Global Media News

India Victory on Freedom of Speech Online

 

India's Supreme Court has scrapped away their Section66A law stating that any offensive comments online would lead to arrests made.  The fact that this was even a law at one point shows how censored the Indian government can be with their rules against the media and freedom of speech and press. In the Hindustan Times they reported, 

“We hold the section unconstitutional on the grounds that it takes within its sweep protected speech that is innocent in nature. It is liable to have a chilling effect on free speech and, therefore, has to be struck down,” the court said."

The law was said to hold the power to send someone to jail for up to three years for something as simple as a social media message or email that would be considered annoying or inappropriate.  According to BBC News,

"The law was first challenged by a law student after two young women were arrested in November 2012 in Mumbai for comments on Facebook following the death of politician Bal Thackeray.

Shaheen Dhada was held for criticising Mumbai's shutdown after Thackeray's death. Renu Srinivasan, who "liked" the comment, was also arrested. The two were later released on bail."

Since than the law had caused several other arrested through out the years.  It was a ray of victory for India on Tuesday, March 24th, when the Indian government trashed the Section66A law in the name of freedom of speech for the people.  Hope was restored for meaning behind the word freedom in India.

Globox in Afghan

 

Globox.tv is the new and first Internet television station in Afghanistan. The eradication of the Taliban regime led to this new station being formed. Only around 12 years ago the regime had banned television , music and cinema. This has left many urban Afghans with a taste for the globalized media of pop culture such as Western celebrities and movies. 

 

The programming of Globox include segments like "What's new in Kabul?", where for seven minutes Aimal Qowat, 22 talks about events in the city. They have shows dedicated for movies, fashion and general news the mainstream media of Afghanistan don't prefer to handle. The bosses of Globox hope to attract a younger audience with their programming as opposed to an older one. 

According to aquila-style.com , Director Aref Ahmadi had this to say about the programming of Globox:

 

  “We do not talk about religion, sex or politics and we respect the constitution, but apart from that, there is nothing we can not do,” said Aref Ahmadi, 29, the director of Awaz, the private company that created Globox."

 

Only about a year into the media business, the main problem Globox faces now is the lack of viewership.  The issue is that internet speeds in Afghanistan are not fast enough for people to conveniently watch the programming. Globox employs 15 people and claims only about 200 views a day. However the owners will continue to invest in Globox even though it's not making any profits. 

 

Media Under Attack in Afghanistan

Afghan media advocacy organization, Nai, reported that 2014 was the most violent year recorded for journalists in Afghanistan.  Attacks were up by 64 percent since 2013 and growing intimidation from state and non-state figures threatened media workers and journalists.  A tremendous lack of government protection and international support are also influencing the lack of media freedom in Afghanistan, with a failure to prosecute those responsible. 

A journalist from Patika province who reported on an attack on Afghan security base that killed two  officers said:

“The governor told me in the presence of everyone: ‘Why have you reported on this? … You have no right to report it. I will imprison you. Your life is nothing to me.  It's been 12 or 13 months since the threats and I am afraid even when I go home.”

With a growing television audience and a decreasing radio audience, more Afghan citizens are looking to private TV stations to get their news and entertainment.  1TV, one of Afghanistan's leading television stations, reported on the rise of journalists' killings in 2014.  They touched upon not only the threat among Afghan journalists, but American journalists reporting in Afghanistan as well.  President Jim Boumelha of the International Federation of Journalists stated:

"As a result, some media organisations are weary of sending reporters to war zones out of fear for their safety, even of using material gathered by freelancers in these areas. Failure to improve media safety will adversely impact the coverage of war which will be poorer for lack of independent witnesses."

It is crucial for Afghanistan government to protect these journalists and prosecute those who pose as a threat to them.  An awareness of this can significantly effect the safety of media workers and help create a more intelligent, honest society.

Delhi Bus Gang Rape Documentary Banned in India

 

  In 2012, a 23 year old female student in Delhi along with a male companion were victims of a vicious assault. The young woman had been brutally gang raped on a public bus for several hours before being left to fight for her life in a hospital. In the end her injuries were so bad that she died from them. Wishing to shed light on the crime, director Leslee Udwin interviewed one of the rapists in prison and made a documentary about it. The documentary titled "India's Daughter" has been banned from release in India.

    Every country has problems with different forms of censorship, but one must wonder with India being the world's largest democracy, why is free speech being stifled? The home minister Rajnath Singh conveyed a feeling of shame brought to his country by the words of the rapist, Mukesh Singh. He and many others believe that the film glorifies the criminal and gives him a platform to share his sick and perverted views on women's place in Indian society. As noble of a gesture as this might be, banning the film undermines a much larger problem in Indian culture; despite being such an advanced nation, India is another in a long list of countries that suffers from misogynistic societal norms. 

