26 May 2010 | Index Index, minipost
The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) is to authorize the publication of two newspapers independent of state control in Harare. The privately produced Daily News and Newsday, also publishers of the weekly Zimbabwe Independent and Standard newspapers, have both had their applications to publish accepted by the ZMC secretariat following their closure as a result of legislation censoring the media in 2003. Journalists from a series of media houses and newspapers previously banned by Robert Mugabe’s government have re-applied for their previous jobs whilst many organizations have applied for magazine and periodical publishing licenses since 4 May. The Zimbabwean government has yet to announce changes to restrictions on the granting of broadcast licenses.
26 May 2010 | Index Index, minipost
A journalist working for a newspaper owned by the Islamist opposition politician, Hassan al-Turabi, has been charged with terrorism, espionage and destabilizing the constitutional system following his arrest on 15 May.
Al-Turabi and a further three journalists have yet to be charged with any specific crime by the authorities.
26 May 2010 | Uncategorized
Is a ban on a tattoo parlour opening in California’s Hermosa Beach a form of censorship? Johnny Anderson, who runs “Yer Cheat’n Heart” in Gardena, thinks so. He’s gone to court in Los Angeles claiming that a local zoning law that prevents him from free expression via the medium of his customers’ bodies, and so is contrary to the First Amendment.
Legal discussion of whether tattoos are protected speech and whether the zoning law is illegal is likely to drag on. Hermosa Beach seems to have an effective indirect ban on tattoo-making — at least in a shop. But from across the water this doesn’t look like a serious infringement of free expression for the individual concerned. Tattoos for many people — makers and wearers alike – can be a powerful statement of belief. I’m always amazed when I see someone ready to announce “ACAB” across their knuckles (“All Coppers Are Bastards”), for example. It would be interesting too, to know, whether UK libel laws would treat tattooing as a form of publication — what would have happened if Simon Singh had tattooed his thoughts about chiropractors across his forehead, for example?
But in the US example, Anderson can easily tattoo from his shop in Gardena. And the publicity surrounding this case will probably guarantee him a steady flow of human canvases. He’s not being censored since his works still gets to be seen. Presumably the people he’s tattooed are free to remove their shirts and display his work in Hermosa Beach. He’s just limited in where he locates his studio. And that isn’t quite the same thing as censorship, as any artist who has been censored would be able to explain to him. Surely the important issue should be whether or not the individual gets to express him or herself, not the precise geographical location of where the creative act takes place.
25 May 2010 | Uncategorized
In today’s Queen’s Speech, the monarch mentioned that “Legislation will be brought forward to restore freedoms and civil liberties through the abolition of identity cards and repeal of unnecessary laws.”
This legislation will largely consist of the Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill, which, among other things, promises as a main element of its remit “the reform of libel laws to protect freedom of speech.”
This would seem to be an advance on the text of the coalition agreement, which promised only a “review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech.”
It remains to be seen whether this reform will be based on Lord Lester‘s private member’s bill. But the coalition has, in writing, committed to reform.
Now it’s important we hold them to it.
