Self Censorship in media Role of citizen journalists

State of Emergency since January 2007
Military backed interim government
Criticism of Government punishable by law
Military intelligence influencing the press
Self censorship imposed by the media
The Bangladesh Scenario

The threats
Press under emergency Rule
http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2008/02/23/bangladesh-press-groans-under-emergency-rule/
Tasneem khalil
http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2008/02/14/speak-up-against-torture-speak-up-for-democracy/

The threats
Threat of Internet restrictions in Bangladesh
http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2007/10/03/crackdown-on-internet-users-in-bangladesh/
The authorities issued notice to ISPs to:
- Provide a list of all their subscribers with name, address and connection details.
Share the admin password of internet gateway servers.

Why it occurs?
Out of fear of repression & sanction
To conform to the expectations of the market
influence by corporate owners and advertisers in decisions on which stories to cover
Not taking any risks, think about livelihood
newsworthy stories are avoided because they are too boring or complicated
Self Censorship

What are the consequences?
Failure to report the truth
Failure to protect the whistleblowers
Helping authoritarians agenda in absence of check and balance
Blatant submission to radicals
Making press ineffective
Self Censorship Image: David Oslar

The role of citizen media
Blogs are growing in Bangladesh rapidly
Bloggers defy the threats of emergency act.
Bloggers providing information and analysis the mainstream media would normally avoid
Blogger-journalists publishing investigative reports in their blogs
Most of the bloggers are blogging in Bangla

The Guardian, January 12, 2007 http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/01/some_hope_amid.html The role of citizen media

The condemned cartoonist Arifur Rahman, who was charged by the government for hurting religious sentiments because of a harmless cartoon (which quoted prophet Muhammad) published in a a popular Bangla Daily’s supplement. He was also indicted with a sedition charge and was recently freed by court from a six month long detention.
The role of citizen media

Very conservative society
People have no sympathy for homosexuals
After emergency rule gay meets stopped.
Internet forums are helping Bangladeshi gay communities to be organized and maintain contacts.
Himal South Asian Magazine, March 2008 http://himalmag.com/2008/march/cover_bangladeshi_gay_community.htm Breaking Taboos

Helping bloggers
To Beat internet tapping
To blog Anonymously
To avoid local ISP’s email service and use secure mails like Gmail/hotmail
Security when using public computers
http://www.progressivebangladesh.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=112&Itemid=26

Way ahead
More outreach efforts to grow more citizen journalists from grassroots
Keep vigil and protest any attempt to clamp down internet
Publish guides in Bangla to spread knowledge about security, curbing filters and educate how to blog anonymously

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Self Censorship in media Role of citizen journalists

by Global Voices on Jul 04, 2008

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Self Censorship in media Role of citizen journalists — Presentation Transcript

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