2005-2014

22 March 2007

US, UK flay deal over Italian journalist's release

The United States, Britain, and the Netherlands have all assailed the deal made with the Taliban by Italy and Afghanistan to secure the release of Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, according to news agencies. Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo speaks during a news conference at the "La Repubblica" editorial headquarters in Rome March 21, 2007. The United States and Britain criticised...

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22 March 2007

Sri Lanka frees female journalist after four months without charge

A Tamil journalist held without charge in Sri Lanka for four months was released Thursday. Munusami Parameshwaree, an ethnic Tamil journalist working for Sinhala newspaper Mawbima was arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Division of Sri Lanka police on November 21 last year on allegations of having links with Tamil terrorists. Tamil journalist Mounasamy Parameswaree, centre, is greeted by a...

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22 March 2007

US news "biased against pharma," says study

US news network reports of pharmaceutical-related stories routinely fail to name or credit the companies which produce the medicines involved, and take the availability and accessibility of prescription drugs for granted, according to a survey conducted by the Business and Media Institute (BMI), a free-market advocacy group. The reporting also tends to be biased towards controversy and...

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22 March 2007

NZ newspaper company says it will outsource some key editorial production

A New Zealand newspaper publisher announced Thursday it plans to outsource much of its editorial production to another company — a move that brought a pledge from unions to fight the proposal. APN New Zealand, half-owned by Irish businessman Tony O’Reilly’s Dublin-based Independent Newspapers Ltd., told staff up to 70 editorial staff jobs would be lost if it sources some editorial production from...

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22 March 2007

Slain Russian reporter chastises Russia in diaries

Slain journalist Anna Politkovskaya's diaries, published in English this week, paint a damning picture of a Russia where democracy is stifled, fascism is on the rise and ethnic minorities are brutally repressed. For her, one man is to blame -- President Vladimir Putin. Her hard-hitting account of Russian news and politics over two years, including the parliamentary elections in 2003 and the Beslan...

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22 March 2007

NE Newspaper Society formed

GUWAHATI, March 21 – North East Newspaper Society, an organization of the owners of the newspapers of the North East region has been formed today to promote and protect the interests of the newspaper industry in the region. An executive committee of the Society has also been formed with Kanaksen Deka of Agradoot as president, PG Baruah of The Assam Tribune group as vice president and GL Agarwala...

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22 March 2007

Free speech wins in France; weekly cleared in Mohammad cartoon row

A French court Thursday cleared satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in a case brought by Muslims who were angered by its publication of caricatures of the prophet Mohammed. The court’s decision is being seen as a major victory for free speech in France. Philippe Val, chief editor of the French satirical weekly "Charlie Hebdo", speaks with the media in Paris March 22, 2007. A French court ruled in...

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22 March 2007

Urdu daily editor attacked in Hyderabad, inquiry ordered

Hyderabad, March 21 (IANS) The editor of a prominent Urdu daily in Hyderabad was attacked late in the night when he was returning home, prompting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to order an inquiry. Zahid Ali Khan, editor of Siasat, was attacked Tuesday night at Mehdipatnam here while he was returning home. Some unidentified people intercepted his car and threw filth on him...

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21 March 2007

India's printing presses roll on newspaper boom

India's printing presses have never been busier. Industry analysts estimate total daily newspaper circulation has hit 80 million copies, divided among almost 2,000 different papers. The country's newspaper registrar lists more than 62,000 publications, including weeklies, monthlies and corporate newspapers. Subir Ghosh, editor of the web site Newswatch India, says the market has tremendous room...

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21 March 2007

Time Gambles on New Print-Web Focus

Traditionalists devoted to the old Henry Luce idea of a newsweekly may be viewing Time magazine's recent makeover with discomfort, but Madison Avenue is down with the program. Media buyers praised this week's radical new look for playing up individual voices in the magazine -- brand names which, in turn, are supposed to direct younger readers to the Web. "The success for magazines and even...

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