Global Media News

Romanian Journalists under Pressure for Speaking out Against Government

 

Many nations around the world have been known to secure their image in a positive light so other countries won't speculate how they run their government. Places like Serbia, Russia and Turkey are some of the few that have been known to punish journalists who speak out against the government. This week Romania has made headlines as members of one of their notorious newspapers, Romania Libera has been under heat while many others have been involved with legal crimes for speaking out on régime affairs.

“There’s been a series of high- profile arrest and hasty prosecutions of the country’s largest media owners… there are very few independent media owners who have not been dragged before court” as mentioned in Forbes.  

As Romania Libera await hearing, rumors of bankruptcy are suspected to shut down the newspaper for good for the debt owed to insurance company Astra. However, they stand by what their principles as Forbes quoted editor-in-chief Sabin Orcan, “We are a thorn in the side of the Romanian state because we relentlessly expose graft, despotism and incompetence across the political spectrum.”  

In an article on Euraia Review written by Sabin Orcan he describes that “observers described the process initiated by the government to intervene and take over Astra as a politically motivated campaign aimed at jailing businessman Dan Adamescu and silencing Romania Libera.” Nevertheless, he believes some voices will never be silenced.

Ocran explains that due to newspapers like the Romania Libera, unjust leaders like former Prime Minister Victor Ponta have been exposed for being involved in affairs like “suspicious emergency decrees and has called into question the Government’s commitment to respect the rule of law.”

“Romania is and always has been a complicated political environment where public and private agenda are difficult to discern” says Simon Wolfe of Forbes magazine. “Given what we have seen happen in Russia, Hungary and numerous other countries in the region, this is a pattern that should not be ignored.”

 

 

How big of a role does Social Media play in Columbia and it's politics?

    According to Country Meters.com as of 2015 Colombia has a staggering population of 49,547,871 and of that population over 22 million have access to the internet and Facebook. Internet usage has increased over the past several years. A survey done by Internet World Stats showed that in 2011 about 53.4% but over time internet usage have increased by 9.5 % by 2013.  Social Media plays a major role in the Colombian government and what it does. 

    Colombia's Press status is partly free but that doesn't mean that the government is constantly watching what it citizens are posting. Even heads of states are under a watchful eye when it comes to social media. In recent news Colombia's former President Alvaro Uribe  was under media scrutiny after he embarrassingly retweeted a pornographic picture of a nude young woman standing in front of a man. The mishap took place on March 20th when Uribe, the now-senator retweeted a link to a video from an account called @ChicasLindasVip. The tweet was immediately deleted and the conservative Uribe continued tweeting on political matters. 

    The picture was reported to be malware that seemed to get into the Senator's tweet but the issue was resolved quickly and didn't damage his reputation. Malware applications can send messages automatically from infected computers or mobile devices. Social media is an important factor and it sometimes can make or break a person's political career. 

Major controversy on Costa Rica's Media Refrom Bill

    Costa Rica has been known for having a fairly free press status with radio being the most popular outlet. According to Freedom House, Costa Rica is ranked 19 out of 100 for their freedom score. In 2010  the Supreme Court eliminated the 1902 printing press law that imposed prison sentences for defamation. Since then the president of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis has been insisting that the Minster of Science, Technology & Telecommuications should modernize the country's media regulations which have been in place for 50 years. On Tuesday April 7, 2015 both the Preisdent of the MICITT (Gisella Kopper) and Vice-President (Allan Ruiz) had to face the press over the controversy of the draft bill, that was sent to congress.

    The bill was intended to regulate the press in Costa Rica, it outlines possible fines up$226,700 and the cancellation of license for those media outlets that have spread information that goes against "good manners or "threatens the honor or integrity" of those mentioned. In Article 68 of the bill it also states media firms that transmit "false or alarming news without foundation" will be punished.