    These norms include but are not limited to the popular South Asian practice of "Eve Teasing". Eve Teasing is in its simplest form, sanctioned sexual harassment. Women in South Asian
countries experience constant verbal abuse, groping, pinching, pushing, and poking from men who are just having "fun" in one of the most juvenile ways they can. There's a slew of laws and practices that value men over women in this culture, and perhaps that is the reason why showing this movie has been banned; it might not be that the country will be ashamed that five Indian men committed such an atrocity, but rather that the views expressed by these rapists coincide with views expressed by many people who have been raised in the same culture. The director (right) of the documentary has said that her work can be used as a "powerful tool for change".

    The documentary has been unofficially screened in the slum homes of the rapists, and will hopefully be shown to more upper class Indian residents to enlighten them not only to the mindset of the men who committed the crime, but also to the underlying problem that as long as societies throughout the world, not just in India, continue to devalue women, these atrocities will continue to happen.

India Leads in Facebook Censorship

According to Worldometers, as of 2015 India has a population of 1.2 billion with more than 243 million internet users (InternetLiveStats.com). In July 2010, Facebook opened an office in India. Two months later, the website overtook social networking competitors, such as Ibibo and Bharatstudent. With India being one of the most populated and religious countries in the world it isn't surprising that there censorship of social media, specifically Facebook. USA Today states,

"Facebook removed thousands of pieces of content at the request of various countries' governments in the last half of 2013. India took the lead, with 4,765 pieces of content removed by Facebook from July to December 2013, according to the social network's latest transparency report released Friday."

Even though Facebook states that their mission is to make the world more open and connected it is sometimes interfered by a country's law. According to the BBC News Country Profile of India,

"There is no systematic filtering of the web. But the authorities have clashed with leading social networks over censorship of content deemed to be offensive."

India’s approach to Internet speech has been troubling for years. The government wants to regulate content that is offensive to religious or ethnic groups. Facebook in particular has been under fire from the government in India. They are known to suspend internet services in times of tension.

Despite India being the country with the most content restrictions, Facebook is looking to further expand in India. In February 2015 they launched its free Internet.org application in India. According to a USA Today Article, 

"The app will give subscribers of Reliance Communications access to Facebook and about three dozen websites that provide information on jobs, health and other subjects without racking up data charges"

With Mark Zuckerberg looking to expand further in the country with the most content restrictions it is interesting to where if the government in India will continue to make the most requests out of every country in the world.

Global Media News Webcast #6: March 12, 2015

 Global Media News for Thursday March 12, 2015

 This week on Global Media News:  

China, Indonesia & the Philippines:

• Press Freedom in Indonesia: The Press Council & the Police
• Impunity in the Philippines?  How Dangerous Is It for Journalists?
• Censorship in China
• Which Social Media Are Blocked in China?
• CCTV for Beginners
• Will the NBA Turn the Chinese into Basketball Fans?
• An Introduction to Tencent and the Internet in China
• Backdoors?  China & Internet Security

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, March 26 @ 11am EST.

Can't listen live? Our next webcast of the season will be posted by 2:00pm, Thursday, March 26, 2015.

Subscribe Now!

Freedom of Speech is Pressed While India Continues to Place Bans and Censorship

    

    BBC has released a documentary film of an interview on rapist Mukesh Singh, as well as three other men, who show no remorse to their crimes.  These men brutally raped a girl in India in 2012.  The film itself is controversial to India exposure, as it pushes the boundaries of what's acceptable in their culture.  Currently, there has been a ban placed on the viewing of this film in India, as their government believes it will give India a bad image as well as give ideas to other individuals.  According to CNN.com, Singh is quoted saying,

"when being raped, she shouldn't fight back.  She should just be silent and allow the rape".  

The Independent reported,

"A girl is more responsible for rape than a boy".  

These quotes were shocking to the rest of the world, but accepted in India.  This documentary is meant to show others the face of a true rapist story.  It is meant to educate people and gain their own opinions on the topic.  With India banning such a documentary, the people of India don't get the full story as to what happened in their country.

    The new popular movie, "50 Shades of Grey", just hit theaters everywhere on Valentine's Day.  Everywhere, but a few countries that is.  One country on the map with delay was India, of course.  This movie is meant to glorify consensual pain during sex, also know as BDSM.  According to Xeromag.com BDSM is an acronym of "B&D" (Bondage & Discipline), "D&S" (Dominance & Submission), and "S&M" (sadomasochism). "BDSM" refers to any or all of these things, and a lot of stuff besides.  Time.com reported, 

"Shravan Kumar, the chief executive of India’s Central Board of Film Certification, said the film’s backers Universal Pictures could appeal the decision, Reuters reports.

