E.J. DE LARA WRITES – Imagine any phone conversation, text message or other form of communication people use daily. Now imagine a law that lets Big Brother monitor it all. Throughout June, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key pushed for a new bill that would essential do that — allowing…
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SOUTH KOREA: Complaining About the Boss Gets Newspaper Staff Locked Out
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Bad bosses have made life miserable for employees since the dawn of time, but Chang Jae-ku is one boss who won’t tolerate complaints. Since June 15, approximately 180 correspondents have been kept from returning to their jobs at Hankook Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper. Their boss,…
Asia Insight #5: Social Media and China
PHILIPPINES: Newspaper Publisher Fails to Uphold Press Freedom
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – This February, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) recognized the late Philippine Daily Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot Sr. and four others as “Press Freedom Heroes.” But try telling that to Inquirer cartoonist Pol Medina Jr., whose recent suspension, censorship and eventual resignation challenges…
SOUTH KOREA: Looking Past the Gossip
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Stories about celebrity love lives are often more speculation than fact. But in South Korea, this may be changing thanks to Dispatch, a web site that’s made its name telling the truth. Though just two years old, Dispatch has already gained a reputation for both breaking…
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LADY: WHY IS SHE NOT SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE ROHINGYA?
ELODIE INTROIA WRITES – In view of recent events, journalists and activists have come together to call on Aung San Suu Kyi to raise awareness and be the voice of what the United Nations has called the world’s most persecuted people – The Rohingya.
NORTH KOREA: One Click from the Internet
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES -Simple lack of Internet access is one of the biggest obstacles to solving some of North Korea’s myriad woes. The hermit state has a computer network of its own, but citizens can only access those sites the government has OK’d. Further, the nation’s computers are designed to…
PAKISTAN: List of Truth or Defamation?
JESSICA GADOMSKI WRITES – While some Pakistani journalists may be comfortable accepting money from the government, they are not accustomed to having their names made public- on the Supreme Court’s website no less! The Supreme Court’s recent decision to publish the names of journalists who allegedly received money from the…
PAKISTAN: 2013 Elections Tainted by Violence
LIZA HERNANDEZ WRITES- With the recent outbreak of violence over the 2013 elections in Pakistan, a rather grim mood has settled over the event. The targets of the recent attacks have all been candidates running for office in this year’s election. In Peshawar, 2 bombs exploded in attacks that…
MALAYSIA: Elections Up In Flames!
MARLENA NIP WRITES- The National party of Malaysia is up in flames! Tuesday night, it quite literally was up in flames. Two bottles containing gasoline were found in the headquarters of the Barisan Nasional (BN) party. It is predicted that persons from the opposition party were aiming to burn…
MYANMAR: Entering a Dangerous Period?
ALEXANDRE GUIRAUD WRITES- In this time of drastic change in Myanmar’s media structure, many companies are trying to help the development of the country by gaining a new market. One of the most recent people to do so was Google’s Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, who traveled to Myanmar to promote…
BANGLADESH: Collapsing Disaster in Booming Garment Industry
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – The worst disaster to hit Bangladesh’s garment industry happened on Wednesday, April 24th with a death toll of 344 and counting. The media regarding Bangladesh is dominated by this story and rightly so. With unapproved construction of parts of the garment factory and ignored warnings of…
LEBANON: Who Are They Punishing?
NICOLE SABA WRITES- Lebanon has once again proven its sound relationship with media censorship. “The Attack”, an award-winning movie directed by Lebanese director, Ziad Doueiri, was banned from airing in Lebanese cinemas. The Interior Minister of Lebanon, Marwan Charbel, claims that the reason for rejecting the movie is because…
MYANMAR: Blogging For Bloodshed
GABRIELLA CASTRO WRITES – The use of media propaganda to rally support is not a new phenomenon. However, using violent content to incite military backing is somewhat of a contemporary trend. Myanmar is a country that is still ripe with social conflict and unrest within its borders. Sites are…
Asia Insight #4: Singapore and American Journalism
DUBAI: In Praise of the Newspaper, in This Digital Age
TOM PLATE WROTE the following for a leading newspaper in United Arab Emirates — the Khaleej Times. It is one of the most influential daily newspapers of the Gulf States and Arabia. The following essay appeared in a special edition of that newspaper celebrating its 35th anniversary. “THIS IS AN…