Self Censorship in media

Role of citizen journalists

The Bangladesh Scenario

• 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 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 role of citizen media

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

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

Breaking Taboos

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

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

your views?

Thank You