Ethics and Freedom

Amnesty International has accused Internet giants Yahoo, Microsoft and Google of violating human rights principles by cooperating with China's efforts to censor the Web and called on them to lobby for the release of jailed dissidents. The London-based human rights group also called on the Internet companies to oppose in public Chinese government requests that violate human rights standards. ALL...

Twenty-eight months after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak promised to initiate legislations to decriminalise press offences comes a new law which does not do enough to protect journalists from prosecution for reporting stories critical of the government. The law, in fact, sharply increases fines for defamation. The National Assembly, controlled by Mubarak's National Democratic Party, passed the...

After a week of keeping critics on tenterhooks, the Indian government now seems determined to push through the draconian Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill 2006. Once made into an Act, it would be something that would even made Russian President Vladimir Putin blush. WHO'S TALKING? The Union minister for information and broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunshi attempted to lob the ball into the court...

New Delhi: The government on Saturday dismissed as “baseless” and “out of context” the attack on the draft Broadcast Bill and ruled out “dilution” of the provisions of the measure that has been severely criticised as “draconian” by the media. “I can say with responsibility that the bill will be a media friendly, progressive legislation not seen anywhere in the world,” Information and Broadcasting...

NEW DELHI: Information & broadcasting minister P R Dasmunsi indicated on Saturday that there will be no discussion with the media industry on the controversial broadcast Bill. He said, the Bill would neither be ‘‘diluted’’ nor ‘‘polluted’’ and would be brought to Parliament in the coming Monsoon session. The minister dismissed as ‘‘baseless’’ and ‘‘out of context’’ the attack on the draft...

NEW DELHI, JULY 14: The proposed Broadcast Bill for regulating the media industry may not be tabled in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament due to a consultative process initiated by the ministry of information and broadcasting. Speaking to FE, I&B minister Priyaranjan Das Munshi said the government was trying to involve all sections of the media before tabling the Bill. “We will try our...

LONDON -- An Italian magazine's decision to print a photo of a dying Princess Diana set off anger Friday in Britain, with tabloid newspapers leading the protests against the image and her sons expressing sadness. The black-and-white photo in Milan's Chi magazine showed the princess receiving oxygen in the wreckage of the car crash that killed her Aug. 31, 1997. The picture was excerpted from Lady...

Freedom is like virginity. You either have it or you don’t. There are no in-betweens. You can’t promise freedom with clauses and caveats. So, when the government says the Broadcast Bill it is bringing to Parliament is not meant to curb the freedom of the media, but only to ensure your and my freedoms, you can be sure there’s serious doubletalk. This is not a space the State is supposed to enter...

New Delhi, July 14: Despite strong protests by broadcasters, there was little likelihood of the information and broadcasting ministry consulting them on the shape of the controversial draft broadcast bill before its likely introduction in the monsoon session of Parliament. The proposed legislation that is understood to have provided for sweeping powers to authorities to control media evoked...

An Italian magazine editor today stood by his decision to publish a photograph taken of Diana, Princess of Wales as she lay dying. Umberto Brindani, the editor of Italian weekly magazine Chi, said the picture was not offensive, describing it as "touching" and "tender". But the British tabloid press reacted with outrage to the picture's publication. The Sun splashed on the story under the headline...