26 Jul 2010 | Index Index, minipost
On Sunday (25 July) whistleblower website Wikileaks made public over 90,000 classified US military files on the war in Afghanistan, making it one of the biggest leaks in US history. The documents give a real time account of the conflict between January 2004 and December 2009 from the perspective of US personnel. Amongst other things they reveal that coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents, that a secret “black” unit exists to kill or capture Taliban leaders without trial and that NATO officers fear Iranian and Pakistani intelligence are providing support for insurgents. The documents were released to the Guardian, New York Times and German magazine Der Spiegel for analysis several weeks ago and whilst Wikileaks did impose a publishing embargo until July 25, they did not influence how the news reports were formulated and did not reveal the source of the leak to the news organisations. The White House has not disputed the accuracy of the reports but “strongly condemned” the disclosure, believing that it could “threaten national security”.
25 Jun 2010 | Index Index, minipost
A Tirana court has ordered Albania’s Top Channel TV to pay €400,000 compensation to Ylli Pango, the former Minister of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sport after broadcasting hidden camera footage of him, asking a female job applicant to remove her clothes. Investigative programme, Fiks-Tarif, had sent undercover reporters to investigate allegations that, whilst in office, Pango was offering employment in return for sexual favours. When giving judgement, the court said they found in favour of Pango because the recordings had been obtained illegally.
23 Jun 2010 | Uncategorized
DISPATCHES
THE PURSUIT OF SECRECY
Richard Norton-Taylor:How the courts stopped Labour’s cover-up
RADIO REDUX
From unsung heroes to shock jocks, Index looks at free speech on the airwaves
RULERS OF THE AIRWAVES
Gillian Reynolds: The key to radio’s success
LOOKING FOR AMERICA
Joe Queenan: Talk radio is the battleground for the USA’s soul
OPEN MIKE
Aryeh Neier: Free speech remains the best antidote
CULTURE OF CAUTION
Martin Semukanya: Rwandan journalists are still rebuilding credibility
RADIO WAVES: FACTS AND FIGURES
Liam Hodkinson & Elizabeth Stitt
THE WORLD STRIKES BACK
Irena Maryniak: The broadcast revolution has rewritten the rules
NEW WAVES
Richard Sambrook: International radio can no longer go it alone
MARTIN ROWSON’S STRIPSEARCH
GOOD MORNING BELGRADE
Adrienne Van Heteren: The triumph of B92
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
Maria Eismont: Alexei Venediktov on the secret of his survival
RADIO SILENCE
Vugar Gojayev: Azerbaijan’s shrinking media landscape
DAB IS DEAD
Grant Goddard: How the digital dream turned sour
LOCAL HERO
Carlos Flores Borja: A Peruvian station’s battle to broadcast
INTERUPTED SERVICE
Aleida Calleja: Community radio on the front line in Mexico
PIRACY GOES KOSHER
Anat Balint: Israeli settlers join the media game
TABOO BUSTER
Kirsten Ess Schurr: Jordan’s hero of the airwaves
REAL LIVES
Shirazuddin Siddiqi: The programme the Taliban couldn’t ban
TOO FAST TOO FREE
Ernest Waititu : How Kenya’s broadcasters fell foul of the law
INDEX INDEX
BODY WORKS
COVERED UP
Marge Berer: The full frontal that got pulled
MAKE ME BEAUTIFUL
Omid Salehi: Inside the world of Iranian cosmetic surgery
FICTION
MY BEST FRIEND
An exclusive extract from Javad Mahzadeh’s new novel
10 Jun 2010 | Uncategorized
The Independent reports this morning that Ofcom is to investigate Iranian news channel Press TV. Index on Censorship contributor Maziar Bahari complained that the station broadcast an interview he gave while under interrogation in Tehran’s Evin prison in the aftermath of last year’s contested Iranian presidential elections.
Index editor Jo Glanville is quoted as saying that no self-respecting reporter should work for the channel, adding “The way they behaved by going into the prison in that way and essentially colluding with the torture and illegal detention of a journalist should finish their reputation once and for all in [the UK].”
Channel 4 News will be screening a special report on Press TV at 7pm tonight (10 June).
