Stories about Media & Journalism from April, 2007
Uganda: 4th Ugandan Bloggers’ Happy Hour
Pernille blogs about the 4th Ugandan Bloggers’ Happy Hour: “It is an interesting phenomenon – this Ugandan Bloggers Happy Hour. In how many African capitols do people get together for a few hours on the last Thursday night every month for a beer and a chat? Just because they blog....
Egypt: From Fisk to Heykal
A week or two ago The Independent ran a portrait-interview of Muhammad Hassanein Heykal by Robert Fisk. It was a rather odd piece — an ode of admiration and self-admiration by two aging Middle East hacks who, while arguably important men, are highly divisive figures, writes Issandr El Amrani.
Oman: Why No FM Stations?
“If I'm not mistaken the law governing the licensing of private TV and radio stations came out in August 2004 and the license fee structure was agreed by committee overseeing the process in April 2005. Three FM stations and one satellite station were were approved in October 2005. Not one...
Bahrain: Multi-Cast a First!
Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif took part in a multi-cast, the first in the Middle East, in which an Egyptian judge accused of plagiarism was expected to make an appearance. “The next session, which I am part of, is supposed to make history in that it is going to be...
Japan: Media has its eyes wide shut
Ampontan posted a detailed and scathing attack on American media (notably CNN and AP) for their failure to catch the “story staring them in the face”: “In the past two days, Prime Minister Abe and the government of Japan just issued its Declaration of Independence from the legacy of World...
Arabeyes: On Selling a Palestinian Kidney and Changing the Israeli Flag
Do you want to know why a Palestinian wants to sell his kidney, or what had happened to the bicycle of a Lebanese blogger on September 10, 2001? What is more difficult: returning home after living abroad for five years or demanding that Israel changes its flag just as the Kurds want to change the Iraqi flag? And last but not least: why does Ala'a Abdulfattah - the Godfather of Egyptian bloggers - say he isn't and was never a blogger? To know more, read on.
Lebanon: Art, Water and Tensions
This week was marred by the kidnapping and killing of two Lebanese youth, bringing back memories from the dark years of the Lebanese civil war. This was the topic updated and analysed by most Lebanese bloggers. In addition to this sad event, there are blog posts featuring paintings, poetry and political analysis about the expected water crisis in the Middle East as well as the huge billboard with photos of the captured Israeli soldiers that was place on the southern Lebanese borders.
Serbia: Blogosphere Reacts to Protect Press Freedom
Two hand grenades were placed on a window sill of Serbian journalist Dejan Anastasijevic's apartment on Saturday, April 15. The explosions caused material damage but no injuries. There were numerous comments about who might have stood behind the attack. Bloggers started a petition requesting prompt reaction of the police for the sake of press freedom.
China: Prison Break
Joel Martinsen from DANWEI has translated a BBS post, Musings on the Chinese version of Prison Break, which addressed the question: how would a Chinese Prison Break be adapted so that it would pass the TV censors?
China: An Eye for an Eye
The dog abuse case in Nanjing has resulted in furious internet response and real life threat: “You burned that dog to death and therefore I want you ‘dead'!” ESWN translated a report by Wang Feng from Southern Metropolis Daily on the case.
Iran:247 journalists asked government to release Farahbakhsh
According to[Fa] Hanif Mazroi, 247 journlaists wrote an open letter to authorities and asked them to release Ali Farahbaksh,a journalist who was sentenced to 3 years jail.They added in the letter that his rights as a prisoner have not been respected during his detention.
Japan: Interview with Sankei Shimbun Editor about Comfort Women Issue
Trans Pacific Radio reports on an interview with Sankei Shimbun Editor Yoshihisa Komori, conducted in late-March for the PBS series Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria, on the “Comfort Women” issue. TPR notes that “three things struck me [about Komori]: He looks off camera quite a bit, he brings up every...
Kuwait: When Our Only Tourist Attraction is a Shopping Mall
With the summer temperatures soaring, life in Kuwait revolves around air-conditioned shopping malls, reports Abdullatif Al Omar. Follow the arrows to read bloggers' reactions to why else a foreign head of state is treated to a visit to a mall; friends meet in malls and a boat show is held there.
Colombia: Paramilitary Scandal, Crimes, and Media ‘Coincidences’
Colombian bloggers react to a special section in the El Tiempo newspaper devoted to gruesome accounts of human rights abuse at the hands of paramilitary forces. [ Warning: The article contains graphic descriptions of violence and human rights abuse ]
Japan: Has the age of the Internet arrived?
Japanese blogger hirochan comments on the recent elections in Japan [Ja] and gives his insights into the nature of the role of the Internet in political and election campaigns in Japan. He points out the fact that Japanese politicians are not maximizing the potential of the Internet as a tool,...
Venezuela: RCTV's Loss of License
RCTV (Radio Caracas Television), a private media station and critic of President Hugo Chavez will not have its license renewed by the government at the end of May. Oil Wars wonders what will replace RCTV, but thinks this is an opportunity to restructure how media is controlled. However, Caracas Chronicles...
Ukraine: Politics Roundup
Dan McMinn's roundup of recent Ukrainian political developments gets a life of its own, as usual, as the comments start coming in (31, so far).
South Korea and Japan: Illegal Selling of Game Code
James from Japan Probe quoted from South Korean local news about a suspected case of stealing of Game Code, “Lineage III”, from Korea’s largest game maker NCsoft to a major Japanese Game Company.
Cayman Islands, Jamaica: Interesting Cartoons
Writing from the Cayman Islands, Mad Bull posts three cartoons drawn by the Jamaica Gleaner’s Las May that he thought “were either funny, or interesting, or funny AND interesting, all at the same time.”
Somalia: Mogadishu Tech Massacre
Espresso Royale Commentaries discusses “Mogadishu tech massacre”: The Mogadishu massacre was bigger in number but lesser known to most people because it didn’t make to be a prime media piece. This massacre was even worse. It was Virginia Tech shooting multiplied by 100 and it is repeated daily and ongoing....
Afghanistan: Fourth Estate in the Balance
Safrang reports that Afghanistan's parliament is debating a bill that would further erode the diminishing freedom that Afghanistan's media enjoys.
