New report from the International Federation of Journalists slams “continued deterioration of press freedoms”
State of press freedom in China and Hong Kong “reminiscent of the Mao era”
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CATEGORY: China
Social media changing the protest landscape in China
Despite state censorship and political repression, social media is changing the protest landscape in China, Stephen Junor writes
Four places where social media could land you in jail
Facebook has nearly 1.2 billion monthly active users –that’s nearly 20% of the total global population. Yet, in some countries harsh sanctions and time in jail can be imposed on those who comment on social media, in the majority of cases for speaking out against their government.
China marks Mandela’s death with no mention of “freedom” or “democracy”
Chinese coverage of Nelson Mandela’s death has reflected the government’s new-found sympathy for Maoism, its rejection of democracy and its long-standing sensitivities over Tibet and Taiwan. Alastair Sloan reports
Egypt borrows a page from China’s media strategy
Government crackdowns on free expression in China and Egypt have shown disturbing similarities with repressive tactics used by the two regimes to silence dissent, Shahira Amin writes
Harvard study: Actions speak louder than words in China’s censorship machine
A new Harvard study for the first time provides an inside look at the complex system of Chinese social media censorship. The report confirms a little-known theory: while messages referencing direct political action are banned, criticism of the communist leadership is often allowed. Milana Knezevic writes
During show trial, China begins online crackdown
Bo Xilai, the ousted former Chinese politician, continues to capture headlines even as Chinese authorities begin a highly concerted campaign to stifle online expression, Vincent Chao reports.
In Taiwan, censorship quietly flourishes amid outrage
Taiwan’s once-famously freewheeling press is becoming more reliant on China as cross-strait cultural and media exchanges grow. Vincent Chao writes
China censors Winnie the Pooh
China’s censors have taken down an image of two popular cartoon characters, after bloggers in the country used it to poke fun at the country’s leader. Sara Yasin reports
China’s government still mute on Tiananmen
On the 24th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests Index on Censorship calls on the Chinese government to honour its constitutional commitment to free speech and to allow access to information about the events. Sara Yasin writes