The NewsMeBack Blog » Democracy

Louis M. Lyons Award for Mohammed Nabbous Mo

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:02:37 +0000

Mohammed Nabbous Mo was killed in March during Benghazi battle in Libya. He was founder of Libya AlHurra TV and one of the first citizen journalists who started reporting from Libya during the protests.

We have already written about his exceptional work and his ultimate sacrifice for democracy and free media in one of our previous blog posts and now we want to mention him as a recipient of the Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism.

Nieman Fellows chose to honor Nabbous with this prestigious award because of his extreme courage and his wish to fight for a higher purpose and greater good.

Nieman Fellows at Harvard University said :

Mohammed ‘Mo’ Nabbous and others like him, at great personal risk, helped report the facts and spread the news of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Mohammed Nabbous Mo will be awarded posthumously on December 1.

View Mohammed Nabbous and over 3,000,000 other topics on Qwiki.

World Press Freedom Day 2011

admin — Tue, 03 May 2011 12:12:28 +0000

Today is World Press Freedom Day. One of very significant days for entire world. Media in every country serves citizens and free speech. Or at least should do that. Goal is unique, to report and follow news and events and present them to public the way they are.
Past was turbulent, for media and press of course, and for many countries it still is. Though in democratic countries some rules and rights are established long ago, journalists and media still have to be careful and prepared to guard and protect their liberty to say and express.
But this year is special because in few last months countries with non democratic media and press rose up against the regime and fought for free media and democracy. In those turmoil days, which aren’t over yet, social media and citizen journalism had crucial part. When governments tried to shut media and cut them off, citizen journalists bravely reported and shared new events and details online through social media.
That’s why this year social media and citizen journalism are included in celebration of World Press Freedom Day as full and equal members. Their position in media upgraded comparing with last year.

View World Press Freedom Day and over 3,000,000 other topics on Qwiki.

World Bloggers Day 2011

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:55:21 +0000

This is second anniversary of World Bloggers Day. Last year it was modest, with several countries to present their bloggers.
On May 2nd 2011 it’s a worldwide day, celebrating blogging and its influence in digital online media.
This video explain best about importance of bloggers and why they deserve their own day.
It also represents which countries joined 2011.

Blogging became impressive in its consistency and efforts of individuals who have so many things to say and share with the audience.
Many bloggers became national heroes, many started democratization in their countries, many revealed top secrets …
Resume would be that bloggers changed and improved media picture of new age.
Blogging became mainstream phenomenon, widespread and without boundaries. All world languages different education and countries are not obstacles for thinking beings.
Everyone with basic technological knowledge and creative mind can be a blogger. And leave his own mark on global scene.
That’s why bloggers are important part of every nation. They are ambassadors of progressive order.

Can government ban themselves instead of Internet and media

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:35:55 +0000

Scenario – similar to previous.
Democracy and media under restriction. Banned.
Gaddafi regime refuses the truth and wants to keep and preserve theirs.
No matter what.
Since this African ” domino effect ” started many things have changed. People are fighting against tyranny with bravery and will. Streets are full with angry citizens who want better life. They want governments which will fulfill their promises. No more lies.
It’s legitimate. And democratic.
But governments seems know nothing about democracy. Their first step is to ban. Everything they can. Meetings, protests, media ( both traditional and online ).
It was in Tunisia, then Egypt and in every next country where citizens asked for their rights. Governments thought that it is enough to cut Internet. To cut people from the rest of the world and leave them alone. Impossible these days.
Social media was up to its task, people shared everything and found ways to connect.
Libyan government didn’t learn from their neighbors mistakes. Internet can’t be forbidden forever. It is ridiculous to even try same scenario when they saw how it ended in previous protests.
People have power and will, they joined and organized themselves. And they are not that easy to be scared. They have support now.
Free media is what shouldn’t ever be under question. That’s what every president and government and of course citizen must know.

That’s everyone’s right.

New Pakistani website Gawaahi.com by Naveen Naqvi

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:47:23 +0000

Thanks to recommendation from Naveen Naqvi, Pakistani journalist who gave an interview for our blog on May 24th, 2010 about citizen journalism, we are informed about her new website Gawaahi.com.
In their own words on about page :

” Gawaahi.com is home to digital stories of Pakistan. Stories of abuse and survival, the testimonies of the survivors of the worst floods in Pakistan’s history, the narratives of Pakistanis celebrating their individual identities are just some examples of what we have for you. “

This website writes about Pakistan, their life, tradition, problems, customs and issues.
One of their main subjects is flood and how people survived it, what was left and the way they struggle every day.

We also wrote in our blog post Real life citizen journalism in Pakistan floods about Pakistani floods and the victims.

Gawaahi.com talks about abuse, flood survivors, resistance and much more.
Since Pakistan has some strict rules of living and treating women, this website will present platform for further education and maybe change towards more democratic behavior.
This website wants to give attention and space to those simple, ordinary stories which were neglected by mainstream media.
They also invite people of Pakistan to video their stories, success, failures, troubles of all kinds. Their digital archive will capture what happened and how people fought with poverty and disease after floods.
Message is that they are not alone. There is someone who wants to hear their opinion and put it public, even help.

