Stories about Media & Journalism from October, 2011
Jamaica: New Prime Minister
Jamaican bloggers talk about the swearing-in of the country's new Prime Minister, which is scheduled to take place this Sunday.
Cuba: Remembering Laura Pollan
Four days after her death, the online tributes are still pouring in for Laura Pollan, the late leader of one of Cuba's most recognized and respected opposition groups, Las Damas de Blanco. Many bloggers want to continue their fight for human rights while others just want to remember their friend and hero.
Trinidad & Tobago: Children & the Internet
In the wake of a controversy in which a teacher was allegedly involved in a sexual relationship with a student [the situation came to light because of photos he posted online], blogger Mark Lyndersay posts an interview in which he discusses ways in which parents can help manage children's use...
Russia: Photoblogger Launches New Citizen Media Agency
Ilya Varlamov, popular photoblogger, officially launches [ru] Ridus.ru, news agency dedicated to the citizen media in Russia. Its ‘special projects’ section [ru] tells about new and already existing civil society movements that deal with environmental issues, traffic violations, illegal development in the historic parts of the cities, freedom of photography...
Cuba: Mourning the Loss of Laura Pollan
Cuban bloggers are in mourning over the death of Laura Pollan, the former leader of the opposition group Las Damas de Blanco. The sad news made its way across the blogosphere with lightning speed and bloggers, both within Cuba and throughout the diaspora, were soon posting their remembrances of the late human rights activist online.
Russia: Networked Volunteers Save Lives of Missing Children
In September 2010, 4-year-old Liza and her aunt went missing in the forest and were found dead. Liza's volunteer rescuers decided to establish a network called "Liza Alert" whose members would engage immediately once a child was lost.
Barbados: FIFA & Ethics
Barbados Free Press is keeping its eyes on the unfolding controversy with former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and other regional football officials.
Russia: the First Twitter Account Officially Registered as Media Outlet
Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecoms and Communications (RosKomNadzor) officially registered [ru] Twitter account of a microblogger Denis Plenin (@Dplenin) as the first mass media outlet on the platform.
Russia: The Future of LiveJournal's Network Effect
A newspaper article titled "A Half-Dead Journal," which analyzed the drop in LiveJournal's traffic within the last nine months, provoked a heated discussion on the structure and the future of the Russian blogosphere.
Nepal: Media Bias On Child Trafficking
Andrew Undershaft writes about the questionable role of some Nepali print media, which participated in a co-ordinated attack against the rescue mission, which brought 23 missing girls back to Nepal from India.
Colombia: You Can Copy This Creative Commons Film Festival
The Creative Commons Audiovisual Festival will be taking place in Barranquilla and Medellin later this month. You can still experience it even if you aren't in Colombia by requesting to Copy the Festival, and getting a full package to replicate the festival, including films, talks and contact information for directors and panelists.
Trinidad & Tobago: Integrity Commission Chair Resigns
Gerard Best tries to connect the dots between the resignation of the Chair of Trinidad and Tobago's Integrity Commission and the Opposition Leader's rejection of an offer by former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner “on the same day that a Daily Telegraph article reported that ‘Warner…appears to be recorded telling other...
Jamaica: New Prime Minister Designate
As Jamaica prepares to swear in a new Prime Minister, Girl With a Purpose says: “It is expected that the government of Jamaica will call an early election this year. This is so that they can capitalize on the upsurge in popularity of the JLP since electing a new leader-designate...
China: Reflecting on 100 Years Since the Xinhai Revolution
October 10, 2011, marked 100 years since the Wuchang Uprising and the beginning of the Xinhai Revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) and established the Republic of China. Oiwan Lam reflects on China's revolutionary past.
Behold Singapore’s ‘Onternaut’ Netizens
They are online, they visit alternative websites, and they surf in the cyberspace like astronauts. They are Singapore’s ‘Onternauts’ or young netizens who use the internet to monitor news, share information, and engage in politics. But do they like to be called Onternauts?
Is North Korean Media No Longer Sealed Off?
Martyn Williams from North Korea Tech blog commented on Reporters Without Borders’ recent report on the North Korean media landscape. The report claims that the hermit kingdom is no longer as sealed off from the outside world as it used to be.
West Papua: ‘Biggest Threat’ to Pacific Media Freedom
The Pacific Journalism Review reports that Indonesia-occupied West Papua has the most serious violations of press freedom in the Pacific area.
Puerto Rico: Legal Action Against Medical School?
“On October 3rd, a school of medicine in Puerto Rico, the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, was punished for its negligence and incompetence by becoming the first U.S.-based institution to completely lose its accreditation”: Gil the Jenius has taken the closure personally (his wife was in her final year...
Trinidad & Tobago: Understanding Social Media Terminology
A message for mainstream media: not everyone who posts information on the Internet is a blogger. Gerard Best says that “if we’re going to be reporting on the electronic media, we should try to get the lingo right.”
Bermuda: Noise Pollution
BeachLime laments that complaints about noise pollution are “doomed to go in one ear and out the other.”
Colombia: Outrage at Conservative Politician over Remarks about Rape and Abortion
On Tuesday October 11, Conservative politician Enrique Gómez Hurtado's statements about abortion caused outrage among Colombian Twitter users. Gómez supports a legislative act to reform an article in the Constitution in order to outlaw abortion under all circumstances.
