Global Media News

Social media brings justice for Farkhunda

27 year old, Farkhunda was attacked and killed by an angry mob in Kabul for allegedly burning the Quran. Many people both in and out of Afghanistan learned about Farkhunda's tragic story on social media. Pictures,eye-witnesss and on the spot news stories  of the brutal incident was posted on a Afghan security Facebook page.  At first the brutal photos of her was posted under headings such as "a women killed for burning the  Quran" in order to justify murder. Public opinion of the incident however quickly began to change.

According to http://asiancorrespondent.com/, “When initial reports came in, some people on social media expressed approval for the murder. But as details began to come in, including videos of the brutality, the lackluster response of the police, Farkhunda’s family’s comments and Farkhunda’s background in religious studies, then those attitudes changed,” Ahmad Shuja, a Research Associate for Human Rights Watch, who relies on social media tools for his work, told Asian Correspondent." 

Numerous Facebook pages have been made specifically to bring justice to Farkhunda and her family. Images of her being attacked from videos of the tragic events were posted on these pages and were used as evidence to prosecute her killers. It was also used to expose the lack of protection given to her against a mob of hundreds. 

Karim Haidari,  an Afghan correspondent for the BBC says Fakundas death revolves around the charm selling, which Farkhunda publicly challenged. 

 

"It is alleged that the mullah connected with her death falsely accused her of burning the Quran to divert attention from his charm-selling business" according to Haidari. 

As of now 28 people were arrested for the murder of Farkundas death. 13 police officers were also suspended from duty. 

 

Pakistan Government Tries to Force Control on Satellite Broadcaster GEO TV

Pakistan is known to be one of the world’s deadliest countries for the practice of independent journalism.  Pakistan’s media is dominated by private companies that have close ties to the government. Whereas the press, television and radio are tightly monitored by regulators who impose temporary blocks over many media outlets - being that they are not allowed to broadcast their own news without authorized permission. It can be confusing for some people to understand Pakistan’s partly free media when their internet and press not fully free. The Pakistan media profile from Freedom House gives a brief statement stating why the Pakistani government allows tight control over their media by stating the following,

 “The constitution and other legislation, such as the Official Secrets Acts authorize the government to curb freedom of speech, on subjects including the constitution itself, the armed forces, the judiciary and religion.”

In other words, the Official Secrets Acts restrain freedom of speech on subjects that are serious to the government. As a result of Pakistan’s constitution and other legislation regulate mass media. Television is now the dominant medium with dozens of private channels, but no private broadcasters. Satellite broadcasters have been becoming a disruption for a country who wants complete control over all media outlets.  The companies of these satellite broadcasters allow their employees to be opinionated about what corrupt actions are going on within the Pakistan government. Satellite broadcasters are very hard to control since its services are transmitted by signal waves. With Pakistan’s control over press freedom with its own laws and regulations, the people have been trying to help protect some of its media from attacks of personal government harassment that have been trying to censor and control Satellite broadcasters.

Political Parties labeling GEO TV as the "Enemies of Pakistan"

For instance, Pakistan’s military intelligence services, ISI and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) militants, have been harassing a satellite broadcaster with violent attacks. GEO TV has been enduring these attacks from Pakistan's military services since December of 2014. GEO TV, now the leading private satellite broadcaster, owned by the Jang publishing group based in Dubai.  GEO TV is known for their channel GEO News that has been the target of confrontations between the Television station and various political parties. These political parties have been calling in for all allies such as the ISI to protect them from the media during the political rankings in Pakistan.

From the Reporters Without Borders, an article GEO TV, Target of Pakistan Spy Agency goes into detail on how the corrupt political powers in Pakistan are trying to put people in charge to grow alliances for their own protection from being exposed. Reports of the PTI’s militants harassing reporters and journalists have been ongoing. From the article it stated the following about the violence  brewing from the PTI militants,  

“A Geo News reporter had to hide in a satellite truck to escape the attackers.”

GEO TV staff members have been taking the hit of attacks because the political confrontation between the broadcasting network and PTI. The GEO TV reporter had been lucky enough to make it out alive, but his life is still a threat because of the political power within Pakistan.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been sending attacks to media organizations by their own PTI militants. PIT is the opposition political party which has grown powerful since 2012.  Their mission from their website Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf states the following,

“The PTI will restore the sovereign and inalienable right of the people to choose political and economic options in accordance with our social, cultural, and religious values.”

