Freedom Of The Press
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Rupert Murdoch in "Unprecedented Firestorm" as U.K. Panel Finds Him Unfit to Run Global Media Empire
A British parliamentary committee has issued a scathing report that finds Rupert Murdoch is "not a fit person" to run a major international media company because of how News Corp. handled its phone-hacking scandal. The Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport said Murdoch and his son, James, showed...May 03, 2012 | Story -
U.S. Media Giants Reel as FCC Orders Disclosure of Rates for Billion-Dollar TV Campaign Advertising
During this year’s election, political analysts estimate as much as $5 billion will be spent on TV campaign advertising. Now, a new ruling by the Federal Communication Commission requires broadcasters to post political advertisement data online, making it easier for the public to see exactly who is buying those ads. We...May 03, 2012 | Story -
Free Press Co-Founder Robert McChesney: Murdoch Hacking Scandal a "Moment of Truth" for U.S. Media
Robert McChesney, co-founder of Free Press, calls the British report that slams News Corp. over the phone-hacking scandal a "moment of truth" for American media. News Corp. owns 27 broadcast licenses in the United States. "I think the evidence is in that we need to at least have an examination of this," McChesney....May 03, 2012 | Story -
Detained in the U.S.: Filmmaker Laura Poitras Held, Questioned Some 40 Times at U.S. Airports
The Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Laura Poitras discusses how she has been repeatedly detained and questioned by federal agents whenever she enters the United States. Poitras said the interrogations began after she began working on her documentary, "My Country, My Country," about post-invasion Iraq. Her most recent...April 20, 2012 | Story -
Jeremy Scahill: Why is President Obama Keeping Yemeni Journalist Abdulelah Haider Shaye in Prison?
The Obama administration is facing scrutiny for its role in the imprisonment of a Yemeni journalist who exposed how the United States was behind a 2009 bombing in Yemen that killed 14 women and 21 children. In January 2011, a Yemeni state security court gave the journalist, Abdulelah Haider Shaye, a five-year jail sentence on...March 15, 2012 | Story -
"Gasland" Director Josh Fox Arrested at Congressional Hearing on Natural Gas Fracking
The Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox was handcuffed and arrested Wednesday as he attempted to film a congressional hearing on the controversial natural gas drilling technique known as fracking, which the Environmental Protection Agency recently reported caused water contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming. Fox directed...February 02, 2012 | Story -
Obama’s Support for Natural Gas Drilling "A Painful Moment" for Communities Exposed to Fracking
Last week, President Obama called the United States "the Saudi Arabia of natural gas" in a speech about boosting domestic energy production. That concerns Wyoming farmer John Fenton, who already has more than two dozen gas wells on his property. The Environmental Protection Agency ruled in December that water contamination...February 02, 2012 | Story -
Mumia Abu-Jamal Transferred Out of Solitary Confinement, Into General Population
The Pennsylvania Dept. of Corrections and the legal team of Mumia Abu-Jamal have both confirmed the imprisoned journalist was transferred out of solitary confinement and into general population.January 27, 2012 | Blog Post -
Documentarians Take On Power and Corruption: An Interview with the Sundance Institute’s Cara Mertes
The Sundance Institute’s Cara Mertes describes how the independent film festival supports documentarians, including one who drew the ire of Dole Food Co. for showing how plantation workers in Nicaragua successfully sued for its continued use of a pesticide that can cause sterility and possibly cancer. [includes rush transcript]January 27, 2012 | Blog Post -
SOPA : Anti-Piracy or Censorship? Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales vs. Copyright Alliance’s Sandra Aistars
Congressional support for a pair of anti-piracy bills is weakening after Wednesday’s historic online protest in which thousands of websites went dark for 24 hours. Hollywood film studios, music publishers and major broadcasters support the anti-piracy legislation, saying it aims to stop the piracy of copyrighted material...January 19, 2012 | Story -
Wikipedia, Reddit to Shut Down Sites Wednesday to Protest Proposed Stop Online Piracy Act
Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia and sixth most visited site in the world, will join websites like the content aggregator Reddit to "go dark" on Wednesday in opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its companion bill, the Protect IP Act (PIPA), which are currently being debated in Congress. "What...January 17, 2012 | Story -
"Internet Censorship Affects Everybody": Rebecca MacKinnon on the Global Struggle for Online Freedom
As protests mount against two controversial internet anti-piracy bills moving through Congress, we speak with Rebecca MacKinnon, author of the forthcoming book, "Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom." "If we want democracy to survive in the internet age, we really need to work to...January 17, 2012 | Story -
Ex- FCC Commissioner Michael Copps on Media Consolidation, Broadband Expansion, Threats to Journalism
Michael Copps served two terms with the Federal Communications Commission. Now the staunch supporter of an open internet and opponent of media consolidation has retired. In a wide-ranging discussion, he examines the FCC’s key accomplishments and failures of the past decade. Copps argues broadband is "the most opportunity-creating...January 12, 2012 | Story -
New York Times Coverage of Media Crackdown on Occupy Wall Street Profiles Democracy Now!’s Ryan Devereaux
The New York Times reports how, on Dec. 17, "a linebacker-size officer grabbed the collar of Mr. Devereaux, who wore an ID identifying him as a reporter. The cop jammed a fist into his throat, turning Mr. Devereaux into a de facto battering ram to push back protesters."