    Some people of Costa Rica aren't happy with the bill, even some Civil Society Groups are referring to it as "gag law". They feel the government is trying to control their freedom of expression and control what content  media outlets could put out. One person to speak out was Claudio Paolillo, president of the Committee on Freedom of the Press for the Inter American Press Association. According to the Panama Post, he commented on the document saying ...

"Who has the formula for measuring the values and the kind of information the general population ought to receive? They’re seeking to measure and quantify the freedom of the press. The government’s intention is to be the arbiter of content, and this is very dangerous for the historic defense of freedom of expression that has characterized Costa Rica"

    Vice Minister Allan Ruiz of the MICITT says that they are not trying to restrict freedom. In the final version, the bill won't mention restricting content in any way. He just wants to make sure the media outlets won't make inefficient use of the radio spectrum.

   The MICITT seems to have good intentions, but havent spent the time putting together the bill. They need to make sure the law is worded in a way to allow people to voice their opinion freely on the radio and television. Not having to worry about being fined for speaking how they feel whether it's in "good manner" or not.

 

Media Censorship In Dubai

Media Organizations in Dubai are subject to strict content control by the government.

In Dubai the news is incredibly analyzed before the papers hit the news stand. Editrs scans news articles for any vulgar material. Most of the foreign newspapers are viewed as racy and have to be edited. Anything that doesn't meet Dubai's media standards is marked out with a dark line. Magazines, newspapers, books, you name it, has to be regulated before clearance. Although the telecommunications law guarantees freedom of speech, political media cogent is monitored daily. 

The governed are not getting full use of their rights to Freedom of Speech. The 1996 telecommunications law that guarantees Freedom of Speech is overshadowed by the serious regulation of political media. Journalists rely on self- censorship in order to avoid sanctions. The journalists who sensor their work tend to avoid criticizing political leaders, ruling leaders, religion, morals, or government policy. 

The city of Abu Dubai is home to 2,369,153 people. The hot weather and seven star hotels drives traffic to vacationers. The city is a big tourist attraction and is set up to stay that way. The media is censored in order to mold the idea of the city. Its goal is to attract celebrities and investors.  The press are supported by government funding. Neighboring countries such as India censor any reading materials such as magazines, books, or news papers. If the reading materials don't meet the consent of the countries media regulation agency, ( the National Media Council) whole articles can be removed.

A wealthy Indian news editor, Prem Singh says, "Nude pictures and anything [written] against these countries, especially Dubai. Anything against Islam." Prem would mark over any breasts that are too exposed in news papers or magazine before they are sent to UAE. As reported by Press Reference,  Most of the radio (13 AM, seven FM, and two short-wave) and television (15 total) stations available outside the free-zone are owned by the government with a few notable exceptions. These stations broadcast to around 820,000 radios and 310,000 televisions in the country. 

References:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18292869

BBC News Country Profiles. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/ .

Read more: http://www.pressreference.com/Sw-Ur/United-Arab-Emirates.html#ixzz3aGlcWl7k

Turkey Temporarily Bans Media Coverage

   

This past week has seen a graphic hostage situation in Istanbul. A prosecutor named Mehmet Selim Kiraz had been investigating the death of a boy who had been injured by police during a protest in 2013. When a group known as the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front took Kiraz hostage, Turkey banned media coverage on the crisis. The situation ended when both the gunmen and the prosecutor were killed.

    Whereas the turnout was very tragic, one must think why the media coverage had been halted. The prime ministry of Turkey says that a ban can be introduced "under circumstances that national security clearly requires or poses possible threats against the public order." It seems that this ban was a tactical decision put in place to try and dissolve the situation and end it as peacefully as possible. In the event the hostage-takers were able to see how authorities were handling the situation, perhaps they'd have been given an advantage. Unfortunately this ban did not help the situation.

