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Online Media Representatives Face Jail

Posted by Zonk on from the glad-i-don't-post-about-real-news dept.

OSDNBoss writes "According to the US Watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists a total of 134 journalists were in jail on December 1, 49 of which were Internet journalists. China leads the way with the highest number in jail. I'm sure the censors have already blocked Slashdot and other news and opinion sites in the countries mentioned. It begs the question, however, as the blogosphere grows are online journalists and editors more or less protected than their print and TV counterparts?" From the article: "China is challenging the notion that the Internet is impossible to control or censor, and if it succeeds there will be far-ranging implications, not only for the medium but for press freedom all over the world."

8 of 27 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Criteria for traditional journalism by 91degrees · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If I, as an online journalist or blogger, print my missives on dead trees and distribute them in some manner, does that count?

    It helps.

    Helps even more if you have more than one person responsible for the publication. Larger circulation is also a factor. Not quite sure why this sort of thing should matter but the reality is that it seems to.

  2. Dont think it matters.. by joshetc · · Score: 2, Insightful

    All the jailed journalists from countries without free speech or freedom of the press would have been jailed for what they did reguardless of the medium (classical newspaper journalist, televised, or internet)

  3. Our media are SO much better by OeLeWaPpErKe · · Score: 2, Interesting

    NOT ...

    See :
    http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/11/ap-is-bu sted-uses-bogus-source-for.html

    Do you think something like this stops them from falsifying news ?

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061129/ap_on_re_mi_ea /iraq_revenge_attacks

    Think again. Obviously looking at an actual live video feed in the iraqi capital will reveal a quite normal life, with markets, loads of people ... Doesn't sound like a civil war at _all_ actually.

    http://www.foxnews.com/video2/bagCam.html

    hmmmmm ....

  4. Re:Criteria for traditional journalism by Erwos · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Writing under your real name is also a criteria, in my opinion, and is what sets traditional newsmedia apart from the vast majority of bloggers.

    --
    Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
  5. Blocking slashdot? by malkavian · · Score: 2, Informative

    Last time I was in China (admittedly 11 months ago), I could access Slashdot just fine from China (and that was mainland china; Beijing, Shanghai and Xian, as well as Hong Kong)..

  6. Re:Structured conversation by Enoxice · · Score: 2, Informative

    Must we do this every time someone uses the phrase "begs the question"?

    "More recently, "begs the question" has been used as a synonym for "invites the question" or "raises the question", or to indicate that "the question really ought to be addressed". In this usage, "the question" is stated in the next phrase." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question #Modern_usage)

    --
    Anyone else think the comments just weren't rendering right before they turned off ABP and saw ads?
  7. Learning curve by ElectricRook · · Score: 3, Interesting

    China is on a steep learning curve. They are trying to transition from a massivly centralized controlled society where everyone works for the government. To a society where indivuals are allowed to make business decisions. The old guard allows no questioning or criticism of any authority. The new world will be far different from that. The old timers are trying to hold on to their power, and the only tool they have left is censorship of dissent.

    Will censoring stop the transition? No, it will slow down the transition, and probably cause a softer and safer transition (Compared to Iraq where the opressive government suddenly ceased to exist, and sponsored anarchists are trying to take over).

    The Chinese "Old Guard" are trying to form a Facist economy (where government works in partnership with business, kind of like the US social services), and that will likely happen, I think the free economy will eventually prevail and squeeze out that Facist one. The history of Socalism/Communism is of a political machine fully funding every inefficiency to the ruin of society. The newer leaders educated in the scientific method will make decisions based on wether things work, not strictly following sanctified procedure based on the musings of a 19th century economic idealist.

    --
    - High Tech workers, please say NO to Union Carpenters, their Union sees fit to control our compensation.
  8. Before you start throwing stones at China, et. al. by BatMacumba · · Score: 2, Informative
    From the article:

    'The committee said the United States imprisoned two journalists without charge or trial -- Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, now held for eight months in Iraq, and Al Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Haj, jailed for five years and now held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

    Joshua Wolf, a freelance blogger who refused to turn over video of a 2005 protest to a U.S. federal grand jury, was also in jail.'