Click here to read the article.January 03, 2012 | Blog Post -
Election Fraud Galvanizes Russian Opposition, Communist Party 20 Years After Soviet Union’s Collapse
Allegations of widespread fraud in the recent elections that gave Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party a parliamentary majority have galvanized massive street protests in opposition to the Russian political establishment. This comes on the 20th anniversary of the breakup of the Soviet Union. "The reason...December 30, 2011 | Story -
Bradley Manning’s Defense Strategy on Display as Military Prosecutors Rest Case in Pretrial Hearing
The pretrial military hearing for accused Army whistleblower Private Bradley Manning has entered its sixth day. Prosecutors have finished laying out their case, and today the defense witnesses are expected to testify. Manning has been imprisoned for the past 19 months for allegedly leaking classified videos and diplomatic U.S....December 21, 2011 | Story -
Police Crack Down on Occupy Wall Street Protesters, Journalists on Movement’s 3-Month Mark
Hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters gathered Saturday in New York City to mark the three-month mark of the now-global movement. More than 50 people were arrested as demonstrators spent the day trying to occupy a new space following their eviction last month from Zuccotti Park. While covering the protest for Democracy Now!,...December 20, 2011 | Story -
Russia’s Putin Faces Unprecedented Challenge as Tens of Thousands Protest Electoral Fraud
Tens of thousands of Russians filled the streets in Moscow and other cities over the weekend in the largest demonstrations Russia has seen in more than a decade. Protesters expressed outrage at the large-scale electoral fraud they said took place during recent parliamentary elections and are demanding the ouster of Prime Minister...December 14, 2011 | Story -
WikiLeaks, Julian Assange Win Major Australian Prize for "Outstanding Contribution to Journalism"
Over the weekend, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accepted the award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism at the 2011 Walkley Award in Australia, an honor akin to the Pulitzer Prize in the United States. We play an excerpt from Assange’s acceptance speech and get reaction from constitutional law attorney and...November 28, 2011 | Story -
Ex-New York Times Freelancer Natasha Lennard on Quitting the Corporate Media in an Occupy Era
We speak with former freelancer at the New York Times, Natasha Lennard, who helped the newspaper cover the initial Occupy protests. She was arrested during the Brooklyn Bridge demonstration while reporting on the event. She no longer freelances for the Times and recently wrote a piece for Salon.com titled "Why I Quit the...November 17, 2011 | Story
By Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan
Gen. John Allen, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, spoke Wednesday at the Pentagon, four stars on each shoulder, his chest bedecked with medals. Unlike Allen, many decorated U.S. military veterans left the streets of Chicago after the NATO summit without their medals.
In an extended interview, David Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, discusses the history of the company, why they put sustainability and social justice ahead of profits, the organic and GMO labeling movements, the U.S. war on hemp, and why they refuse to sell out. [includes rush transcript]
Human Rights Watch’s Kenneth Roth examines why the U.S. has not pressured Bahrain to release pro-democracy activists. He also discusses Syria and the conditions in Israeli jails and courts that prompted 1,550 Palestinian prisoners to go on a hunger strike. [includes rush transcript]