Team who made this website consist of : Naveen Naqvi, Sana Saleem and Nofil Naqvi.

Egyptian Internet and online media blockade

admin — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:01:42 +0000

Egyptian protests.
People fighting for their cause and rights.
One of many battles around this world of ours with new victims and lives sacrificed for better future.
For freedom.
Now I’m not here to write about political choices, governments, elections or ways of leading one country.
Egyptians are fighting for that by themselves.
I’m not here to write about technicalities either. About providers, blocked routes…
There are experts who can solve those issues.
I’m here to write about forbidden rights.
I have to mention forbidden Internet, online life and media.
Egypt is in blockade. One of the most important blockade one society can have.
Someone found the way to stop Internet and stop people from sharing news and update on events which shake entire Egypt. And beyond.
They are unavailable. No “ins” no “outs”.
One of human rights, besides living, eating and breathing, is free speech and free media.
So why and how this happened again?
Media exists to inform citizens about news. Egypt is in big trouble, people are getting hurt and losing their lives and seems like someone wants to prevent those information to exit their country. Leave Egyptians alone and cut out them of the world.
That was the idea, but people know to find their ways out.
Problem is how to prevent this situations.
Online, digital, social media is present and does its job. It is fair and proper to let Internet and its users to communicate and solve political and other problems in some other way. Even this is extremely dangerous situation people need and must have their media available.
It is democratic after all.

World Press Freedom Day 2010

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:12:29 +0000

Situation is changing on better considering media freedom, but there is a need to make a huge step and let people understand what is news manipulation and make politicians understand that they can’t manipulate with crowd by serving them news which are convenient only to them (no matter is it democratic or nondemocratic country).
With faster internet growth and social consciousness, big number of blogs, microblogs and other citizen journalism sites, people will probably learn in time to see the difference between ordered and real news, which means that crucial thing for free media and press is social consciousness.
And when we once overcome that level : I’m informing you to easier rule with you, then we can talk about real day when press freedom came, or : I’m informing you just to inform you.
Until then one part of the world will be constantly misinformed, which of course doesn’t have to refer on all citizens of those countries, because one bigger part already knows how to differ true and real news and to recognize news significant for his life and surroundings.
So, citizen journalism should play important role here because more citizen journalists means more independent and totally free media which report only about things people really want to know and true information.
Also there will always be people who will try to use citizen journalism for bad purpose, but those are things easy to identify and most likely easy to refuse and eliminate out of market.
Journalists by themselves should be more careful and never write ordered texts or stop if they used to write them. Mostly because giving people real information should be in their personal and professional interest, too.
Ordered texts and news which purpose is to promote some political party, multinational corporation or some separate product are nothing but simple advertisement, and that’s not what journalists should write about. There are advertisement agencies which profession is to write by order.
Reporter must be independent, free and his part is to present news the way it happened, whether his title is journalist or citizen journalist.
Both will have lots of work in next period so that people could get better and correct information.

New media spreading wings in Nairobi, Kenya

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:58:25 +0000

Since we still live in the world of democracy on hold, where there are still countries without free press and media, where articles about anything that involves politics get censorship, where journalists disappear from the face of the earth as a ghosts and where talking or just thinking against politics and government are considered as a sentence to death, every news about change is more than welcome.
In new and modern Kenya, with more open journalism we can see some new glance of democracy.
Looks like in past few years media and journalists get more freedom and options to write and do their jobs.
President Mwai Kibaki had all good words about journalism and improvement in reporting. Better conditions and new technology gave serious results. While he was at the Pan Africa Media Conference at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) on Thursday, he praised citizen journalists as well as journalists and complete media in Africa saying that Africa has changed and still changing media and information system.
As it was said in the article :

He urged players in the media industry to be guided by public good while executing their unique roles of informing, educating and entertaining the society because they hold the communication channels as custodians of the public good.

As a conclusion all we can say is to invite journalists and citizens to continue their work and let the world know what is happening in their countries.

World Press Freedom Day

admin — Sun, 03 May 2009 13:12:28 +0000

Big day for all of us who love journalism.
Freedom is something necessary, something everyone must have. Something no one would like to lose.
For freedom to speak and write many people had to fight and demonstrate. And because I think everyone has the right to know what is happening in his country or neighborhood journalists must have free space and absolute freedom for work.
True journalists are heroes, they fought for out freedom to sit in our homes and debate and write our thoughts and ideas. That is positive.
That is why freedom for journalists and reporters is crucial.

Freedom of speech and democracy

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:35:13 +0000

This is it. And this must stay always untouched.

Where will we be if someone starts to ban free speech?

Power of the words, it is proven. Nowadays we can see its force all around us. Generations who lived so many years ago fought battles to achieve something that many today take for granted. Like every freedom this too had its price. Words, letters and expressing is what we need to stay sacred. Democracy is our pride, the thing we always mention when we want to emphasize our progress and achievements.

Everyone has the right to think and say what’s on his/her mind, and as long as it does not hurt or insult anyone, it is OK. And if it is some accusation, then there are institutions to deal with it, but again it is not a solution to forbid.