News Wrap for 8/14/08

BBC News has coverage this morning about the media's reaction to Israel's decision to clear the soldiers involved in the death of Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana. The "Editors' Blog" on British site Journalism talks about Reuters' "dissatisfaction" at the verdict and the Middle East Online Web site has a report that cites our alert on the ruling, and quotes the concerns of  CPJ's Middle East Senior Program Coordinator Joel Campagna: "These findings mean that a journalist with a camera is at risk of coming under fire and there's not that much that can be done. That's unacceptable."

Australia's Sydney Morning Herald also covers the IDF's ruling and quotes our statistic of eight journalist deaths in the West Bank and Gaza since 1992. The Lebanese Web site Menassat has republished our alert from yesterday as well.

The arrest of ITN reporter John Ray yesterday in Beijing has stirred up fresh concerns about press freedom during the Games and China's overall human rights record. From England, both The Telegraph and The Guardian have stories today about the IOC's unwillingness to admit China's failures, particularly in regard to freedom of the press. The International Herald Tribune is also covering the story, as is the Web site Monsters and Critics.