Advocate for Journalism Died

Laura Pollán, 63, died Friday from respiratory complications in Cuba at a hospital in Havana.

Pollán is well known for her efforts of seeking justice in human rights. 

Originally a Spanish teacher in Cuba, she was boycotted by the Cuban government for her work against it. She advocated for all the journalists imprisoned for work against Black Spring. Her own husband was one of the 75 journalists arrested during this movement.

The group started by Pollán is called the "Ladies in White," and these are women have had family members taken because of their voice. The goal these ladies had in mind was to oppose the Cuban government while wearing white. Showing that they are peaceful was the intention of the color white. 

Having a strong passion for what they were fighting for, they never allowed harassment from authorities to stop them. 

Often times, the authorities would try to prevent the members from being able to attend these weekly meeting and detain the women if they fought back. 

Having a big heart for others,  Pollan worked with CPJ to inform them of the travesties the families and detainees were enduring.

She started funds and raised money for those who needed it most and always worked towards freeing those in prison. 

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

"Sometimes they tell us, the Ladies in White, that we are brave women," she wrote. "We disagree: We've simply experienced so much pain and love that,without realizing it, we crossed that line between fear and bravery."

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Risk Versus Reward

Reporters Without Borders is an organization dedicated to the protection of journalists and was established in 1985. According to their website, in some countries a journalist can be imprisoned for years for simply publishing a single offending word or photo. They have representation across the world and hold consultant status with the United Nations.

There has been some heat from the United Nations for Mexican officials to investigate the deaths of several reporters. This led to the question: how many people die each year in the field of journalism? Thankfully, Reporters Without Borders has all of the information readily available and I've shared some of the highlights in my minute-long video clip.

With the risk of imprisonment, abuse and death looming in the shadows, what makes being a journalist worthwhile? Would getting a great story in Iraq be worth taking a bullet to the shoulder? Where would you draw the line on what sacrifice is worth making?

I don't know that I could honestly answer that question. I think I would choose self-preservation over getting the big story. What do you think you would do?

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Two British Journalists Suspected of Phone Hacking

Two tabloid journalists suspected of phone hacking were released on bail last night.

Neville Thurlbeck, chief reporter for the tabloid newspaper News of the World, was questioned voluntarily at Kingston police station.

Ian Edmondson, former news editor of the same paper, was questioned separately at Wimbledon police station. Neither man has been charged.

The two men are accused of illegally intercepting voice mail messages left on cell phones. The two men allegedly were involved in a large scheme to tap into cell phones of movie stars, professional athletes and other celebrities, even including the royal family.

Another former reporter for the paper has already served jail time for accessing messages left by Prince William and Prince Harry.

The entire case has been embarrassing to both the British police and the government.

News International, publisher of the News of the World, said, "we will not tolerate wrongdoing and continue to cooperate fully with police."

Celebrities who claim that their cell phones have been hacked include Sienna Miller and former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The News of the World is currently the subject of several breach-of-privacy lawsuits.

Photo credit: CreativeCommons.org

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Israeli Prime Minister Fights Local Media

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a long, rocky relationship with the Israeli media.

On Tuesday, March 29th, Netanyahu filed $300,000 libel suits against an Israeli TV station and a newspaper over reports of his excessive lifestyle.

Although these reports are on incidents that allegedly occured during Netanyahu's time in Parliament and unrelated to his term as prime minister, Netanyahu claims that they were false and reported to ridicule and humiliate him.

"[The reports] were disparaging," says an aide from Netanyahu's camp. "[They were] very hurtful and created a negative portrayal of him, depicting him as a felon."

The libel suit claims that Israel's Channel 10 falsely reported that Netanyahu failed to report financial contributions from foreign donors.

The suit against newspaper Maariv claims the newspaper reported that Netanyahu and his wife paid $17,000 for a meal abroad, as part of a pattern of extravagant behavior. Israel's State Comptroller has stated that these allegations will be investigated.

Other Channel 10 reports accused Netanyahu of allowing wealthy foreign benefactors to pay for private flights, expensive meals and luxury hotel rooms for him and his family. Other news outlets have published similar allegations. The libel suit does not address these allegations.

