Stories about Media & Journalism from March, 2011
Nigeria: Popular blogger arrested
The Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) on Sunday arrested popular blogger Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe (ukpakareports.com) for allegedly attempting to blackmail Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, a House of Representatives member representing Aniocha,...
Barbados, Turks & Caicos: Corruption Charges
As the brother of a former Turks and Caicos Finance Minister is arrested on allegations of fraud and money laundering, Barbados Free Press says: “In Barbados when elected or appointed...
Russia: First Candidates for the ‘Net Parliament’
Novaya Gazeta website publishes [ru] the first results of the nominations for the ‘Net Parliament,’ the virtual project described by its creators as an ‘organ of the representative power of...
Russia: Photos of Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Moscow
Photoblogger Dervishv publishes [ru] extravagant photos of Saint Patrick's Day celebration: all kinds of green, Moscow hipsters, Irish flags… and police (the parade was officially banned). At least, some parts of...
Bahrain: A Video Timeline of Police Brutality
As international media focus shifts toward Libya and the rapidly unfolding events there, Bahrain government is unleashing a violent assault on pro-democracy protesters. Amid the media blackout, citizens are taking their cameras out and capturing the violence the state-run media is carefully concealing.
Lebanon: Balanced Media
Mustapha criticizes politicians and media who champion some revolutions and ignore others without losing their sense of moral superiority. He concludes: “There is no such thing as independent and balanced media.”
Georgia: Journalists Dismissed Because of Facebook Hate Speech
On 18 March 2011, the Georgian Public Broadcaster dismissed two of its journalists, Giorgi Tukhareli and Giorgi Gabrichidze, because of offensive comments they made on Facebook against homosexuals as and the Vatican as well as the Catholic Church.
Japan: “The Light and Darkness of Social Media”
It's human nature for rumors to run rampant in a high pressure situation, and social meda tools can be a double-edged sword in expediting this situation. Yasuhisa Hasegawa gives an analysis in his blog post "The Light and Darkness of Social Media", drawing parallels between social media usage and consumption of mass media.
Hungary: Waiting for the Hungarian Guard
The conflict between the Roma and the Hungarian community of Gyöngyöspata, a village north of Budapest, escalated drastically when paramilitary organizations appeared in the settlement some two weeks ago, after the far-right Hungarian political party's rally. Marietta Le reports on the online response to the situation.
Puerto Rico: Al Jazeera in Puerto Rico
Journalist Dalila Rodríguez Saavedra reflects on the recent visit of a team of Al Jazeera to the Island [es] to film a documentary on the severe economic crisis. Rodríguez Saavedra,...
Bahrain: Journalists Denied Entry at the Airport
Bahrain awoke to a violent crackdown by police on demonstrators camped out at the country's iconic Lulu (Pearl) roundabout on Wednesday. That afternoon, Omar Chatriwala boarded a flight from Doha, Qatar, to Bahrain, in part to see what was unfolding in the island nation he once called home. Hours later, he was deported - just like many reporters not allowed into the country to cover the unrest.
Haiti: Aristide's Return “Something Big”?
Haitian bloggers discuss the return of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide on the eve of the country's controversial election run-off.
Bangladesh: Negative News On Japan By Media
Shahjahan Siraj is disappointed with the Bangladeshi and Western media who reported mainly the negative news on Japan after the devastating earthquake and Tsunami.
Taiwan: Curating Japan Disaster Situation
The Association of Digital Culture, Taiwan(ADCT) starts to curate and translate latest information from Japanese and English into Chinese[zht] in order to provide worried Taiwanese netizens a trustworthy source of...
India: How To Avoid Writer's Block
Blogadda has some practical tips on how to avoid a writer's block.
Cuba: Linares to be Released
Havana Times reports on the imminent release of political prisoner Ricardo Librado Linares “with which only two of the 75 Cuban dissidents sentenced in 2003 will remain in prison”; Uncommon...
Haiti: Election Violence Escalates
Election-related violence in Haiti appears to be escalating. As Haitian presidential candidate and legal scholar Mirlande Manigat set out to begin a campaign rally in Mirebalais yesterday, her convoy was stoned by alleged supporters of opponent Michel Martelly, leading to a scuffle that resulted in gunshots and wounds.
China: Day two of salt-buying panic
With supermarkets in many Chinese cities now out of salt, Roland Soong at EastSouthWestNorth has published a second post on the panicky salt buying spree, comparing discussion of the frenzy...
Japan: Crisis Management PR Lessons from Cabinet Secretary Edano
PR professional Takashi Kurosawa appreciates Cabinet Secretary Edano's style of communication, detailing what he's doing right in the blog post "10 Things We can Learn from Cabinet Secretary Edano from the Perspective of Crisis management PR".
Angola: Preemptive Maneuver Cancels “Revolution”
A week after the date of the revolution supposed to "dethrone" Angolan Government, the situation in the country appears calm. Preemptive manoeuvre actions of the State contributed greatly to this: pro-MPLA rallies were convened, troops were put at the ready, and protesters were silenced.
South Korea: Old Feuds Forgotten as Koreans React to Japan Quake
Forgetting old feuds between the two countries, South Korean bloggers and tweeps have expressed both deep concern and support for Japan in its time of crisis. Harsh criticisms meanwhile have been leveled at Korean media for aggravating the already grave situation.
