News

The present crisis for the BBC is far worse that at the time of the Hutton Report. Then it was widely believed that the report came down too harshly on the BBC for a minor editorial indiscretion – a live broadcast loosely phrased – in response to complaints made by the government's press officer, revealed in his recent diaries to be an explosively unstable and erratic personality. The BBC, which...

Has the debate about trust in the British media ever had so much resonance? Last week's revelations about deceptions in broadcasting only contributed to a debate that has been simmering for some time, and which encompasses all media – including new media as well as television and print. Yet, in terms of the press, there are some reasons to be positive about what can be done to maintain and enhance...

The National Foundation for India (NFI) has announced ten fellowships to facilitate a more informed development policy dialogue and to encourage publication of well researched articles on development issues. Eight are under the print media category and two under the photojournalist category. The fellowships amount to Rs 1 lakh each. Themes: A wide range of issues of importance to ordinary Indians...

Armenian Parliament has decided against adopting two draft laws that would have banned future broadcasts of foreign media, specifically Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). This step, welcomed by free speech organisations, is said to be a step towards safeguarding media freedom in a democratic setup. A demonstration in Yerevan on July 2. After the voting, an RFE/RL report quoted Victor...

RSF condemns the 20 July 2007 seizure order by Judge Juan del Olmo of an issue of the satirical weekly magazine "El Jueves". The issue carries a cartoon on the cover of Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia having sex. The judge said the cartoon may have violated Article 490.3 of the Criminal Code, which punishes "insults" to the royal family by up to two years imprisonment, and also Article...

As a science journalist I know of several important science stories that will soon make headlines but I can't tell you about them. Just like thousands of science journalists all over the world I have agreed to put aside my instincts to get the story out as soon as possible, preferably before anyone else, and sit on them, sometimes for over a week. This is because many, though not all, journals...

THE BBC has suffered another credibility blow after admitting that it made up a Newsnight survey suggesting that most of Britain and Scotland's leading businesses were not in favour of independence. Presenter Jeremy Paxman had told SNP leader Alex Salmond that 'not one' of 50 firms, made up of 25 in Britain and 25 north of the border, supported the party's independence policy on a TV special shown...

(MISA/IFEX) - On 17 July 2007, security personnel at the Livingstone International Airport attempted to stop Edward Mulenga, a bureau chief of the "Times of Zambia" newspaper, and other journalists from taking pictures. They also threatened to confiscate Mulenga's camera. Mulenga and the other journalists were trying to photograph an airplane with Djibouti's President Ismail Guelleh on board...

(IFJ/IFEX) - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the government of Guinea-Bissau to help end the intimidation of journalists covering the trafficking of drugs in the country and to ensure appropriate compensation is paid to the journalists who were victims of a road accident in 2005, following a recent court ruling. "We are very worried for the security of our...

British news websites should display a kitemark to indicate they adhere to Press Complaints Commission (PCC) guidelines, the head of journalism's self-regulatory agency has said. PCC director Tim Toulmin said that the current debate over trust in broadcasting, sparked by the premium phone-in scandal, necessitated a multimedia standard to restore faith. "It will not be enough to subscribe to a...