Conflict Journalism

Even while Manipur is immersed in the controversy over the life attempt on a well known journalist by an underground organization, a not so similar media issue is raging in the West. Danish newspapers in September published a series of cartoons of Islam’s prophet, Mohammed, some of which are said to have lampooned him as a terrorist (we have still not seen them although they are reported to be on...

For most of us in the news business, our thoughts, best wishes, prayers and hopes are pulling for the recovery of ABC News co-anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt. The pair was seriously injured in Iraq Sunday when an armored vehicle in which they were riding ran over a homemade bomb. Woodruff reportedly suffered broken ribs, a broken shoulder and a skull fracture. So far, there has been no...

Nepal stands on the brink of "becoming an isolated pariah state" unless it urgently restores democratic rule, freedom of expression and respects the rights of journalists. ENGENDERED: Riot police officers detain a pro-democracy activist during a demonstration on the anniversary of King Gyanendra's absolute rule in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006. Nepal's king announced Wednesday he would...

The International Mission for Press Freedom and Free Expression in Nepal has condemned the persistent repression of the media and the increasing crackdown on freedom of expression since King Gyanendra seized absolute power on February 1, 2005. The members of the mission announced their collective intention for a follow-up mission to Nepal in March 2006. ARM STRUGGLE: Riot police officers detain a...

Men and women who fight in wars say that even the most intense battles begin to feel routine if they go on long enough. Humans have an amazing capacity to adapt to horror, from the crack of incoming bullets to the deaths of their friends. Deadening their sense of shock, in fact, is what helps them to survive. It's even easier for people who are untouched by war to become inured to the flow of bad...

Kathmandu, Feb 1 (PTI) Three dozen journalists were arrested in Nepal today as they held demonstrations to protest against the curbs imposed on media after King Gyanendra's assumption of absolute power a year ago. Two dozen scribes were arrested from New Road, a restricted area in Kathmandu, as they demonstrated, marking the first anniversay of the royal takeover as 'Black Day' to protest against...

Is the freedom the media enjoy in the world’s democracies being exploited by terrorist organizations? Some people say we should stop reporting on atrocities and the terrorists would be defeated by being starved of the oxygen of publicity. Others do not agree. They say freedom of speech is too important to be stifled, even in the interest of fighting against terrorism. LONDON, 30 January 2006 (RFE...

KATHMANDU, Jan 23 - The security men on Saturday night detained Khem Bhandari, editor of local daily 'Mahendranagar Post' and 'Abhiyan tabloid' from the Campus road in Mahendranagar. Bhandari was arrested before 9 p m, when the curfew begins in the area, while he was returning home. Security officials claimed that he was taken into custody for an argument with the patrol team. The security men are...

KATHMANDU: In an echo of media curbs imposed in February 2005 when King Gyanendra seized power, the royalist government was trying to censor the Indian media as Nepal was thrown into fresh turmoil, reports said. Last year, after the royal coup, Indian news channels Aaj Tak and Star News had been closed down. This week, after opposition parties called a mass protest meet in Kathmandu on Friday and...

Media personnel blamed that the proposed the Broadcasting Authority Act is the conspicuous evident of the panic stricken mentality on the part of government." They accused the government of attempting to curtail press freedom through the introduction of the act, while the controversial Media Ordinance promulgated some months back is still under consideration of the Supreme Court. Speaking at the...