In Cuba, case for harassing press has collapsed
Throughout the years, the Cuban government has justified the imprisonment of independent journalists on charges that they were acting against the State’s sovereignty at the behest of the United States. During the so-called Black Spring in March 2003, when the government then led by President Fidel Castro launched a massive crackdown against dissidents while the…
Life on the run in Amazon jungle for journalist charged with defaming president
For Ecuadoran journalist and political activist Fernando Villavicencio, life on the lam has meant wading through jungle rivers to avoid police checkpoints, dining on crocodile and monkey meat, and penning his latest book from a series of safe houses.
Accounting for impunity is obligation for all states
This week, members of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication will meet to discuss the director general’s biannual report, which examines the cases of nearly 600 journalists killed around the world from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2013. The report, and lacklustre response from member states who had been asked to provide…
In Reynosa, Mexico, suspected murder of social media user spreads fear
On October 16, photographs of a woman were posted on the Twitter account @Miut3 with an ominous message. “My life has come to an end today. Don’t put your families at risk like I did,” the tweet read. “I’m sorry. I died for nothing. They are closer on our trail than you think.”
How Bolivia’s vice president used media to control his image–and that of the government
Álvaro García Linera’s savvy use of the media helped him make the leap from Marxist guerrilla to vice president of Bolivia. But critics contend that as the country’s second-highest elected official, García Linera is now using his substantial power to manipulate and control the Bolivian news media.
Eight days in Hong Kong: Laura Poitras on documenting Snowden for ‘Citizenfour’
The world premiere of Laura Poitras’s highly anticipated documentary “CITIZENFOUR” at the New York Film Festival occurred with the appropriate amount of intrigue for a film about last year’s dramatic revelations of the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. The press and premiere screenings were clocked to begin simultaneously on Friday so no breaking news could…
Duvalier’s death must not mean end of proceedings against dictatorship
The sudden death on October 4 of former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier and the initial information that he would be honored with a state funeral stunned the victims who had filed suit against Duvalier for massive violations of human rights during his regime. It also created an unexpected ripple effect in the press and the social…
One year after CPJ’s US report, little has changed between Obama and press
After a summer plagued by war and disease abroad and partisan fighting at home, it was not hard to fathom why President Barack Obama would yearn for a retreat. But from which of the mounting crises did the president hope to escape: Ukraine? Islamic State? Ebola? The Tea Party? None of the above, according to…
Bolivia’s president and state-run TV skip presidential election debate
President Evo Morales wasn’t the only no show at Bolivia’s lone presidential debate in the run-up to this Sunday’s election. State-run Bolivia TV, which has provided live coverage of every presidential debate since the late 1980s, also ignored the September 28 candidate forum.
Holder resignation presents U.S. with opportunity for reform
Last week’s announcement by Eric Holder that he will resign as Attorney General marks what will hopefully be the beginning of the end of a perplexingly dark period for press freedom in the U.S. As Holder seeks to solidify his legacy, in part based on important civil rights reforms that he helped realize, the aggression…