2005-2014

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked Zee news scribe Vijay Shekhar to apologise once again for tricking an Ahmedabad court in 2004 into issuing an arrest warrants against former president APJ Abdul Kalam and former chief justice of India VN Khare, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) has reported. A bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan insisted that Shekhar apologise, while his counsel Arun Jaitley...

The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has created a new category in its 2008 World Young Reader Prize awards to encourage the use of newspapers to help people learn to read. The Newspapers & Literacy award will honour a project that helps improve basic reading and writing skills. Projects can target a wide variety of audiences, including parents, families, immigrant populations and young...

The World Association of Newspapers and World Editors Forum have called on China to immediately release three journalists who are being held in violation of Chinese laws against lengthy detentions without trial. The journalists — two reporters and a photographer — were arrested in June 2007 after reporting on a case of corruption in the Communist Party. Chinese authorities failed to release them...

CNN is entering YouTube territory with iReport.com, a new website built entirely on user-produced news. Unlike CNN's own properties—where only iReport submissions that have been handpicked by editors and checked for accuracy ever make it online or on air—the new site will be wide open, allowing users to post whatever content they choose, says a Reuters report. Some details: The new site looks and...

Bennett, Coleman and Co Ltd (BCCL) is entering the public relations business in partnership with Mumbai-based PR consultancy and advertising group, Adfactors PR Pvt Ltd, says a Mint report. The new entity, Tatva Public Relations Pvt Ltd, will be a 33-67 joint venture, with the Adfactors group holding the majority stake. Tatva will manage and build the public image of firms in which BCCL holds...

Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, publisher of Deccan Chronicle and majority owner of Asian Age Holdings, which publishes the Asian Age, and MJ Akbar, editor-in-chief of both dailies, are parting ways, Mint has reported quoting anonymous sources. There have been ongoing disagreements between Akbar and Deccan Chronicle over the terms of stake dilution in Asian Age Holdings. Deccan Chronicle increased...

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today condemned a Maltese news web portal for its decision to ban political coverage and commentary. “We are shocked that a major media outlet would ban political reporting right before the general elections,” said EFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “It is a craven act of self-censorship at a critical time when the public needs reliable political...

Ninety-five journalists and other media workers were killed worldwide because of their professional activities in 2007, with Iraq and other conflict zones accounting for more than two-thirds of the deaths, the World Association of Newspapers said Thursday. Forty-four journalists and other media workers were killed in Iraq last year. Somalia was the second deadliest place for journalists, with...

Leaders and representatives of journalists’ associations and trade unions across the Asia-Pacific region will work together more closely within the new International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia-Pacific, launched in Kuala Lumpur at the weekend. IFJ affiliates, gathered for a regional meeting on February 2-3, pledged to work together in a formal group to fight for the rights of journalists...

Doing a balancing act in Supreme Court after being called on to answer whether sting operations intruded on the privacy of individuals, the Centre has said it may set up a Broadcasting Regulatory Authority to take cognizance of programme code violations by TV channels. The affidavit of the information and broadcasting ministry came in response to a petition filed by 'Pilot Baba' who had accused TV...