Kumar did not specify why the board declined to approve the film’s release.

A source within Universal Pictures said the ban came despite the studio cutting all nudity out of the film and toning down sexually explicit scenes."

    Both the documentary on the 2012 rapist as well as the hollywood produced film, "50 Shades of Grey", both on the hot topic of sex, banned from India.  This is detrimental to the country itself as it shows the lack of knowledge India is willing to give their people, as well as the lack of freedom of speech.  Knowledge is  power, but without it, you force one to make blind ideas and decisions.  

Global Media News Webcast #5: March 10, 2015

 Global Media News for March 10, 2015

 This week on Global Media News:  

Japan, North Korea & South Korea:

• North Korean Reaction to The Interview: What Does It Tell Us about North Korea?
• Kim Jong Un's Media:  Propaganda, Slogans, & Censorship
• Internet Censorship in North and South Korea
• Investigative Reporting in Japan:  Covering the Aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Disaster
• How did the Japanese Media Cover the Hostages Taken by ISIS?
• The Invasion of the Japanese Porn Stars:  Why is Japanese Porn so Popular in China?

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, March 12 @ 11am EST.

Can't listen live? Our next webcast of the season will be posted by 2:00pm, Thursday, March 12 2015.

Subscribe Now!

CCTV as China's Propaganda Tool

 

President Xi Jinping deployed a new campaign against the corruption, western influences and political enemies of China. Among the corrupt was CCTV which is a 24 hour English news channel, of China Central Television, based in Beijing. One of the news programs entailed by the CCTV were fake confessions by businessmen before they were even sent to trail.

 

 

According to the nytimes:

"The state-run China Central Television has shown suspects in high-profile cases with potential political sensitivities confessing on air, in some cases before they have been charged with wrongdoing or formally arrested."

 

CCTV is known to heavily monitor people and their online discussions." The best way to convince people in a communist state is to kill the conversation said Fu Hualing, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong. “Society is just so divided. They monitor the Internet so closely that sometimes they feel they have to end the debate.”

 

 

With Xi-Jinping cracking down on CCTV it has more 10,000 employees of the network on edge. It's common knowledge in Beijing and many areas of China that CCTV will take bribes for positive coverage. Managers and executives are timid to make any big decisions since the crackdown began. Major projects have been frozen and they noted that stopping  reporters who take bribes is their first priority. According to official news reports who are tracking the investigation ,15 senior employees have gone missing since the crackdown. Among them  "Rui Chenggang, 37 was noticeably absent last month from the annual conference of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, where he had been a fixture for years."

 

Other executives and producers are afraid to drive their luxury cars in fear they will make themselves conspicuous. CCTV is known as face of the nation of china. Now that it's filthy, China wants to do what it can to clean it up. CCTV is estimated to broadcast an estimated of 700 million Chinese viewers. 

 

South Korean Secret Online Censorship

With everyone seeing South Korea as the better half compared to North Korea it is somewhat shocking to hear that they aren't innocent when it comes to internet censorship. OpenNet Initiative states,

"South Korea is one of the most connected countries and most penetrated broadband markets in the world: by 2010, more than 81 percent of citizens had access to the Internet, and more than 16 million people subscribed to broadband service."

According to the research firm Akamai in 2013 the U.S. had an internet speed just under 10 Mbps whereas South Koreas boasted the fastest average speed out of any other country with 22 Mbps.

Even though South Korea boasts about having the fastest internet in the world. In 2013, Freedom House ranked South Korea's internet as only "partly free". An article in The Economist states that,

"Every week portions of the Korean web are taken down by government censors. Last year about 23,000 Korean webpages were deleted, and another 63,000 blocked, at the request of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), a nominally independent (but mainly government-appointed) public body."

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, in South Korea even the censors are being censored. They are one of few global democracies that has enacted substantial controls on online communications. OpenNet Initiative states that,

"Despite the fact that South Korea has one of the most advanced information communication technology sectors in the world, online expression remains under the strict legal and technological control of the central government. The country is the global leader in Internet connectivity and speed, but its restrictions on what Internet users can access are substantial."

It is said that political elites feel threatened by the openness of the internet. In 2012, according to a NY Times article, "A government critic who called the president a curse word on his Twitter account found it blocked." It is clear that there is some worry on the part of the politicians in South Korea. Although the board says it's working to become more transparent, some people think the board is missing the bigger point about democratic rights.