Archive for November, 2009
Monday, November 30th, 2009
INDEX ON CENSORSHIP 10th ANNUAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARDS
Index on Censorship today opens nominations for its 10th freedom of expression awards. You can make nominations across three categories—Journalism, New Media and Law and Campaigning, to honour individuals who are leading the fight against censorship in all corners of the world.
JOURNALISM AWARD: Recognising investigative journalism of dogged determination across a range of media including print, online, radio and television, taking into consideration impact, originality and revelation.
NEW MEDIA AWARD: Recognising innovation and original use of new technology to circumvent censorship, fostering debate, argument or dissent.
LAW AND CAMPAIGN AWARD: Recognising lawyers or campaigners who have fought repression, or have struggled to challenge political climates and perceptions. Special attention is given to people using or establishing legal precedents to fight injustice.
Last year’s winners were:
Journalism Sunday Leader Sri Lanka, (editor Lasantha Wickrematunga)
New Media Psiphon University of Toronto
Law and Campaigning Malik Imtiaz Malaysia.
“Index on Censorship is UK’s principle organisation devoted to the protection of freedom of expression wherever and whenever it is threatened. As we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st century, sadly this task becomes ever more urgent.” Jonathan Dimbleby—Chair Index on Censorship
Please fill in the nominations form and return by December 18th.
The award winners will be announced in March 2010
Monday, November 30th, 2009
The British government must be honest about its policies towards prisoners in the war on terror, says Louise Christian
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Monday, November 30th, 2009
Ben Bland is the latest journalist to be barred from working in Singapore. Here, he explains the city state’s stranglehold on free expression
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Friday, November 27th, 2009
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Friday, November 27th, 2009
The Copenhagen Summit will debate one of the most important public issues of the past thirty years. Many scientists and advocates predict climate change will kill potentially hundreds of millions of people worldwide over the coming decades. This begs the question: is there a special responsibility for the media to exercise restraint in reporting climate change? Or are we witnessing the rise of an unchallengeable orthodoxy?
3 Dec, 6.30 – 8pm, Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA
RSVP to: bookings
freewordonline
com
or call Free Word on +44 (0) 20 7324 2570
On our panel debating “Saying the unsayable: is climate scepticism the new Holocaust denial?”:
George Monbiot
George Monbiot is one of the UK’s leading environmental campaigners and the author of the bestselling books The Age of Consent, A Manifesto for a New World Order and Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain, as well as the investigative travel books Poisoned Arrows, Amazon Watershed and No Man’s Land. He writes a weekly column for The Guardian. His website is: www.monbiot.com
James Delingpole
James Delingpole is a libertarian conservative journalist, broadcaster and author of Welcome To Obamaland, I’ve Seen Your Future And It Doesn’t Work, How To Be Right, and the Coward series of WWII adventure novels. His website is: www.jamesdelingpole.com/
Further reading
James Delingpole, “Climategate reminds us of the liberal-left’s visceral loathing of open debate”, Daily Telegraph, 24 Nov 2009
Read here
George Monbiot, “The threat is from those who accept climate change, not those who deny it”, The Guardian, 21 Sep 2006.
Read here
Thursday, November 26th, 2009
Kazakhstan’s parliament passed a new privacy bill on 19 November which threatens the ability of journalists to carry out investigative work. The bill forbids the publication of information relating to private lives, including those of public persons. It also gives the authorities the power to shut down publications and imprison journalists who violate standards of privacy. The bill now only needs President Nazarbayev’s approval to be adopted as law. It is thought that the new bill may be in reaction to the publication of a series of wire-tapped conversations between Nazarbayev and his aides in 2007.
Read more
here
Thursday, November 26th, 2009
Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan have been released after being held captive by militants for 15 months. Reports state that the pair were freed after a ransom of $1m was paid. The two journalists were held in solitary confinement after being kidnapped on 23 August 2008 and were subject to beatings and torture.
Read more
here
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
A bill has been passed in the Maldives parliament that abolishes five articles from the Penal Code that provided for criminal defamation.
Read more
here
