Blogging as Press Freedom in Repressive Places

museumpeace writes "CNN is carrying an AP story from France on the release of guidelines to help bloggers working under threat of suppressive governments to get out their stories without getting caught. "Reporters Without Borders' 'Handbook for Blogger and Cyber-Dissidents" is partly financed by the French government and includes technical advice on how to remain anonymous online.' Makes me proud to be a developer of communication software."

Comments

practicality?

[CupBeEmpty]

I am truly, before anything else, a proponent of personal freedoms. I know that this is definitely something that is common in technology communities. I am really heartened by an article like this.

The only question is how much impact will a blog have on a repressive government like China (or worse N. Korea... if blogging is even possible there). Will the next Thomas Paine be a blogger?

Deaf ears?

[saskboy]

The problem may be more keeping the content accessible, once you've sufficiently annonymized yourself so you can keep publishing. Because for every One blogger in an oppressive country, there will be 3 government workers with the task of silencing that person, and making sure anyone who reads the subversive material will be afraid to pass on the information to others.

""A call for free elections ... has a maximum online life of about half an hour," Pain writes of censorship in China."

We don't know how lucky we are to be in areas that still have an essentially free [although lackluster] press.

Interesting Quote

[superpulpsicle]

"Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure"

I am not sure U.S is that much better with our journalists. We should rename TV to the propaganda box.

Re:Interesting Quote

[saskboy]

"We should rename TV to the propaganda box."

    If I'd grown up with only American media I'd probably think you were kidding, but since I'm from Canada and have seen both Canadian local, national, and American local and national broadcasts, I can pick out the differences. And there are differences, although on some stations it's hard to tell with some Canadian broadcasts trying to use the American "non-news" model.

    We need to start demanding more from our journalists, and stop allowing people like Bill O'Idiot of Fox News to have air time. People who lie that much do not belong on a regular cable channel on a show that claims to be fair and balanced. It'd be ok if he was on the Comedy Network, but so many people think he's seriously telling them the truth about whatever he's talking about. They don't realize that he's a government mouthpiece, and is essentially the anti-free press.

Perhaps we just need to teach our children to think more critically, instead of asuming that every white guy in a suit on TV knows what they are talking about if they either praise Jesus, or Bush.

Re:Interesting Quote

[SQL Error]

If I'd grown up with only American media I'd probably think you were kidding, but since I'm from Canada and have seen both Canadian local, national, and American local and national broadcasts, I can pick out the differences.

So you've noticed the CBC's sometimes oblique approach to the truth?

We need to start demanding more from our journalists

No. We need to fire all the journalists and get some reporters.

and stop allowing people like Bill O'Idiot of Fox News to have air time.

What's this "allow" nonsense? In America there's this thing called "the Constitution". Everyone is allowed to have air time. They have to convince someone to actually broadcast it, but we have this other thing called "money" that's good for that.

Meanwhile, in the US, bloggers cry out for freedom

[Sattwic]

How about freedom of press and free speech for bloggers right here in the US??

WASHINGTON--Political bloggers on Tuesday urged federal regulators to keep the Internet as free as possible from campaign finance laws.

At a public hearing convened by the Federal Election Commission, both liberal and conservative political commentators lauded the brand of freewheeling online politicking that has characterized recent elections. The FEC is under a court order to extend campaign finance rules to the Internet, and the Democratic commissioners voted not to appeal.

Online politicking should not be subject to onerous federal rules, Democratic FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub said. "We're all agreed about that." But, Weintraub added, "What is the best way for us to regulate bloggers?"

Radio and TV stations generally are immune from campaign finance laws unless their "facilities" are controlled by a political party or candidate.

One option, suggested by Republican Commissioner Michael Toner, would be to extend the same logic to say the "facilities" of Web servers should immunize political speech online.

http://news.com.com/Bloggers+plead+for+freedom+fro m+election+laws/2100-1028_3-5767156.html/

Jesusland Needs Fewer Narrow Minded Americans

[Shihar]

Right, because the Gestapo is going to kick down my door if I say something mean about Bush.

BUSH IS A CUM GUZZLING FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT. HIS IS A FUCKING TERRORIST SHIT FUCKER. BUSH, AND BY BUSH I MEAN THAT BIG FUCKING RANK ASS VAGINA THAT WE CALL MR FUCK-HEAD-PRESIDENT, IS RUINING THE GOVERNMENT AND THIS ENTIRE GOD DAMN MOTHER FUCING NATION. JESUS FUCKING THE SWEET VIRGIN MERRY IN HER TIGHT LITTLE VIRGIN ASS DO I FUCKING HATE BUSH! FOR THE REVOLUTION! ...waits for his door to be broken down...

Oh wait, it didn't come. For fucks sake people, I hate Bush, I hate the PATRIOT Act, I don't really like our foreign policies or our domestic policies. That said, chill. The world is not over yet. I was down in DC during the height of the anti-war protests where people were wandering around with signs that make the above look down right pleasant. I was in Boston for the big protest in the commons. Free speech is alive and well. No one is going to throw you in jail for talking shit about Jesus. Hell, I fucking hate Jesus and no police have ever given me shit about it. I mean, I have a fucking bumper sticker that says "Jesus hates you, but everyone else thinks you're an asshole" on my car, yet the only time I have been pulled over is when I was doing 20+ over the speed limit.

Get out of your narrow little American world view and realize that there are places in the world that make "Jesusland" look like a fucking utopia. Hell, the US has even more liberal free speech laws compared to even Europe, and Europe is pretty damn liberal. Try wearing a swastika in Germany or France and see how long it takes for the police to drag you off the streets.

