Freedom of Press

How the press is working around…

Chávez sends military to close radio-stations

Porto Alegre, August 22, 2008

The president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, sent soldiers to confiscate equipments from the radio-stations Rumbera Network and Llanera, both from Guarico. The radios now cannot broadcast. Chávez is acting in this state because the governor Eduardo Mannuit is a dissident from his government and his party, the PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela). According to Chávez, the radios have political use.

August 22, 2008 Posted by lvieira | Venezuela | | No Comments Yet

Journalists from Paraguay dennounce bad treatment from Chávez´s security

Translated from Globovisión

Paraguayans journalists from many media groups dennounced that they got bad treatment by the members of the security of the presidente of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez. He was visiting Paraguay to talk with the president of the country, Fernando Lugo. The incident ocurred in San Pedro, 300 km from the capital of Paraguay, where the safe guards forbidden reporters and journalists to approach the venezuelan president.

“They made a human wall, they pushed us and hit us”, said Jorge Cañete, from ABC Color from Assunción. Aníbal from Radio Ñanduti and reporters from Diario Popular dennounced too that were victims of bad treatment from the Chavez´s safe guards.

August 18, 2008 Posted by lvieira | Venezuela | | No Comments Yet

Singapore: Very rich, but without freedom

Porto Alegre, August 17, 2008

by Luís Henrique Vieira

Singapore is widely known as an island of prosperity and somewhere you can get rich easy. The country has the 6th GDP per capita of the world (US$ 49,714). Otherside, some people can get suprised with some rules for native people from Singapore. The blog Censorship in Singapore reveals that Singapore´s government establishes many kinds of censorship in the laws of the country.

The amazing island of Singapore

To play a game or watch a movie in the asian island you have to be allowed by the BFC (Board of Film Censors) under the MDA (Media Development Authority). According to the government, games like Mortal Kombat, Doom or Grand Theft Auto “allow players to make crimes”. Persons with less than 18 years can´t buy these games.

In Singapore is ilegal to broadcast political movies ou films with a lot of violence. The Texas Chain Say Massacre, Shortbus and Life of Brain were banned in the country.

Broadcasting rules

“Authority” means the Media Development Authority of Singapore established under the Media Development Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 172);

“broadcasting apparatus” means any apparatus capable of or designed or constructed for the reception of any broadcasting service and specified in the First Schedule;
“broadcasting apparatus licence” means a licence granted under section 20 in respect of broadcasting apparatus, and “broadcasting apparatus licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
“broadcasting licence” means a licence granted under section 8 or 9 for the provision of a licensable broadcasting service, and “broadcasting licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
“broadcasting service” means a service whereby signs or signals transmitted, whether or not encrypted, comprise —
(a) any programme capable of being received, or received and displayed, as visual images, whether moving or still;
(b) any sound programme for reception; or
(c) any programme, being a combination of both visual image (whether moving or still) and sound for reception or reception and display,
by persons having equipment appropriate for receiving, or receiving and displaying, as the case may be, that service, irrespective of the means of delivery of that service;
“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Authority and includes any temporary Chairman of the Authority;
“chief executive” means the chief executive of the Authority appointed under section 28 of the Media Development Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 172) and includes any person acting in that capacity;
“class licence” means a licence determined under section 9 to be applicable to certain licensable broadcasting services, and “class licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
“Code of Practice” means a Code of Practice issued under this Act;
“debenture” includes debenture stock;
“dwelling-house” includes a hotel, inn, boarding house or other similar establishment;
“encrypted” means treated electronically or otherwise for the purpose of preventing intelligible reception;
“free-to-air broadcasting service” means a licensable broadcasting service made available for reception in not less than 2 dwelling-houses by broadcasting apparatus commonly available to the public without payment of a subscription fee;
“free-to-air licence” means a broadcasting licence granted under this Act for the operation of a free-to-air broadcasting service, and “free-to-air licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
“Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore” means the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore established under section 3 of the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 137A);
“licence” means a licence granted under any provision of this Act, and “licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
” behalf of the Government.

Learn more in Censorship in Singapore.

August 17, 2008 Posted by lvieira | General | | 1 Comment

The Worldwide Press Freedom index

The organization Reporters Without Borders makes an annual ranking considering the freedom of press in the countries. Andorra and Malta are not in the list. The rank is based on a questionnaire sent to partner organisations of Reporters Without Borders (14 freedom of expression groups in five continents) and its 130 correspondents around the world, as well as to journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists.

According to RWB, survey asks questions about direct attacks on journalists and the media as well as other indirect sources of pressure against the free press. Check your contry below.

