· August, 2012

Stories about Media & Journalism from August, 2012

Kyrgyzstan: Does Torpedo Testing Pollute Unique Lake?

  12 August 2012

Blogger Ilya Lukash writes [ru] about a Soviet-built facility on the shore of Kyrgyzstan's unique mountainous lake Issyk-Kul. The facility is apparently used by the Russian navy to test torpedoes in the lake. Angered by the pollution that the facility might have caused to Kyrgyzstan's prime tourist area and natural reserve,...

Trinidad & Tobago: Dark Cloud, Gold Lining

  12 August 2012

Heavy floods pounded the northwestern part of Trinidad yesterday morning, as two rivers burst their banks following torrential rains from a tropical depression. But the nation's spirits were to be lifted - at least for a while - as the country won Olympic gold for the second time in its history, thanks to the efforts of Keshorn Walcott in the Javelin Throw.

Jamaica: Caribbean Region Rallies Behind Bolt

  11 August 2012

Jamaican bloggers - and indeed netizens from the wider Caribbean region - are continuing to celebrate the island's successes at the London Olympic Games. Unsurprisingly, Usain Bolt is at the centre of the online discussion, thanks to his amazing performance in the Men's 200m event and his response to Carl Lewis' drug use accusations.

Cuba: Freedom of Press?

  10 August 2012

Blogger, journalist and Global Voices author Elaine Díaz analyzes [es] the nuances of the different practices and definitions of freedom of press, after being interviewed for the Boston Globe.

Kirani James Delivers on Grenada's Olympic Dream

  10 August 2012

Earlier this week, Kirani James won the Gold Medal in the Men's 400 Metres race at the London Olympics with a time of 43.94, making him the first person from Grenada and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to win an Olympic medal of any kind. The region celebrates.

North Korea: First Lady Spotted With A Luxury, ‘Dior’ Handbag

  9 August 2012

North Korea’s young first lady was pictured carrying what appears to be a Christian Dior handbag which costs around USD 1,600. While international media lashed hard at the luxury in the midst of food crisis where millions of North Koreans suffer from starvation, one net user in Sina English site raised a...

Russia: Pussy Riot Doomed by its own Supporters?

RuNet Echo  8 August 2012

Recent online coverage of the Pussy Riot trial makes it seem as if all of Russia is mobilized in protest against the inordinately harsh treatment the three arrested band members have received. In fact, many well-wishing bloggers continue to aggravate Riot's predicament by advocating leniency, rather than arguing with the entire premise of punishment.

Myanmar: Appeal to Global Community

  8 August 2012

The Muslim Organisation of Myanmar has appealed [my] to the international community to stop threatening the country, manipulating and propagating news and insulting the national flag and country's leaders regarding the Rohingya issue and the violence in the western part of the country.

Trinidad & Tobago: The Power of Words

  8 August 2012

Online reaction to a statement that one of the country's athletes should retire after not winning a medal at the London Olympics prompts West Indian Mother to examine “how we, as a society, tend to function, and how it adversely affects our children.”

Myanmar: Freedom of Press T-Shirt Protest

  8 August 2012

After three weekly journals were stopped from being published in Myanmar, journalists and editors in the country campaigned for press freedom by wearing black shirts saying “Stop Killing the Press” while they were attending events and covering the news on 4 August, 2012.

Mexico: Journalists Censored in July

  8 August 2012

A.L.S. in Vivir México [es] lists four journalists who were censored during July 2012: Pedro Ferriz de Con, Rubén Luengas, John Ackerman, and Lydia Cacho. The blogger concludes, “I think this is worrisome, because we are not just talking about journalists who have been censored, but also about journalists who...

Egypt: Social Justice for All

  8 August 2012

The Egyptian non-profit media collective Mosireen [en, ar] is “born out of the explosion of citizen journalism and cultural activism in Egypt during the revolution”. The group of filmmakers and citizen journalists collects footage and video testimonies from protests in Egypt. Their YouTube channel was the most viewed non-profit channel...

Hong Kong independent media attacked

  8 August 2012

Four men wearing masks entered Inmedia offices today and smashed all computers. Inmedia is well-known for releasing stories that inconvenience Hong Kong and China authorities.

Georgia: War Photography

  8 August 2012

Just before today's fourth anniversary of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia War, Georgian Photographers features a post accompanied by photos from George Tsagareli on documenting conflict in the Caucasus.

Macedonia: Devastation of Skopje Aqueduct Continues

  7 August 2012

On Facebook and on her blog, archeologist Vasilka Dimitrovska shared recent photos by Toni Mandzukovski, raising the alarm about the continuous destruction of the ancient Skopje Aqueduct, neglected by the authorities and used as a source of building material by the local population. The ironic title of her post [mk]...