US pursues return of Palestinian TV station’s equipment
For more than five months, the Ramallah-based private television broadcaster Wattan TV has been without key equipment, including transmitters, computers, files, and archives. On February 29, Israeli soldiers and officials from the Ministry of Communications raided the station without a warrant, saying it was broadcasting illegally and interfering with aircraft transmissions.
Journalist jailed in Ethiopia is championed in D.C., abroad
In July, CPJ condemned the 18-year sentence of Eskinder Nega, promiment Ethiopian blogger, who was convicted over critical articles he had written.In reporting worldwide appeals for Eskinder’s sentence, The Washington Post speaks to Eskinder’s supporters and advocates, including CPJ’s Africa Program Coordinator, Mohamed Keita.Click here for the full story
Broadcaster Raajje TV silenced in the Maldives
New York, August 7, 2012–Authorities in the Maldives must immediately investigate today’s attack on the opposition Raajje TV, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The attack came just days after police accused the station of making false allegations against security forces, according to news reports.
No right to information in Sri Lanka
You would think that with fighting between government forces and secessionist Tamils finished in May 2009, the Sri Lankan government might ease its grip on public information–information which is really the property of the country’s citizens, not whichever administration happens to be holding political power. In 2004, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike’s cabinet did approve a…
Gabon suspends 2 newspapers critical of government
New York, August 6, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Friday’s decision by Gabon’s state-run media regulator to suspend two private newspapers for six months over criticism of top officials. In a press statement obtained by CPJ, the National Communications Council accused weeklies Ezombolo and La Une of disrespecting public institutions “and the personalities that…
Journalist’s house attacked by gunmen in Honduras
New York, August 6, 2012–Authorities in Honduras must immediately investigate the attack on the house of a radio journalist in the state of Yoro, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. José Encarnación Chinchilla López, a reporter for Radio Cadena Voces in the city of El Progreso, told reporters that he was certain he was…
Arrest of NYT photographer must be investigated
New York, August 6, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the arrest and alleged beating of a New York Times photographer while he was on assignment Saturday evening in New York City. “The report by The New York Times on the arrest of its photographer, Robert Stolarik, raises questions about police tactics of…
Ethiopian appeals court reduces sentence of Reeyot Alemu
Nairobi, August 3, 2012–An appeals court in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, has reduced a 14-year prison sentence given to journalist Reeyot Alemu in January to five years and dropped most of the terrorism charges against her, according to local journalists.Reeyot, a columnist for the independent weekly Feteh, was sentenced in January and fined 33,000 birrs…
Principled broadcasting in Pakistan, a work in progress
Pakistan’s media, particularly broadcast, are often praised and condemned, sometimes in the same sentence. The number of television broadcasters exploded under the Musharraf government, growing to around 90 private cable and satellite channels. And while the growth has been swift and competitive, very often the end product leaves a lot to be desired–as many in…