Rank Country Index Notes
2007 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
1 Flag of Iceland Iceland 0.75 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
1 Flag of Norway Norway 0.75 2.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
3 Flag of Estonia Estonia 1.00 2.00 1.50 2.00 2.50
3 Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 1.00 2.50 0.75 0.50 2.50
5 Flag of Belgium Belgium 1.50 4.00 4.00 4.00 1.17 3.50
5 Flag of Finland Finland 1.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
5 Flag of Sweden Sweden 1.50 4.00 2.00 2.00 1.50 1.50
8 Flag of Denmark Denmark 2.00 5.00 0.50 0.50 1.00 3.00
8 Flag of Ireland Republic of Ireland 2.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.83 1.00
8 Flag of Portugal Portugal 2.00 3.00 4.83 4.50 5.17 1.50
11 Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 3.00 2.50 0.50 0.50 2.50 4.25
12 Flag of Latvia Latvia 3.50 3.00 2.50 1.00 2.25
12 Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 3.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
14 Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 4.00 0.75 1.00 3.50 2.50 11.25
15 Flag of New Zealand New Zealand 4.17 5.00 2.00 0.67 2.83
16 Flag of Austria Austria 4.25 4.50 2.50 3.25 2.75 7.50
17 Flag of Hungary Hungary 4.50 3.00 2.00 6.00 3.33 6.50
18 Flag of Canada Canada 4.88 4.50 4.50 3.33 1.83 0.75
19 Flag of Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 5.00 5.00 2.00 2.00 1.00
20 Flag of Germany Germany 5.75 5.50 4.00 2.00 1.33 1.50
21 Flag of Costa Rica Costa Rica 6.50 6.67 8.50 7.63 3.83 4.25
21 Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 6.50 3.00 1.00 2.25 3.00 4.00
23 Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 7.00 6.50 4.50 3.00 2.83
24 Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 8.25 6.50 5.17 6.00 4.25 6.00
25 Flag of Mauritius Mauritius 8.50 8.00 7.50 10.50 7.25 9.50
25 Flag of Namibia Namibia 8.50 6.00 5.50 10.00 11.00 8.00
27 Flag of Jamaica Jamaica 8.63 5.50 7.50 4.17 3.33
28 Flag of Australia Australia 8.79 9.00 6.50 9.50 9.25 3.50
29 Flag of Ghana Ghana 9.00 8.50 15.00 13.50 8.75 23.00
30 Flag of Greece Greece 9.25 8.00 4.00 7.00 6.00 5.00
31 Flag of France France 9.75 9.00 6.25 3.50 4.17 3.25
32 Flag of the Republic of China Republic of China (Taiwan) 10.00 10.50 12.25 14.25 12.00 9.00
33 Flag of Spain Spain 10.25 10.00 8.33 9.00 7.67 7.75
34 Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina 11.17 5.00 7.00 3.67 6.83 12.50
35 Flag of Italy Italy 11.25 9.90 8.67 9.00 9.75 11.00
36 Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Macedonia 11.50 11.50 8.75 11.25 9.67
37 Flag of Japan Japan 11.75 12.50 8.00 10.00 8.00 7.50
37 Flag of Uruguay Uruguay 11.75 13.75 9.75 10.00 4.00 6.00
Flag of Grenada Grenada 12.00
39 Flag of Chile Chile 12.13 11.63 11.75 10.00 6.83 6.50
39 Flag of South Korea South Korea 12.13 7.75 7.50 11.13 9.17 10.50
41 Flag of Croatia Croatia 12.50 13.00 12.83 11.83 16.50 8.75
42 Flag of Romania Romania 12.75 14.00 16.17 17.83 11.50 13.25
43 Flag of South Africa South Africa 13.00 11.25 6.50 5.00 3.33 7.50
44 Flag of Israel Israel (Israeli territory) 13.25 12.00 10.00 8.00 8.00 30.00
45 Flag of Cape Verde Cape Verde 14.00 11.50 6.00 8.75 8.25 13.75
45 Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 14.00 7.50 5.50 22.00 20.83 pre-2005 data included Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
47 Flag of Nicaragua Nicaragua 14.25 15.50 15.25 11.67 6.50
48 Flag of the United States United States 14.50 13.00 9.50 4.00 6.00 4.75
49 Flag of Togo Togo 15.17 15.00 23.75 19.50 27.50 31.50
50 Flag of Mauritania Mauritania 15.50 17.50 40.00 51.00 36.67 41.33
51 Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 16.25 9.00 10.25 8.00 6.50 9.75
52 Flag of Mali Mali 16.50 9.00 8.00 12.83 11.00 12.50
53 Flag of Benin Benin 17.00 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.25 6.00
54 Flag of Panama Panama 17.88 9.50 15.00 14.50 9.75 15.50
55 Flag of Tanzania Tanzania 18.00 19.82 17.50 14.50 16.50 21.25