These political groups goal is to bring back complete control over the Pakistani people and sovereignty to its government; moreover, controlling the media.  Does Pakistan have a chance of trying to balance powers between the political leaders and leading satellite broadcaster GEO TV? If the job of a reporter is to report fair and accurate information to the public about what is going on within the country then why should it be a problem to reveal the truth about corruption? The people of Pakistan have the right to know what is going on in their own government. Although the Official Secrets Acts authorizing the government to curb freedom of speech, on subjects including the constitution itself, the armed forces, the judiciary and religion, the officer officials and political militants find ways to shut down any type of media awareness.

In conclusion, Pakistan stands as one of the world’s deadliest countries for the media business. The people of Pakistan try to manage some of its media without the control of state owned outlets. Even with ISI and PTI militants trying to control and weaken the satellite broadcasting network GEO TV, its workers must stay strong to survive this battle of the control of air wave and media.

Indian Student Jailed Over Facebook Post

    Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can never hurt us... Right? This did not seem to be the case this last week in India when a 19 year old student made a Facebook post that officers said "could incite communal tensions and spoil peace and harmony"

    The post was speaking out against State Minister Azam Khan, and resulted in the jailing of the student. After being held for 14 days, the student was released on bail of Rs 40,000 (Indian Rupees, over $600.00 in U.S. currency).  

    While being held in police custody, the student said the he didn't understand the severity or content of what he had posted. He's plead innocence and his case has even gone to the supreme court.

Global Media News Webcast #7: March 26, 2015

Global Media News for Thursday March 26, 2015

 This week on Global Media News:  India & Afghanistan!

• "India's Daughter" Censored in India?
• Cutting "Fifty Shades of Grey" for Indian Consumption
• Narendra Modi: King of Social Media Politics?
• Is Facebook Censored in India?
• Section 66 Overturned:  The Supreme Court Weighs In on Internet Censorship in India
• Journalism in Afghanistan: Women Journalists at Work

Global Media News is a weekly webcast covering media news from around the world.  GMN is a production of  Media Studies students from the SUNY College @ Old Westbury.   We scour the web for news about the world's media.

Listen to our next webcast from the New Media Newsroom  streaming live on Thursday, April 2 @ 11am EST.

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Is Terrorism becoming an excuse for Kyrgyzstan to restrict their media?

    According to BBC news, Kyrgyzstan is a Central Asian country bordering China, that became independent in 1990.Kyrgyzstan operates under a Republic and their media laws have both positive developments and setbacks as the country continued to recover from the violent overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and ethnic clashes in the southern region of Osh in 2010. 

    In December of 2014, Global Voice Advocacy, reported that a Kyrgyzstan web site was censored for covering the terrorist organization, ISIS. Global Voice Advocacy is known for building  a global anti-censorship network of bloggers and online activists dedicated to protecting freedom of expression online. GVA reported that Kloop, kg, an independent news site

Attacks On Afghan Journalists Are Growing

    A free media has been one of the greatest achievements for Afghanistan after its Taliban rule has ended in 2001.  Its newly found freedom of speech has not guaranteed safety for journalists and media workers though, but has provoked more violence.  Many news reporters feel pressured by the government to self-censor themselves to avoid any kind of complication or life-threatening action.  Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar, Nai's executive director, said, "There is no doubt that things are getting worse."

    Incidences of violence, threats, and intimidation were up 65 percent in 2014 compared to its previous year.  Human Rights Watch released a 48 page report titled, "Stop Reporting or We'll Kill Your Family," which documents the harassment and attacks on journalists.  It also shows the Afghan government's failure to prosecute those responsible.  Deputy Asia director, Phelim Kine, stated:

"Afghan officials, warlords, and insurgents have threatened, assaulted, and killed dozens of journalists since 2002 without any fear of prosecution.  President Ashraf Ghani needs to back-up his campaign promises to protect media freedom by bringing to justice anyone who abuses members of the press."

    Throughout 2014, the Taliban have threatened the media and targeted journalists who support "Western values."  Female journalists face even harsher threats in a culture that limits their mobility and increases their vulnerability to attacks, including sexual violence.

