Reporters Without Borders

Free press limited to precious few countries

A report to be released on May 1 in recognition of World Press Freedom Day shows that around the world reporters are killed and news agencies harassed with impunity. Even the United States came in for criticism for widespread arrests of journalists covering the Occupy protests. -db From a commentary for the First Amendment Center, April 27, 2012, by Gene Policinski. Full story  

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Twitter censorship plan provokes outrage

To cries of protest, Twitter announced last week that it will take a country’s laws and culture into account in conducting country-specific censorship. Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who is also the second largest shareholder in News Corp., recently invested $300 million in Twitter. -db From the Courthouse News Service, January 27, 2012, by Adam Klasfeld. Full story    

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U.S. press freedom plummeted in 2011

Press freedom took a hit in the United States in 2011 according to Reporters Without Borders who ranked contries according to their performance. The U.S. now shares 47th place in a tie with Romania and Argentina. Much of the drop may be based on the harassment, beating and arrest of journalists covering Occupy Wall Street protests. -db From the Courthouse News Service, January 26, 2012, by Adam Klasfeld. Full story  

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Bloggers advocating democratic reform suffer oppression

Despite the promise of the Arab Spring, bloggers world-wide are seen as threats to public order and  arrested and imprisoned for speaking out for democratic reform. Bloggers are in danger in many countries including Syria, Egypt, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. -db From a commentary by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, October 27, 2011, by Jillian C. York. Full story

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Mexican citizens held for ‘Twitter terrorism’

Two Mexican citizens were arrested in Veracruz for  reporting on Twitter something they heard,  that a drug gang had attacked a primary school and conducted a kidnapping. It turns out that the report was untrue and caused a panic and over twenty car accidents as parents rushed to get their kids out of class. The government blamed the two for causing the panic and charged them with terrorism that carries a sentence of two to

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