KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – A top editor at Bangladesh’s Amar Desh newspaper has been arrested and at least one human rights group says he’s being tortured in police custody. The international Committee to Protect Journalists, meanwhile, has called on the government to stop its official harassment of the Dhaka daily.…
Author: Asia Media Staff
PAKISTAN: Social Media Becomes Cricket
JESSICA GADOMSKI WRITES – Candidates running in next month’s election are obviously vying for votes. But some candidates, like Imran Khan, are bringing the competition into the 21st century. Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party recognized early on that social media could influence the election. PTI began reaching out…
KUWAIT: A Turn for the Worst?
NICOLE SABA WRITES – A new media law has been drafted in Kuwait, severely restricting both freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This law will let the government regulate both traditional and social media, including, but not limited to: blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and any other online forums. Though…
PHILIPPINES: Web Tyranny in the Social Networking Capital of the World
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – The Philippines, nicknamed the “Social Networking Capital of the World,” must watch out. Not only for stealth advertising, but for violating the supposed-to-be suspended Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Facebook dominates Filipino Internet as the country’s most visited website, even more popular than Google. Further, the…
PAKISTAN: Musharraf Admission Drones On
LIZA HERNANDEZ WRITES – During a recent CNN interview, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf admitted that his government made a secret deal with the United States that allowed drone strikes to occur in Pakistan. In the interview, the former president stated that permission was given to execute drone strikes “…only…
MYANMAR: Friend or Foe?
ALEXANDRE GUIRAUD-COINTREAU WRITES – In Myanmar, laws are changing, media companies are moving back to the country, and daily private newspapers are being published. But there is still a long way to go before this country can achieve a truly Western style press. Publishers are faced with new issues every…
MALAYSIA: Time to Say Good-bye?
MARLENA NIP WRITES – The Malaysian elections are fast approaching and judging from current public opinion polls, it looks like Malaysian citizens are shoving the national party out the door. This could be a historical election if the opposition party is able to take the reigns on Malaysian politics. The…
CHINA: Heritage of Destruction
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Many Chinese Buddhists are up in arms over the planned destruction of buildings in a well-known ancient temple in the city of Xi’an. Last month, these Buddhists urged an investigation into the matter and various media sources reported that several buildings in Xingjiao Temple were to…
VIETNAM: Going to the Birds?
YVONNE EPPS WRITES – Vietnam is counting its chickens. In response to 11 deaths in China from a new strain of bird flu, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is gearing up to fight the disease, even though there are no reported in-country infections yet. As reported by Vietnam News and Voice…
TAIWAN: China Sings its Way into Taiwanese Media
BRIAN CANAVE WRITES – Recently a Chinese singing competition, “I Am a Singer”, captivated social, television, and news media attention in Taiwan. “I Am a Singer” features seven Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong singers — former stars, whose stars had faded — who vie for another chance to make it…
PAKISTAN: Keep Hackers At Bay But Data Displayed
JESSICA GADOMSKI WRITES – Coming elections have Pakistanis wired. With polls set for May 11, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s website has been under heavy scrutiny, by both voters looking for info, and hackers looking to make a point. And according to some accounts, the latter have succeeded in taking…
NEW ZEALAND: All In For The Media
E.J. DE LARA WRITES – After more than two years of study, a New Zealand commission says a single body should handle Kiwi media complaints, whether they target broadcast, print or online entities. Under the recommendation, three current media bodies would be replaced by a single “News Media Standards Authority”…
CHINA: Dollars Make China Holler
LANI LUO WRITES – With China’s booming economy and increasing standard of living, cell phone use has grown exponentially. Folks across the country are using stylish smart phones and all their fantastic features. One of which is the WeChat application offered by Tencent, a social media outfit that until now…
PHILIPPINES: Suddenly Things Are Looking Up — Almost
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – Despite solid macroeconomics, further economic development in the Philippines needs to be more inclusive in order to be sustained. The Philippines future is bright with its recent favorable position to sustain growth in an “exceptionally grim international landscape” and predicted Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate.…
TAIWAN: Focus on the Visuals
BRIAN CANAVE WRITES – Can a slick design help deliver news to readers? One news source is betting on it. Focus Taiwan, an English news service of Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA), launched a new layout Monday hoping to wow readers with stunning images rather than text alone. The front page…
MYANMAR: A Historical Milestone
ALEXANDRE GUIRAUD WRITES – After a half century of a media system controlled by an authoritarian government, Myanmar is finally seeing a shift toward its better angels. No longer will the media face such stringent censorship or fear government repercussions up to an including death. But as private daily newspapers…