    President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah pledged to drop all politically motivated and unsubstantiated charges against journalists and also to uphold freedom of expression and protection against abuse.

    Journalists turning to self-censorship has become the only option in hopes to protect their jobs and their lives.  In result, Afghan people are becoming deprived of the realities of their government and society.  A Kabul-based editor said:

"We see our job as needing to pressure the government to reform. Some issues we are careful about. … We censor ourselves for the security of our staff. These people don't file a complaint - they might kill us."

    Sirat, 33 year old editor for Afghan's biggest newspaper 8AM, has been attacked in the street and received death threats in text messages.  He left his wife and five children to move to a safe house and admits his family is afraid to go outside.  Cases like this are disturbingly common in Afghanistan and the government's lack of punishment to those who commit these crimes remains an obstacle to media freedom.

India Supreme Court Overturns Information Technology Act

    On Tuesday March 17th, 2015, the India Supreme Court declared Section 66A of the Information Technology Act unconstitutional. This section of the ITA allows a person to be convicted and serve a maximum of three years in jail with a fine for sending offensive messages through any computer resource or communication device. The law was passed in 2008 after the three day terrorist attacks on Mumbai, it allowed authorities to monitor electronic communications. According to the Wall Street Journal, Justice Rohinton Norman said...

"The law’s provisions were too vague and didn’t provide “clearly defined lines” for law-enforcement officials. “What is offensive to one person may not be offensive to another."

Critics in the past have been worried that the section of the law that was removed was easy for misuse at the hands of police officials often regarding to political parties. According to a report by Facebook, the company blocked over 5,832 pieces of content in 2014 requested by the Indian law enforcement and government. So the court also ruled that Internet companies such as Facebook and Google, could only remove content if ordered to do so by a court, limiting the government to have such large control. Former Union mister P Chidambaram welcomed the judgment saying in a article from the Indian Express ...

“The section was poorly drafted and was vulnerable. It was capable of being misused and, in fact, it was misused,” he said. “There could be a case of misuse of the freedom of speech. In such cases, the ordinary laws should apply and the offender should be dealt with under those laws. If some provisions of the law have to be strengthened, that could be considered. But Section 66A was not the answer.”

        For the past few years controversy has been going with the law over several arrests. In 2012 Shaheen Dhada posted on Facebook to criticize the shutdown of Mumbai for the funeral of politician Bal Thackeray. Her friend Rinu Shrinivasan was also arrested for simply liking the post. Also political cartoonist Assem Trivedi was charged for his work mocking Parliament. Two Air India employees also spent 12 days in jail for jokes about the Prime Minster.

        A petition to amend the law was filed in 2012 by Shreya Signal, an aspiring law student. Many non government organizations joined her. After the ruling she told reporters ...

“This is a big victory for free speech today, People shouldn’t desist from posting something because of the fear of going to jail.”

Hopefully people in India will feel a little more at peace with this new amendment. Instead of second guessing their posts they can have a sense of pride when it comes to speaking their mind. The Internet & Mobile Association of India called the verdict a “momentous victory for the 302 million strong Internet users in India”.

Censorship Of Journalists In Hungary

Jounalist platforms are constrained in Hungary. Jounalists are charged taxes to write articles on news media. The independence of journalists is diminishing. 

The citizens of Hungaray are against the new amendments because they are being forced to pay internet taxes. Tamas Bodoky is editor and chief of  the investigative news website, Atlatszo. Tamas was awarded for his invasive use of technology at the Index Awards. He received the 2015 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award for Digital Activism. Atlatzso uncoververd the cases of state control in the media, election fraud, government corruption, and misuse of public funds.  "Atlatzso means transparent in Hungarian" says Bodoky. The website strives to promotes free press in Hungary. 

Tamas wanted to bring to light the injustice of the citizens in Hungary and expose the challenges that they are facing. The website's team produce investigative reports and fights freedom of information for the press. Before Atlatszo, journalists were giving up on challenge their work because it was being restricted.  

Social Media Shines Positive Light in Afghanistan

Recent studies have found that users believe social media can have a positive impact in Afghanistan.  Surveys developed by Afghan-German Cooperation and ATR Consulting have discovered that social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube are becoming increasingly influential in Afghan society.

