IPI concerned over journalist’s imprisonment
(IPI/IFEX) – In a 1 August 2001 letter to US Attorney General John Ashcroft, IPI expressed concern over the jailing of a journalist for refusing to hand over her research notes to a federal grand jury. According to the information before IPI, Vanessa Leggett, a freelance journalist, was found in contempt of court by U.S. […]
Two journalists arrested while covering Greenpeace demonstration
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter addressed to Attorney General John Ashcroft, RSF expressed its concern about the arrest and detention pending trial of Steve Morgan and Nick Clyde, independent photographer and videographer, respectively, in Los Angeles. RSF asked the attorney general to explain the reasons for the arrests. “Without going into the substance of this […]
Editor and publisher face criminal defamation charges
(IPI/IFEX) – In a 6 April 2001 letter to Governor of Kansas Bill Graves, IPI strongly condemned the decision by the Wyandotte County district attorney to bring charges of criminal defamation against an editor and a publisher. According to IPI’s sources, David Carson and Edward H. Powers Jr, publisher and editor of “The New Observer”, […]
CPJ concerned about second incident of police posing as journalists in hostage crisis
**For background information on the Luxembourg case, see IFEX alerts of 6 and 2 June 2000** (CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 15 June 2000 CPJ press release: CPJ CONCERNED ABOUT SECOND INCIDENT OF POLICE POSING AS JOURNALISTS IN HOSTAGE CRISIS New York, June 15, 2000 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned […]
Community journalists denied access to International Monetary Fund meeting
Community radio stations are not allowed, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF), nor are other community media outlets that want to cover the IMF and World Bank spring 2000 meetings. According to Media Alliance, a San Francisco-based media advocacy organisation, just one week before its spring meeting the IMF has issued letters denying access to […]
Journalist attacked while covering funeral
In a 28 March 2000 letter to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, CPJ stated that it is deeply troubled by reports that journalist Errol Maitland of the radio station WBAI was attacked by members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) while covering the 25 March funeral of Patrick Dorismond, a Haitian-American who was fatally shot by […]
Journalist jailed for refusing to reveal his sources
(RSF/IFEX) – In a 29 February 2000 letter to Ronald M. George, chief justice of California, RSF protested “against the imprisonment of Tim Crews, editor of the twice-weekly Sacramento Valley Mirror”. According to RSF, this decision “is a serious violation of press freedom”, in that it “calls into question the basic journalistic principle that reporters […]
IFJ expresses concern over AOL-Time Warner deal’s threat to freedom of expression
(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ press release: Media Release January 11th 2000 New Media Giant: Dangers to Democracy In Rich-Poor Divide and Threats to Editorial Independence Says IFJ The International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest organisation of journalists, today responded to the merger of Time Warner, the biggest media and entertainment company […]
Independent panel should review police action at World Trade Organisation meeting, says Human Rights Watch
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a 2 December 1999 Human Rights Watch press release: INDEPENDENT PANEL SHOULD REVIEW POLICE AT WTO (New York, December 2, 1999) — Human Rights Watch today called on Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and Washington State Governor Gary Locke to appoint an impartial, independent panel to investigate the response of law […]
Community radio demands justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal
(AMARC/IFEX) – AMARC joins in international solidarity in demanding a fair trial for US political prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal, recently granted a stay of execution on the death warrant issued for 2 December 1999. **Updates IFEX alerts of 20 September, 8 August, 7 August, 26 July, 19 July, 14 July and 7 July 1995** According to […]
Threat to suspend museum’s funding
(PEN/IFEX) – The following is a PEN statement regarding the threat to cut subsidies to the Brooklyn Museum of Art: ADD YOUR NAME to PEN Statement on the Brooklyn Museum of Art controversy SIGN ON to the statement (copied below) in defense of artistic freedom at www.pen.org Join the hundreds of writers, artists and concerned […]
Government adviser slapped journalist, paper reports
(PINA/IFEX) – A woman journalist for American Samoa’s daily newspaper was slapped in the face by a former lawmaker who is now a government adviser to the territorial House of Representatives, the newspaper “Samoa News” alleged on 14 June 1999. The adviser, Gus Hannemann, was said to be upset because journalist Fili Sagapolutele reported that […]
Two journalists threatened with jail sentence
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the order to jail journalists Kathy Scruggs and Ron Martz. According to RSF’s information, on Thursday 3 June 1999, Fulton County State Court Judge John Mather ordered the imprisonment of Scruggs and Martz of the “Atlanta Journal Constitution” on contempt charges for refusing to reveal their sources. The order was […]
Northern Marianas governor attacks mainland USA news media
(PINA/IFEX) – Reporting on the American Pacific Islands Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas by mainland United States of America (USA) news media has again been attacked. Northern Marianas Governor Pedro Tenorio says the mainland media are hurting efforts to attract foreign investors to the islands, the regional news agency Pacnews reported on 2 June 1999. […]
Journalist warned of contract on his life
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has just learned that on 10 June 1998, Robert Friedman, a freelance journalist specialising in organised crime in Russia and who lives in New York, was warned by an officer from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that there was a contract on his life. The journalist suspects that a Russian citizen […]
American Samoa lawmaker wants Clinton-Lewinsky reporting investigated
(PINA/IFEX) – A legislator in American Samoa wants the territory’s House of Representatives to look at the local media’s reporting, especially Samoan language stories on President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. On 9 March 1999, the Pago Pago, American Samoa, daily newspaper “Samoa News” reported that Representative Leuluaisaopapa Io Matautia told the House that newspaper […]