In lawsuit, Chinese writers allege Cisco aids government
Three Chinese writers who have spent time in prison for articles published online are suing California-based Cisco Systems Inc., according to international news reports. The suit accuses the company of providing information and technology to Chinese authorities that facilitated the writers’ detentions–allegations that Cisco flatly denies. Chinese security officials have already interrogated one of the…
Legal protection falls short for Zimbabwe’s Insider
The Insider is a political newsletter about Zimbabwe, edited by veteran journalist Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was printed as a 12-page leaflet until 2003, when Zimbabwe’s hyper-inflation made it impossible to publish with annual subscriptions. Rukuni made the move to the Web, where he continued to archive and publish stories at insiderzim.com. Rukuni’s…
Journalists take stage: Q&A with ‘Record’ playwright
The true stories of journalists from Mexico, Sri Lanka, Russia, the United States, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories will hit the stage July 20 at London’s Arcola Theatre. “On the Record,” which runs through August 13, examines the careers of six journalists, the risks they face, and their determination to make an impact through their…
Google+ for journalists at risk
When they’re creating new features, software designers talk in terms of “use cases.” A use case describes steps that future customers might perform with a website. “Starting a group with friends,” would be a use case for Facebook. “Buying a book” would be case for Amazon’s designers.
Justice served in Chauncey Bailey murder
After a lengthy police investigation that involved a number of questionable irregularities, a jury in Oakland, Calif., today found two men guilty of the 2007 murder of journalist Chauncey Bailey. Yusuf Bey IV and Antoine Mackey were both convicted of first-degree degree murder in Bailey’s slaying.
State Department falls short in first Pearl Act reports
The State Department released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights this week. In preparing this year’s reports, Foggy Bottom had to comply for the first time with the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act. Signed into law in May 2010, the Pearl Act requires descriptions, identifications, and assessments of press freedom conditions, including…
Writer threatened during Bailey murder trial
As the trial of suspects charged with murdering Oakland, Calif., reporter and editor Chauncey Bailey continued, a reporter who has written dozens of articles about the case was himself threatened as he investigated allegations of real estate fraud by a business tied to the suspects on trial.
At SXSW Interactive, theory and reality converge
I’ve just returned from a hectic week at SXSW Interactive, the annual gathering of digital technologists and creators in Austin, Texas. Conferences like this are often moments of isolation from the rest of the world, where attendees become consumed with the trivia of the event itself. But because many of those attending SXSWi are prolific…
Coronell leaves Colombia again, this time for opportunity
In 2005, a series of chilling death threats compelled award-winning Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell to leave Bogotá with his family for what ended up being a two-year stay in California. Today, more than three years after his return from exile, Coronell and his family are moving back to the States, this time by choice. CPJ…