More than 1,100 participants were surveyed for the study, reigning from the capital Kabul, to the widespread of the six-northeastern provinces Balkh, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar and Samangan. Since the amount of people who have internet access in Afghanistan is very little, ATR recognizes the turnout of participants to be a successful one. According to Wasdam Business News Portal, in 2013 only 12% of Afghans have access to the internet. Based on the survey, participants claim that these social networks keep them conveniently informed about news and events. Also, politicians have been found to be at advantage due to social networks. Politicians and members of the general public both agreed that social media had a positive impact on the 2014 presidential election. Facebook and Twitter have been key in giving citizens the chance to communicate with political figures. Adela Raz, deputy spokesperson to President Hamid Karzai, spoke on how the Afghan government uses social media. According to Raz, the presidential office’s Facebook page has over 30,000 fan followers who are highly active and prompt in sending feedback and comments.

Journalist may be the biggest winners of the social media innovation. Journalist have the potential to use social media tools to communicate with politicians and members of parliament, collecting information and spreading it to a wider audience without stepping outside. Due to the increase in violence on journalists by the Afghan government, this change can be big. A lot of lives can be left out of danger since journalist will be able to collect and report information without stepping foot outside.  According to the Nai.org Media Group, there were 52 reports of violence against journalist ranging from physical to verbal threats. Since 2001, there have been a total of 517 reported incidents with journalists. With the active use of social media rising, this can potentially bring down the violence rate greatly. Woman are also beginning to see positive outcomes from social networking since they now can spread awareness on woman's rights on a larger and faster scale.

    Social network means more to Afghan citizens than just entertainment. Social media makes it easier for everyone to become more politically aware and active. Websites like ATR Consulting and Nai.org are able to reach their following through social networks and update them with the latest news on subjects such as brutality against journalists or the latest social media upgrade. Social media is helping voices be heard in Afghanistan. The next step to the development of social media is to increase the amount of users. If internet access can become more convenient for Afghan citizens, you may see a big change in the government, bridging the gap between itself and the citizens.

Afghan Journalists Censors Themselves For Survival

    The freedom of press has always been bad and now it going on a downward spiral. Although censorship is strict and punishment is  severe in Afghanistan, reporters are self-censoring because their lives are at risk if they don't report what the government approves. Human right groups in Afghanistan have been pushing reporters to defy the odds.

    According to www. stripes.com,  "A 50-page report released by Human Rights Watch said Afghan journalists — who have grown in number since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 — say they face increasing threats not only from insurgents but also from corrupt government officials."

    Also according to the BBC Profile of Afghanistan, laws ban material that is deemed to be against Islamic law and some private stations have angered religious conservatives. TV stations self-censor, and often partially-pixelate images of women.

    The media of Afghanistan is under an intense Microsoft and it basically whatever the government says, goes. Reporters who have failed to comply with Afghanistan's policies have been beaten or murdered. Also like many countries money and power influences what the media can and cannot show. According to a report founded by the Human Right Watch, powerful individuals bypass the media violations commission, going to the attorney general’s office to seek legal action against journalists whose stories they don’t like. The Information and Culture Ministry, meanwhile, “has served largely as a cudgel to intimidate the press.”

    The Human Rights Watch is  nonprofit, nongovernmental human rights organization made up of roughly 400 staff members around the globe. Its staff consists of human rights professionals including country experts, lawyers, journalists, and academics of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Also the organization seeks to press for changes in policy and practice that promote human rights and justice around the world.

    Since the Afghanistan War the media had been protected by foreign military but now that conflicts are winding down the press have grown more fearful of repercussions.  Attacks on journalists by Taliban insurgents often go unpunished, the report found, indicating “wider impunity and failure to establish the rule of law” in the country. The Taliban have gone as far as to threaten to kill a journalist's family if he decided to cover the 2014 election. being a reporter in a country where you can be killed for writing the truth can be very dangerous. 

  It is hard to disobey the media rules or "fly under the radar"in a country that owns so many media outlets. According to www.nationmaster.com, " Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operates a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces; an estimated 175 private radio stations, 8 TV networks, and about a dozen international broadcasters are available". Afghanistan has a long way before their reporters can report the truth without repercussions. According to Freedom House.org, Afghanistan's media since 2011 is not free and severely strict as we see how many reporters get killed just for reporting something they had no permission to. 

*Pic of reporters outside of a bombing site