Sharp Rise In Jailing of Online Journalists; Iran May Just Kill Them

bckspc writes "The Committee to Protect Journalists has published their annual census of journalists in prison. Of the 136 reporters in prison around the world on December 1, 'At least 68 bloggers, Web-based reporters, and online editors are imprisoned, constituting half of all journalists now in jail.' Print was next with 51 cases. Also, 'Freelancers now make up nearly 45 percent of all journalists jailed worldwide, a dramatic recent increase that reflects the evolution of the global news business.' China, Iran, Cuba, Eritrea, and Burma were the top 5 jailers of journalists." rmdstudio writes, too, with word that after the last few days' protest there, largely organized online, the government of Iran is considering the death penalty for bloggers and webmasters whose reports offend it.

Comments

Re:Pile it on

[VShael]

If McCain / Palin had won the election, I might agree with you. But I don't think the Democrats are going to go to war on a third front. Two is bad enough.

"Only an idiot would fight a war on two fronts. Only the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Idiots would fight a war on twelve fronts." -- London Mollari.

There is a WELL RESEARCHED Allegation!

[Philip K Dickhead]

Gee. I love the sourcing on the link about planned executions.

Maybe the US should just bomb and invade? It has worked so well, elsewhere.

gee, i dunno

[circletimessquare]

http://news.google.com/news?q=iran%20crackdown

http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/iran

etc

maybe you don't see the evidence because you're not making the slightest effort to see the obvious?

oh, this is where you disqualify all these observations because they are "western media". nevermind the fact you can find this news from all over the world, right? and as for blog posts: they couldn't possibly be from real iranians, its all cia propaganda, right?

all we need is a proper objective fact finding mission of actual abuse by the iranian regime on its own citizens, right? ok genius: lets go and form that fact finding mission. i think we will find the iranian government quite helpful in that regard

the iranian government distorts all media from iran... but you will not find reason to criticize the regime... until you find media that is undistorted from iran. chicken and egg, no?

or put it this way: if you find the evidence to be undependable, an assertion that all is milk and honey in iran is just as dubious as the assertion that all is not right, correct? in which case, you need to apply your mind, and look at the smoke and figure out if there is a fire

look at the amazing effort the cia is making in formulating youtube posts of abuse, of making up blogs and tweets, of all iranian observers of any ideological attitude united in their depictions of what is going on in iran, including expat iranians. and then conclude what? that the cia is really good at making shit up? pffffffft

iraq was a travesty of bad info. because of that, don't conclude ALL info you receive about american enemies is made up. or YOU compound the damage the iraq fiasco was