Recently in Censorship Category

By Bob Dietz/Asia Program Coordinator CPJ.org

It was good to hear Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa point out in his Independence Day speech on Thursday that the country "cannot be developed with harassment, gross punishments or by the gun." But the sentence that followed that--"Discipline is not revenge"--gives cause for concern. Rajapaksa's speech marked the 62nd anniversary of the country's independence from Britain. It was delivered in Kandy, the heartland of the president's electoral base.

 UNFree Media website gives voice to silenced journalists

UNFree Media helps jailed, banned and silenced journalists, writers, bloggers and documentary-makers fight censorship by helping them transform themselves into foreign correspondents. It is a "bottom-up service" that showcases the journalism, blogs, songs, poems and videos of silenced dissidents. The site aims to highlight stories told by local journalists facing repression.

At a time when the world's major news organisations are shutting down foreign bureaus, local independent journalists can tell well-informed, invaluable stories. The site fills a critical communications gap as brutal crackdowns on independent media increase worldwide.

The reporter only has to go online at http://unfreemedia.com/ or contact editor (@) unfreemedia.com.

The "IFEX Communiqué" is the weekly newsletter of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), a global network of 88 organisations working to defend and promote the right to free expression. The IFEX Clearing House is managed byCanadian Journalists for Free Expression.