    This is not the first time Turkey has imposed a media ban. The country has a notorious history of banning media coverage of certain events. In the past four years, matters of security and politics have both been banned from media coverage. As a matter of fact, there have been over 150 media stiflings in the past four years. In the case of the hostage situation, this seems reasonable. From the looks of things, Turkey has some more media bannings up its sleeve for the future. It begs to question how are they discriminating between these bannings, if they are at all?

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.

Hackers weaken Great Firewall of China

 "According to abcnews.com, an army of self described hacktivists are engaged in a kind of technological arms race, inventing software and using other tactics to allow ordinary Chinese to beat the "Great Firewall of China" and access information on sensitive subjects such as Chinese human rights and Tibet, the province where pro-independence sentiment has boiled over in recent months."

    China is infamous for is strict and private media and how censored the internet is in China. According to wikipedia.com, China has been censored since the 1980's. China and many other Asian countries are known to be private and they feel if their internet and press is open many other countries they might by nosy and spy on China. 

    In the article China has the world's "most sophisticated" Internet filtering system, according to the OpenNet Initiative, an academic cooperative that tracks censorship issues. Also China is not as strict as Russia or North Korea in that it allows its citizens to use the internet but it regulates what they can or cannot view. 

    Also the punishment for breaking censorship rules can be fines or jail time depending on the crime. The most basic tool at the Chinese government's disposal — and, perhaps, the one most easily circumvented by dissidents — is to ban access within China to websites

Islamic State Attacks and Kills 17 People in France; France Not Afraid

 People gather in Paris in solidarity with the victims of a terror attack against a satirical newspaper Jan. 7.(Photo: Thibault Camus, AP)

    Islamic State terror attacks raged upon the capital of France and its surrounding areas during a three day terrorist attack; the worst attack France has faced in decades.  The first attack was made on Wednesday, January 7th, on the French satire magazine called Charlie Hebdo.  Twelve people were attacked and killed by two masked gunmen caring riffles.  According to BBC News,

"The men opened fire and killed the editor's police bodyguard, Franck Brinsolaro, before asking for editor Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb, and other four cartoonists by name and killing them, along with three other editorial staff and a guest attending the meeting. 

Witnesses said they had heard the gunmen shouting "We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad" and "God is Great" in Arabic while calling out the names of the journalists."

     Out of the twelve victims, eight were journalist for the Charlie Hebdo magazine.  This attack was made as an act against France's freedom of press, freedom of expression and creativity.  France did not take this sitting down.  As the new broke out on the attacks, thousands of people in France and surrounding areas gathered together for a vigil after the gunmen left the Charlie Hebdo magazine.  Many peplumed signs saying "I am Charlie" showing that it could have been anyone stating their freedom of speech, and uniting to show that France will not back down.  USA Today captured the voice of France from Ilan Scialom,  

"They wanted to put France down on its knees, but we will show them solidarity and unity," Ilan Scialom, 30, vice president of COEXISTER, an interfaith group in Paris that promotes tolerance, said at the Paris rally. Thousands turned out for similar vigils in Lyon and elsewhere across Europe. Some held signs saying, "Not afraid."  

    Following the magazine attack, the next two days weren't any easier.  According to CNN,

"That picture looks much more complex one week later. Two more attacks -- against a police officer and another that included hostages at a kosher supermarket -- brought the final death toll to 17, plus three suspects killed."

    France and it's surrounding areas, as well as all around the world, unite together in solidarity letting any terrorist group know that they will not be brought down by threats and barbaric acts.  France will not give up their freedom of expression.  They stand strong against their enemies with an over-welling outpour of support from around the world.

    A post by The Guardian sheds light on France after the Charlie Hebdo attacks.  Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, says the French security services have been able to prevent five other schemed terrorist attacks on France.  Valls urges people to reach out to the call centre to alert the authority "in cases of radicalization".  France is taking threats seriously, as they should.

