Daily Telegraph commentary on Allawi and press freedoms
Freedom needs free press
General Ghaleb al-Jazairi, police chief of Najaf, issued an instruction to journalists working in the Iraqi holy city yesterday that sounded remarkably like a threat. "I have received orders from the interior minister, who demands that all local, Arab and foreign journalists leave the hotel and city within two hours," he said. "We have information that there is a 250kg car bomb targeting them. Therefore you should leave immediately for your own safety."
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Posted by Matthew Burton on August 16, 2004 at 03:28 PM in Aljazeera, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (150)
The Independent on Aljazeera and press freedom
NO WONDER THEY BANNED AL-JAZEERA. THE TRUTH HURTS; HAND-IN-HAND WITH A FREE SOCIETY GOES AN UNFETTERED PRESS.
JONATHAN FENBY
At the best of times, those in power rarely relish news organisations that carry negative news and act as channels for contrary views. In non- authoritarian societies, politicians in office often like to pretend that the media do not really matter to them. I have lost count of the number of times they have claimed they don't read the press, shrugging off the bearers of bad news as marginal to the business of government - probably before going to huddle with their spin-doctors to try to get a better headline the following day.
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Posted by Matthew Burton on August 15, 2004 at 03:38 PM in Aljazeera, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (129)
The Australian: Bias, censorship and all that Jazeera
THE interim Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi believes that Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite television network, foments sectarian violence, provides a mouthpiece for terrorists and encourages kidnapping by showing footage of foreign hostages. These criticisms echo longstanding complaints against the network by the US. But even if these claims are true, and there is evidence they are, the Iraqi administration has made a poor decision in closing down Al-Jazeera's Baghdad operation for a month. The vision of the network may well reflect pan-Arab nationalism rather than liberal democracy, but by muzzling the media Iraq's leaders compromise their own democratic credentials.
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Posted by Matthew Burton on August 10, 2004 at 03:39 PM in Aljazeera, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (159)
Banning Bad News in Iraq - New York Times (Editorial)
As interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi is supposed to be guiding Iraq toward democratic elections. Yet in his first six weeks he has begun yielding to the same kind of authoritarian mentality that has stifled democracy in too many neighboring states. His latest target is Al Jazeera, whose sometimes sensational news coverage is the Arab world's principal source of uncensored information.
Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on August 10, 2004 at 11:23 AM in Aljazeera, Press freedom, Violence in broadcasting | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (2294)
U.S. Struggles To Defend Iraqi Closure Of Al-Jazeera Office In Baghdad - Agence France Press
The United States struggled on Monday to reconcile its normal forceful advocacy of international press freedom with a defense of the Iraqi interim government decision to close the offices of the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera television network in Baghdad.
Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on August 9, 2004 at 11:31 AM in Aljazeera, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (46)
Al Jazeera: Leave it to viewers - Joel Campagna - International Herlad Tribune
Commentary submitted by Joel Campagna and Catherine Fitzpatrick
NEW YORK - Press freedom is being put to the test quickly under Iraq's new interim government, and the outlook is dim.
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Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on August 4, 2004 at 01:51 PM in Aljazeera, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (64)
Iraq sets up committee to impose restrictions on news reporting
Financial Times
By Nicolas Pelham in Baghdad
Published: July 27 2004 5:00 | Last Updated: July 27 2004 5:00
Iyad Allawi, Iraq's prime minister, has established a media committee to impose restrictions on print and broadcast media, a government official announced yesterday. The step underlines an aggressive new attitude towards press freedoms, in spite of US efforts to nurture independent media.
Ibrahim Janabi, appointed to head the new Higher Media Commission, told the FT the restrictions - known as "red lines" - had yet to be finalised, but would include unwarranted criticism of the prime minister. He singled out last Friday's sermon by Moqtada al-Sadr, a firebrand Shia cleric, who mocked Mr Allawi as America's "tail".
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Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on July 27, 2004 at 02:47 PM in Higher Media Commission, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (47)
Reality television: Al-Jazeera has a track record of accurate reporting
When US forces recently demanded that a team from the Arabic TV station al-Jazeera leave Falluja as a condition for reaching a ceasefire with the local resistance, it came as no surprise at the network's headquarters in Doha. Reliable sources there say that coalition officials threatened to close down the al-Jazeera bureau in Baghdad earlier this year and last week sent a letter accusing the network of violating the Geneva convention and the principles of a free press.
Click here to read this Guardian article.
Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on April 27, 2004 at 12:04 PM in Aljazeera, Middle East media, Press freedom, Violence in broadcasting | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (134)
STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR BRIEFING
BRIEFER: RICHARD BOUCHER, DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN
LOCATION: STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING ROOM, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Mr Boucher answers questions on concerns about Al-Jazeera, Violence in the Media and press freedom.
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Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on April 27, 2004 at 11:37 AM in Aljazeera, Middle East media, Press freedom, Violence in broadcasting | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (83)
A revolutionary impact: a conversation with Mohammed El Nawawy
An interview with Mohammed El Nawawy, author of Al-Jazeera: The Story of the Network That Is Rattling Governments and Redefining Modern Journalism
Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on April 22, 2004 at 12:15 PM in Aljazeera, Middle East media, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (138)
Arabs in Control - by Joshua Hammer - Newsweek International
Networks: The official U.S. efforts to shape opinion on the Arab Street are also-rans in a growing competition between new Arabic TV stations.
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Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on April 20, 2004 at 03:06 PM in Al Arabiya, Aljazeera, Middle East media, New television, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (200)
Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing:
Click here to read the transcript of this CPA briefing, questioned on violence against journalists in Iraq.
Posted by Vanessa Hetherington on April 20, 2004 at 02:42 PM in Journalist violence, Press freedom | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (61)
