in Colombia
The murders of Colombian Edgar 'Quintin' Quintero and Luis Peralta highlight the dangers journalists face in Colombia today.
Israeli Bloggers Ask: Why is Gaza Not an Issue in the Upcoming Israeli Elections?
Bloggers at Israeli-Palestinian online magazine +972 are wondering why Gaza is not on the agenda of any of the major political parties as Israel gears up for general elections on Tuesday.
Inside the Kremlin Troll Army Machine: Templates, Guidelines, and Paid Posts
A new cache of documents on the inside operations of the Kremlin's troll army provides a list of LiveJournal accounts operated by employees and talking points provided to the commenters.
Ugandan Lawmakers Want to Clear House in the Parliamentary Press Corps
Ugandan lawmakers are considering a proposal that would replace all journalists who started covering parliamentary proceedings before May 1, 2010, "in the interest of balanced media coverage".
Ukrainian Journalist Detained, Questioned by Russian Security Services in Crimea
Crimean FSB officials detained and questioned a journalist from Simferopol's Center for Investigative Journalism in connection with a criminal investigation on "public calls to separatism."
Trek Nepal's Everest Region Without Ever Leaving Home
Google has launched a virtual tour of the Khumbu region with stunning images of the treacherous terrain.
Film Captures Cramped Lives of Japan's ‘Net Cafe Refugees’
In the mid-2000s, some Japanese who do not earn enough to rent their own apartments began living in Internet cafe booths, considered a step above living on the street.
Access to Grani.Ru and Other Censored News Websites Restored by Digital Activists
As part of Operation Collateral Freedom, activists used the technique known as mirroring to duplicate the nine censored sites and place their copies on the servers of large Internet companies
Leaked Wiretaps Appear to Confirm Election Fraud Suspicions in Macedonia
As Macedonia's wiretapping scandal develops into a full political saga, newly leaked conversations among government officials have revived allegations of fraud during the 2014 election.
Katsuo Ningen, the Humanoid Severed Fish Head That Won Japan's Heart
In a country used to mascots, even Japanese people are surprised by "Bonito Man," better known as Katsuo Ningen, who represents one of Japan's most isolated prefectures.
Russian Journalist Crowdfunding New Media Project on Kickstarter
The project's description on Yakovlev's Kickstarter page claims the goal is to create a media outlet to counteract the Russian "state propaganda machine" and help “turn zombies back into people.”
You Will Never Find Stories About Famine, Idi Amin or Joseph Kony on This Site
Talented Ugandan writers take to the Internet to tell positive stories about the country: We will be honest with you. Stories about poverty porn, hunger, Ebola, tribalism and all negative stories about Uganda, you will never find them here. This is a site to celebrate the positive stories about The...
Diary of Journalist Pedro Canché Herrera, ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ in Mexico
Pedro Canché Herrera is awaiting sentencing on sabotage charges, after recording video and interviewing protesters. He describes his experience and thoughts on free expression on social media.
Need a Creative Commons-Licensed Image? Germany's Saxon State and University Library Has a Million
The library in Dresden has given CC BY-SA 4.0 licences to parts of its collection, meaning images can be used for commercial purposes, as long as the source is cited.
‘Eat My S***, Mother****ers!': A Newly-Elected Councillor Causes a Stir in Tajikistan
A city councillor who struggles in Tajikistan's state language, Tajik, has used the language to hit back at her critics in a rather rude way.
Another Big Media Outlet Plagiarizes a Global Voices Story. What’s the Fix?
When journalists plagiarize the work of Global Voices, are they exploiting the fact that we're a small media outlet?
Fact Checking the Conflict in Eastern Ukraine
The citizen activists fact checking the conflict in eastern Ukraine believe their approaches are more honest and revealing than the narratives spun by either the Ukrainian or Russian state-controlled media.
A Move to Recognize Same-Sex Marriage in Japan Reveals Hidden Prejudices
If the statute is passed it will be the first time same-sex unions will be recognized by Japanese law.
