Freedom of Speech Roundup
by Sampsonia Way / October 27, 2012 / No comments
In the weekly Freedom of Speech Roundup, Sampsonia Way presents some of the week’s top news on freedom of expression, journalists in danger, artists in exile, and banned literature.
Mario Savio, the 'face' of the Free Speech Movement, at a victory rally in UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza on Dec. 9, 1964. Photo: Sam Churchill. This year the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education found that, of 392 colleges, 65 percent had policies that violated the Constitution’s guarantee of the right to free speech.
Feigning Free Speech on Campus
New York Times. “For reasons both good and bad — and sometimes for mere administrative convenience — colleges have promulgated speech codes that are not only absurd in their results but also detrimental to the ideals of free inquiry.” Read Here
China: Film Censored; Ai Weiwei Video and New York Times Article Blocked
LA Times. Director Lou Ye has angered Chinese authorities with films containing sensitive subjects like sex and politics for the last 20 years. His newest film, Mystery, was initially approved by the censorship board, but has recently come under scrutiny. Read Here
New York Times. On Friday the Chinese government blocked access to the Times’ English- and Chinese-language sites in response to an article in both languages describing wealth accumulated by the family of the country’s prime minister. Read Here
NPR. Chinese dissident and artist Ai Weiwei is pushing authorities’ buttons again, this time with a “Gangnam Style” video spoof that was quickly blocked from Chinese websites. Read Here
Turkey’s Press Freedom Crisis
CPJ. “The Turkish authorities are waging one of the world’s biggest anti-press campaigns in recent history. Dozens of writers and editors are in prison, nearly all on terrorism or other anti-state charges.” Read the Report Here
Internet Anti-Censorship Tools Overwhelmed by Demand
Washington Post. Over 1 million people use anti-tracking and anti-censorship software every day. Unfortunately, human rights groups say, the demand for the software has overwhelmed capacity, making the tools slow or inaccessible. Read Here
Somalia: Radio Journalist Badly Injured in Targeted Shooting
allAfrica.com. On Sunday night, Mohamed Mohamud Turyare, a journalist for Radio Shabelle was shot four times by two gunmen. He is still alive. Since 2007 eight Radio Shabelle employees have been killed. Read Here
Burma: Exiles Can Return—If They Promise to be Good
The Independent. Burmese exiles looking to return home have been required to sign written undertakings that they will avoid criticizing the government or publishing anything that could “harm the state.” Read Here
Interview: Iranian Musician Responds to Death Threats
Arts Freedom. This interview with Iranian singer and rapper Shahin Najafi took place five months after a fatwa was issued against him. It proclaimed him an apostate for recording the song “Ay Naghi” and sentenced him to death under Islamic law. Najafi is currently in exile in Germany. Read the Interview Here
Beyond the Circle of Hell: Junot Diaz’s New Short Story Collection
New York Review of Books. Francine Prose on Junot Diaz’s new collection of short stories This is How You Lose Her and the politics of his bi-lingual writing. Read Here
Free to Fight Hate Speech
The Hoya. “The First Amendment guarantees not simply a right, but also a responsibility, to speak out and take responsibility for the consequences of our speech.” Read Here
