2005-2014

Conditions for Nigerian journalists are as trying as ever despite the military regime's fall in 1999, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has said. In the past 30 days RSF has registered three physical attacks on journalists, one arbitrary arrest, one case of intimidation, one unfair dismissal and one censorship order. END OF THE JUNTA: On May 29, 1999, military president Abdulsalam Abubakar, right

International press freedom and free expression groups have expressed concern over the systematic attacks, intimidation, harassment, sexual abuse in custody and arbitrary detention of journalists by security forces in Nepal. FIGHTING FOR PRESS FREEDOM: Executive Director of International Media Support Jesper Hojberg(far left) addressing journalists in Kathmandu March 25, 2006. "The refusal of the...

Press freedom organisations have hailed the Tokyo High Court's decision overturning the city federal court's action against a journalist on national TV and radio NHK for refusing to reveal his sources. The high court ruling on March 17, 2006 was similar to one taken by the Niigata federal court in October 2005, which upheld his right not to reveal the sources which allowed him to report on a case

There is a yawning gap in the level of press freedom experienced by Brazil's national media and the media in the provinces, which have been subjected to a lot of violence as well as harassment and abuse of power by local officials in so far this year. ATTENTION READER: Locals reading a newspaper at a kiosk in Brazil. "The governments of the states where journalists are most exposed should, as a

If the harassment of journalists in the run-up to the presidential election in Belarus was not enough, the regime has upstaged itself in its intensified crackdown against independent journalists with the arrest of many more, bringing to 22 the number rounded up since the start of the week, 19 of whom are still in prison. READY TO STORM: Supporters of Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich gather

The syndicate council composed of 12 members as well as members of various political parties have begun to defend journalists from the abuse they have received at the hands of official groups. Mahbub Ali announced his resignation that was refused by the government last week. The campaign against the journalist syndicate began via news sites connected with the military. The government rephrased the...

DOHA, Qatar - This spring, the TV channel reviled for showing U.S. prisoners of war, hostage videos and messages from Osama bin Laden will launch an English-language spin-off, finally allowing Americans and other Westerners to judge Al-Jazeera for themselves. To the Bush administration and other critics, Al-Jazeera is a dangerous platform for terrorists and an anti-American propaganda tool known...

Jammu: The Rajouri Police has arrested a local journalist and booked him under section 153 RPC for provoking the public. According to the sources, a person approached Shafiq Mir, reporter of Indian Express and chief editor of Kashmir Watch (Weekly) to publish some objectionable advertisement in his weekly. When Shafiq refused to publish the said advertisement the person approached another local...

Tough new privacy laws could be introduced here within the coming month. Michael McDowell intends to bring in new laws that would afford strong privacy protection to Irish public figures even when they appear in some public places. The Minister for Justice has drawn up privacy legislation following Cabinet resistance last May to introducing libel reform. The libel reforms, which are expected to be...

NEW YORK - Did a recent Associated Press story examining President George Bush's alleged tendency to use a "straw man" approach in his speeches cross the line from news to biased opinion? Or was it just a long-overdue, in-depth review of the president's public speaking approach? The viewpoint, as often happens in Washington, depends on whose blog you are reading, and what you consider opinion and...