2 Feb 2012 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Comic actor Adel Imam has been sentenced to three months in jail for “insulting Islam” after a case was brought against him by Islamist lawyer Asran Mansour. Imam, an actor for more than 40 years, is well-known throughout the Arab word.
It is widely believed the sentence was passed because Imam failed to attend the hearing, and that the sentence will be overturned.. He has one month to appeal, during which he will remain free.
1 Feb 2012 | Leveson Inquiry
The chairman of the body that funds the Press Complaints Commission told the Leveson Inquiry today that the News of the World phone hacking scandal has convinced him of the regulator’s need to impose fines.
Lord Black, chairman of the Press Standards Board of Finance (PressBoF), revealed that he had been opposed to the imposition of fines, arguing that they would not have strengthened the PCC, but admitted the phone hacking scandal had made him change his mind.
“I certainly now believe that some form of fining system would be appropriate,” he said, citing the scandal that led to the closure of the News of the World as “the most obvious example of why urgent reform of the system is needed.”
Black said there was a “very real” appetite for change from the industry and argued that there needed to be “radical proposals” for changes to self-regulation in order to thwart a threat of statutory regulation.
Black’s testimony follows Lord Hunt’s call yesterday for a new regulator that had increased powers to investigate, as well as audit and enforce standards. Hunt told the Inquiry there was a “wide consensus for radical reform” in the industry.
Ofcom CEO Ed Richards and Chair Colette Bowe also gave evidence today. The pair defended the broadcast regulator, which is underpinned by statute and whose chief executive is chosen by the Culture Secretary, as being able to maintain its independence. Bowe emphasised the regulator is accountable to Parliament — not the government — and Richards stressed that independence was “probably the most prized characteristic of the entire organisation.”
Asked by counsel Carine Patry-Hoskins if Ofcom’s independence would be stronger were its board not selected by the government, Bowe said it would not in practical terms. She added that a better model had not been proposed, and that well-informed parliamentary committee served to hold Ofcom to account.
Richards described Ofcom as a “post-broadcast regulator” that does not attempt to intervene with broadcasts in advance of being aired. He said he pre-broadcast intervention was “very difficult territory, which takes you potentially takes you into the area of censorship and suppression.”
Richards also argued that there was “no reason” why financial penalties should have a chilling effect on investigative journalism, and that there were “plenty of examples” of broadcast journalism that have been controversial and produced within the Ofcom code.
Richards added that Ofcom’s own investigatory powers, namely the ability to require data from broadcasters, were a “key tool” and crucial to the regulator doing its job effectively. He cited the sanctions levied as a result of the 2007 phone-in scandal — during which Ofcom fined GMTV a record £2 million for having repeatedly allowed viewers to enter phone-in competitions after lines had closed — as an “effective deterrent”.
Richards admitted that digital innovations did present challenges for broadcasters, but said any attempt to regulate the internet was a “fool’s errand”.
The Inquiry continues tomorrow.
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1 Feb 2012 | Uncategorized
On 1 February Tunisian journalists raised the slogan ‘’no to assaults against journalists, no to restrictions on freedoms of expression, and no to guardianship over media”, organising a campaign defending freedom of press.
On 27 January, journalists’ syndicates and media bodies released together a statement condemning assaults against journalists, and calling for a day of action to defend freedom of press on 1 February.
“In reaction to the increasing violations of freedoms of opinion, expression, and press, which included physical assaults against, journalists, people of conscience, and media sector employees, carried out by extremist groups hiding behind the mask of religion… , and in reaction to the passivity of the government in dealing with this situation (…)the representatives of professional media organisations invite all media outlets, printed, audio visual, and electronic to dedicate the day of 1 February to addressing the issues of media independence, and freedom of expression (…).”
Media outlets taking part in this campaign have dedicated the day to advocating for freedoms of press and expression, and calling for the criminalisation of assaults against journalists. Representatives of media syndicates and bodies have also met with Mustapha Ben Jaafar, President of the constituent assembly, who said that Tunisia’s new constitution will guarantee freedom of press.
Recent weeks have been tough for journalists in Tunisia. On 4 January two journalists covering a protest organised by university teachers outside the Ministry of Higher Education were assaulted by police officers.
On 7 January the government appointed heads, and editors of stated owned media. Reporters Without Borders, said the appointments were “contrary to the provisions of article 19 of Decree Law No. 2011-116 of 2 November and constitute a flagrant violation of media independence.”
On 23 January ultraconservative Islamists verbally and physically abused journalists and activists showing solidarity with Nabil Karoui, general director of Nessma TV, who is facing charges of “violating sacred values” and “disturbing the public order” for broadcasting the film Persepolis. Meanwhile, journalist Haythem El Mekki, is facing the sack from Tunisia’s national TV for criticising Ennahdha.
1 Feb 2012 | Asia and Pacific, Index Index, minipost
Several Tibetan-language blogs hosted in China are reported to have gone offline today, amid a period of severe unrest. AmdoTibet’s blog section has been temporarily shut down, a message on the site reads, “due to some of the blog users not publishing in accordance with the goal of this site.” Tense events of recent weeks have included a stream of self-immolations in Tibet protesting against Chinese rule, and more recently, deadly clashes between officials and demonstrators.