Ugandan Magazine Advocates Gay Lifestyle

A Ugandan Magazine was recently published to support gays and help tell their story. The publisher, Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera is openly gay and hopes to raise awareness about gay experiences. Tabloids make it difficult to supports homosexuality because they expose LGBT people in a country where homosexuality is illegal. "Politicians have stoked anti-gay sentiment by proposing laws that appeal to conservative Christians – the latest of which seeks to criminalise the “promotion” of homosexuality". (Agence France-Presse)

Along with many of her followers, Kasha has experienced violence and hate. She decided to create the magazine entitled Bombastic after she received hundreds of Facebook messages about harassment of LGBT people. Kasha developed the idea of producing the magazine concerning the lack of media support in Uganda, towards gays. She wanted to give people the LGBT people a platform in a country that shames them. Many people that have spoke out about gay rights have been threatened and attacked. The media is a major factor to the violence and harassment against gays. Magazines, television broadcasts , and newspapers exploit the LGBT community by plastering their photos on publications. Her dear friend, David Kato had been eaten to death with a hammer, in broad daylight after his name was published by a tabloid. “They would target me a lot, they would cook up stories – how I’m getting married … I’m training people to become lesbians,” Nabagesera said.

The people of  Uganda ad many other African countries are afraid to speak out because they fear or their jobs, homes, families and life. She wanted to be the voice for those afraid to weak out. After printing 15,000 copies of Bombastic Kasha sent them everywhere. “We took lots of copies to parliament, government offices, everywhere,” she said. Kasha further sought to promote Bombastic using a website, driving major traffic. 

One hundred thirty-eight volunteers including mainstream media help distribute the magazine. Awareness was being raised about the trouble Ugandan media causes for the LGBT community, although some burnt and dismissed them. Kasha was told "“the president’s wife refused even to open it”. “It is our wish, our hope, that if people read just one story it changes their attitude,” she said. Kasha's goal is to gain more support for gay rights.

Reference:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/09/uganda-gay-magazine-homophobia

http://www.dougcooperspencer.com/black-lgbtq-people-in-history.html

Revolutionary Rap in North Africa

    

    Ever since its inception in New York, Hip Hop/Rap has become a voice for the voiceless, speaking out against social injustices. Urban youth were let down by America and created an art form with which to strike back and claim an empowerment that would help their voice span the globe.

    This is the case in North Africa as many rappers have emerged as a result of corrupt politics, conflict, and revolution. Though their lyrics are not in English, their message is clear: "We want change." Revolution has occurred in places like  Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Libya, but some artists feel there has not been any change. They've used their lyrics encouraging people to become more politically conscious as well as call out corrupt government officials and institutions. Rap has now become the unofficial soundtrack for revolution.

    Among these rappers is "El Général" who in 2010 released a song called "Rais Le Bled" which translates to "Head of State" in English. The song spoke out against former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. El Général was arrested in 2011 for this track, and released after three days of interrogation. Social media helped his cause as it does many rappers of the region. The track was released on YouTube and was able to circumnavigate the world. This is the case with the majority of North African rappers who don't need to professionally record and produce their music, lest they be censored by the powers that control media distribution. Using Hip Hop and the internet in tandem have made it an unstoppable force, helping these artists to gain international fame. With that fame, comes their message and themes of political consciousness. These rappers have actually been able to develop an American fan base, and visit New York to perform in the home of Hip Hop.

    In some ways, American Hip Hop has devolved from political activism to promoting consumerism, lavish lifestyles, violence, drug use and sexual promiscuity. It's because of this modern mainstream music that Hip Hop is  berated for having an adverse effect on those who listen to it, primarily modern youth; Parents groups will say Hip Hop has no place as an art form, or even as music. They'll say that it influences listeners to act out the lyrics they hear in songs and take after the rappers that sing them. Hopefully in this case, Hip Hop's detractors are correct. If music can influence listeners that much, then perhaps revolutionary lyrics can shake modern day youth out of apathy and into a role of self-empowerment and self-advocacy; to fight for the future they will one day be responsible for.