These reports and similar ones by other local newspapers, have seriously damaged Netanyahu's reputation. Netanyahu has responded with hostility, claiming that Channel 10 and other media outlets have begun a campaign to besmirch his name.

Aluf Benn, editor-at-large for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz Daily, believes this is largely unnecessary. "Netanyahu is portraying himself as a victim of political persecution on the part of the left-wing media," says Benn.

"[But] it's doubtful that Netanyahu will now be perceived as having ... seriously violated the rules of ethics, or that this episode will hang over the rest of his term of office."

Many Israeli journalists have long been frustrated with Netanyahu's suspicion of traditional news outlets. Rarely holding news conferences or granting interviews, Netanyahu has recently embraced YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to bypass local journalists and speak directly to the people.

As Netanyahu joins President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron in YouTube's World View project, answering questions directly through the popular video-sharing website, some journalists believe this is a way of evading questions that Netanyahu views as annoying or biased.

"He doesn't want to deal with uncomfortable questions and he doesn't like to be interrupted," said Nahum Barnea, a political columnist at the Yedoit Ahronot Daily. "There is no dialogue anymore. It's become a monologue, with no back and forth."

Netanyahu has also restricted access to foreign journalists as well. He took only four questions at his annual meeting with foreign correspondents in January and subjected many of the journalists there to invasive strip searches by security guards.

"He's constantly trying to find ways to bypass us," said Danny Zaken, chairman of Israel's press association. "We believe that every public servant should make himself available to journalists and their questions."

Despite these claims, Netanyahu's office maintains that this is not the case.

"We understand the importance of new media in the modern world - it allows the prime minister to speak to the people without filters," said spokesman Mark Regev. "But I don't think it has to come at the expense of the traditional media."

Photo credit: CreativeCommons.org

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Journalist: A Risky Job

Since Dec. 29, 2009, two French journalists are held hostage in Afghanistan. It will be 400 days this Wednesday february 2nd. that Herve Ghesguiere and Stephane Taponier, great reporters for the French public channel FRANCE 3 were kidnapped.

In December, a video sent by the captors showed the two captives alive and calm but emaciated.

While the French governement has at various times issued statements insisting that negotiations for the release of the two mens were progressing, they remain captive and their families have spoken to the media for the first time about their frustrations in December.

"When the foreign minister Michelle Alliot-Marie speaks of a 'short time', we say to ourselves it's imminent." Taponier's father gerard told Agence France Presse. "And then Christmas is already gone...we are still hoping for good news but it gets you down."

Families and colleagues of the two journalists have called for a rally this Wednesday at 2 p.m (local time) in front of the National Assembly in Paris. This rally will only be a moment of contemplation. It will not have any speeches, nor speaking but only a simple moment of communion to support the two journalists-hostages.

Journalist is not an easy job. Sometimes while covering a story you face the risk of being arrested like some journalists in Egypt, or even killed like many journalists in China, russia or Irak.

The freedom of speech and information is, unfortunatelly, not an universal right. Some countries, all over the world, are still controling what is on the news and do not hesitate to use the force to persuade reporters not to critizise governments or not to deal with governments' actions in some regions of the world.

Photo credit: Agence France Presse (AFP) via Creativecommons.org.

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Protests Escalate in Egypt, Journalists Arrested

Egypt proves to be a dangerous place for journalists once again with the latest round of protests against the government of President Hosni Mubarak. Eight Egyptian journalists were arrested last week after participating in an anti-government protest, bringing the grand total of arrests up to 860.

Egyptian security forces have been deployed to control the rioting crowds through the use of tear gas. So far, five people have been killed. The Egyptian government has also been restricting access to websites such as Facebook and Twitter in an attempt to cripple the protest movement.

The European Union has publicly called on Egypt to respect their citizens' rights to protest, but the response from the Egyptian government has been disappointing. "No provocative movements or protest gatherings or organization of marches or demonstrations will be allowed," MENA reports the ministry as saying. "Immediate legal procedures will be taken and participants will be handed over to investigating authorities."

Protesters are angry about soaring food prices, a lack of jobs and an oppressive government, among other complaints. Despite the strong negative response from Mubarak's ministry and the danger from Egyptian security forces, protesters continue to take to the streets in thousands.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons, James Buck.

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