Widespread self-censorship and fear of offence is suppressing creativity and ideas in the United Kingdom, according to a report published by Index on Censorship.
CATEGORY: News and features
Could “snooper’s charter” stop terror attacks?
Some UK politicians have said the murder of a soldier in Woolwich, London this week demonstrates the need for greater surveillance of communications data. But would a “snooper’s charter” really have made a difference? Index asked
Emma Carr of Big Brother Watch and Jamie Bartlett of Demos for their views
South Africa’s secrecy bill signals growing political intolerance
The so-called secrecy bill’s passage through the South African parliament mirrors an increasing political intolerance towards diverse views that in some cases has spilled over in violence, Christi van der Westhuizen reports.
In Mexico drug gangs target local journalists
Journalists in Mexico’s border area with the United States face huge pressures from drug gangs in reporting on violence, Ana Arana reports.
Glitz and glamour can’t hide Eurovision’s politics
Europe was once again be swept away by a sparkly hurricane of techno beats and pompous ballads, kitschy and/or traditional costumes, wind machines, pyrotechnics, heavily accented English, awkward host banter and nul points. Yes, Eurovision took our breath away in more ways than one, Milana Knezevic writes.
Bulgaria’s government mirrored in the media
An election is always a good litmus test for a country’s media freedom — particularly in Bulgaria. It consistently ranks last amongst European Union members for media freedom, and the US Department of State called its “gravely damaged media pluralism” one of its most pressing human rights problems, Georgi Kantchev reports.
An election that might save books in Iran
Once the Islamic republic’s biggest cultural event, the Tehran International Book Fair has wilted under President Mahmood Ahmadinejad’s hardline government. Maral Mehryari reports on the recession in Iran’s publishing industry.
Egyptian artists declare war on sexual harassment
Since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak two years ago, artists have been active in breaking Egypt’s age-old taboos around sexual violence, especially since sexual harassment has been on the rise.
Melody Patry reports.
Two more journalists arrested in Belarus
Andrei Aliaksandru: Two more journalists arrested in Belarus
Police apologise for withholding name of charged officer
Secrecy of Warwickshire police “against open justice” says Index on Censorship chief