Stories about Media & Journalism from August, 2012
Zambia: State TV Ignores Homegrown Sprinter for Jamaica's Usain Bolt
On the day a Zambian runner - Gerald Phiri - qualified in third place for the men's 100 meter semi-final at the Olympics, the national broadcaster, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), led instead with the qualification of Jamaican superstar, Usain Bolt.
South Korea: Mass Firing of TV Writers from Investigative Program
Although an unprecedentedly long strike by workers from South Korea's largest TV network, MBC, officially ended in mid-July, complaints and anger has yet again resurfaced after the network fired every single writer from its signature investigative program.
Russia: Pussy Riot & Russian Courts in Perspective
On August 2, four days into the Pussy Riot trial, another hearing began in Yekaterinburg, the regional center of the Urals. Unlike its more famous counterpart, this trial has failed to garner major attention both online and in the media, though it is in certain ways just as indicative of dysfunctional Russian approaches to law and order.
Funny Image of How Australian Newspaper Distinguishes Two Koreas
The 101 Great Goals site shared a scanned image showing how an Australian newspaper distinguishes two Koreas in its Olympics medal table. One was referred as ‘nice’ Korea, while other was named the ‘naughty’ one.
Seven Months after AP opened its North Korea Bureau
The Columbia Journalism Review(CJR)'s Behind the News published a post on AP's challenges in launching a news bureau in one of the most reclusive countries in the world, North Korea.
Myanmar: Claims of Media Bias Towards Rohingya
Opinion is divided in Myanmar about the status of the Rohingya living in the western part of the country. Human rights groups have condemned the violence against the Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine. But some Myanmar netizens feel that international news networks have been distorting information about the situation in their country.
Caribbean: Marking Emancipation
Today, many Caribbean territories celebrate Emancipation Day, which commemorates the abolition of slavery. Each year, bloggers mark the occasion, but this year, online attention to the holiday is rather low-key, with only a handful of netizens mentioning it in their posts or tweets.
Lebanon: Inflammatory TV Show Leads to Arrests of Gay Men
A recent crackdown on a Beirut cinema frequented by gay men ended up in the arrest of 36 men, who later were subjected to anal examinations to "prove" their homosexuality. The raid prompted outrage, and many accused a certain TV show of inciting it.
Kazakhstan: Images from “Post-Apocalyptic” Village
Despite Kazakhstan's oil-fueled economic growth, some parts of the country are doing a lot worse than others. Blogger Iskander Salikhojaev has recently traveled to Akchatau, a small poverty-stricken village in central Kazakhstan where some 1,000 people live without jobs, drinking water, and hope. Vox Populi posts [ru] photos from the blogger's trip....