Nothing is more irritating then stupid Americans whose world view doesn't go any farther then 48 states. There is a lot to complain about when it comes to the US. I could make a laundry list of domestic and foreign policy issues I have with out incompetent leaders. Free speech oppression doesn't fall on that list. You think you live in Gestapo land? Try traveling a little bit and see what REAL poverty and oppression looks like. You have never seen poverty and you sure as shit have never seen oppression.

Re:Jesusland Needs Fewer Narrow Minded Americans

[ThaFooz]

I agree that slashdot is a little heavy on the hyperbole, but you're missing the point. The issue is that the once-progressive American government is moving backwards in terms of civil liberties, whereas it seems like everybody else is moving forwards. And I don't think its just a knee-jerk reaction to the Bush administration either; American politics have been steadily moving to the right since JFK, RFK, & MLK were assassinated. We shouldn't have to compare ourselves to the rest of the world to feel better about it, we know what our potential is.

Re:Jesusland Needs Fewer Narrow Minded Americans

[ThaFooz]

Sure.

How about the erosion of the 4th Amendment with the USA Patriot Act?
Or perhaps the human rights violations in Guantanamo bay?
Or the government intervention in something as personal as marriage?
Or the War on Privacy, err War on drugs?
Maybe the widening gap between the rich and poor? Perhaps the government endorsing religion?

Is that a good enough start?

Re:Jesusland Needs Fewer Narrow Minded Americans

[ThaFooz]

You don't believe Amnesty International? Fine. What about Abu Ghraib?

You didn't like my citation for the patriot act? I linked you to the Library of Congress. Fine, perhaps you wanted me to be more specific. I refer you to really all of Title II (Enhanced Surveillance Procedures), specificaly Sect. 201 (Authority to intercept wire, oral, and electronic communications relating to terrorism) and Sec. 213 (Authority for delaying notice of the execution of a warrant)

You didn't like the Wikipedia article on the Drug War? I tried wikipedia to give a general overview of how wasteful and invasive it is, but tak a good look at the US Department of Labor Drug Regulations to see just how much your employer is allowed to drug test you.

Check my constitution? Well I don't know about yours, the first Amedment of mine starts out with "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion". So my commander-in-chief endorsing religion using government resources sure feels like its breaking the spirit of the law right in half.

If you want to call my reference to the widening economic gap a stretch, fine. But I do suggest a history lesson on the age of the American Robber Barons.

I don't know what else to say if you don't like these sources. Its easy for you to repeat "cite" or just ignore sources who don't share your viewpoint, but it's unhelpful. If you're not satisfied, perhaps you could disprove my original point that Americans are moving backwards in regards to civil liberties?

In other words, if you disagree, how can you prove to me that America has aggressivley maintained or improved liberties since the civil rights movement?

Re:We need this here in Jesusland

[KillShill]

the only problem being that the US govt is funding a massive regime change in Iran, using many Iranian immigrants as enemy agents to stir up "dissent" over there.

they send propoganda based programs through satellite (since that's what most tv viewers in Iran have) from the US, funded by taxpayer dollars.

the neocons on one end, keep pushing the US govt to start a "regime-change", then there's Israel who keeps saying Iran is developing nuclear weapons (never mind that they kept saying the same thing about Iraq before 2003). all the inspecters and IAEA reps that have been there all found only plans for a nuclear energy station.

there's an enormous campaign being waged against Iran, seeing as they're one of the few states in the middle east not under the control of the US and UK. they used to be though... if you remember, even just recently they tried to install the brutal and totalitarian regime of the shah (not ironically after the British empire got tired of them). they wanted the oil and natural resources of a soverign nation, so with the help of the CIA, they pulled off a coup d'etat.

frankly, every time i hear a story about "Iran suppressing and jailing journalists" i don't see a story about freedom of speech, i see them jailing enemy agents and spies. oh, how the US would benefit from doing the same to all those spies in America. and i mean the US people, the govt just overlooks it, cause most of the spies are from "favored" nations... you can probably guess which.

it must take a real braindead Iranian immigrant to want the US to take over to help propogandize their own people. it's like those colloborators in V... selling out the human race to the reptiles so they can be a little richer or have more power. (that sci fi reference thrown in cause we're geeks). there are plenty of real world examples of being a backstabbing judas but that's what history class is for ;-).

Re:We need this here in Jesusland

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

Tell me, which America do you miss? Do you miss the America of the 17th century? The America of the 18th century? 19th century? 20th century? Or the America that existed for the brief period of time when Carter and Clinton were in office? Tell me which America you miss, I truly am interested.

The America described in that little document called the Constitution of the United States, the one that doesn't mention the words 'God', 'Creator' or 'Jesus' even once.

Item #1

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

guidelines to help bloggers working under threat of suppressive governments

#1 Do not use a yahoo email account

great idea!

[commodoresloat]

Then you don't have to worry about anyone actually reading your blog.

Re:We need this here in Jesusland

[famebait]

This is ridiculous. That the US is once again trying to meddle in its affairs does not make the Iranian regime benign, or remotely popular with the masses. I have spoken with several exiled iranians; they hate the the ruling priests, and in equal measure they hate the US (for their previous disatrous interference which has screwed them over several times before), and have no faith whatsoever in American intentions or competence to fix anything at all (come to think of it, who does?). It's not a question of wanting the americans or the priests, but wanting a proper, peaceful, democratic iranian rule.