56 Flag of Ecuador Ecuador 18.50 15.25 21.75 16.50 7.67 5.50
56 Flag of Poland Poland 18.50 14.00 12.50 6.83 6.17 7.75
58 Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 19.00 14.50 12.50 22.00 20.83 pre-2005 data included Cyprus
58 Flag of Montenegro Montenegro 19.00 11.50 14.83 20.13 21.33 20.75 pre-2007 data from Serbia and Montenegro
60 Flag of Kosovo Kosovo 19.75 16.00 25.75 20.13 21.33 20.75 pre-2005 data from Serbia and Montenegro
61 Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong 20.00 14.00 8.25 7.50 11.00 4.83
61 Flag of Madagascar Madagascar 20.00 15.00 24.50 18.50 8.17 22.75
63 Flag of Kuwait Kuwait 20.17 17.00 21.25 31.67 31.33 25.50
64 Flag of El Salvador El Salvador 20.20 10.00 5.75 6.00 6.83 8.75
65 Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 20.25 17.50 25.75 50.25 37.00
66 Flag of Georgia (country) Georgia 20.83 21.00 25.17 27.50 17.33
67 Flag of Serbia Serbia 21.00 11.50 14.83 20.13 21.33 20.75 pre-2007 data from Serbia and Montenegro
68 Flag of Bolivia Bolivia 21.50 4.50 9.67 20.00 9.67 14.50
68 Flag of Burkina Faso Burkina Faso 21.50 16.00 19.00 16.25 18.00 27.75
68 Flag of Zambia Zambia 21.50 22.50 23.00 29.75 23.25 26.75
71 Flag of the Central African Republic Central African Republic 22.50 14.50 19.75 32.50 32.75 21.50
72 Flag of the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic 22.75 12.75 12.25 6.75 17.00
73 Flag of Mozambique Mozambique 23.00 11.50 10.50 16.25 14.00 23.50
74 Flag of Mongolia Mongolia 23.40 19.25 12.50 19.00 18.25 24.50
75 Flag of Botswana Botswana 23.50 13.00 14.00 11.50 13.00
75 Flag of Haiti Haiti 23.50 19.50 33.50 42.13 31.00 36.50
77 Flag of Armenia Armenia 23.63 25.50 26.00 23.50 25.17
78 Flag of Kenya Kenya 23.75 30.25 30.00 22.25 18.50 24.75
79 Flag of Qatar Qatar 24.00 18.00 23.00 32.50 35.00
80 Flag of the Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo 24.50 17.00 17.00 17.50 14.00 23.17
81 Flag of Moldova Moldova 24.75 19.17 17.50 20.50 27.00
82 Flag of Argentina Argentina 24.83 17.30 13.67 21.33 15.17 12.00
83 Flag of Senegal Senegal 25.00 17.50 19.00 21.50 14.50 14.00
84 Flag of Brazil Brazil 25.25 17.17 14.50 16.50 16.75 18.75
85 Flag of Cambodia Cambodia 25.33 27.25 23.00 36.50 19.50 24.25
85 Flag of Liberia Liberia 25.33 19.00 20.50 40.00 40.00 37.75
87 Flag of Albania Albania 25.50 18.00 14.17 11.50 6.50
87 Flag of Honduras Honduras 25.50 14.50 18.00 11.75 14.17
87 Flag of Niger Niger 25.50 24.50 13.00 18.33 15.75 18.50
90 Flag of Paraguay Paraguay 26.10 18.25 15.50 10.50 7.17 8.50
91 Flag of Angola Angola 26.50 21.50 18.00 26.50 28.00 30.17
92 Flag of Malawi Malawi 26.75 25.50 22.75 31.00 21.00 27.67
92 Flag of Ukraine Ukraine 26.75 26.50 32.50 51.00 40.00 40.00
94 Flag of Côte d'Ivoire Côte d’Ivoire 27.00 25.00 52.25 60.38 42.17 19.00
94 Flag of East Timor Timor-Leste 27.00 18.50 13.50 13.50 5.50
96 Flag of the Comoros Comoros 28.00 22.50 22.00 26.50 18.50 20.50
96 Flag of Uganda Uganda 28.00 29.83 19.25 24.00 25.75 17.00
98 Flag of Lebanon Lebanon 28.75 27.00 28.25 24.38 32.50 19.67
99 Flag of Lesotho Lesotho 29.50 16.00 19.50 29.50 17.75
100 Flag of Indonesia Indonesia 30.50 26.00 26.00 37.75 34.25 20.00
101 Flag of Turkey Turkey 31.25 25.00 25.00 37.25 35.00 33.50
102 Flag of Gabon Gabon 31.50 28.50 26.00 37.50 31.25 20.50
103 Flag of Israel Israel (extra-territorial) 32.00 47.00 37.50 49.00
104 Flag of Guatemala Guatemala 33.00 21.25 21.50 16.50 30.83 27.25
104 Flag of the Seychelles Seychelles 33.00 24.50 17.00 23.50 26.75 20.75
106 Flag of Morocco Morocco 33.25 24.83 36.17 43.00 39.67 29.00
107 Flag of Fiji Fiji 33.50 14.00 14.00 16.00 11.50
107 Flag of Guinea Guinea 33.50 27.50 26.00 24.50 33.17 26.00
107 Flag of Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau 33.50 14.50 17.00 23.50 35.25 30.25
110 Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan 33.60 34.00 32.00 35.25 32.00 31.75
111 Flag of Cameroon Cameroon 36.00 28.25 20.50 27.00 30.50 28.83
111 Flag of the United States United States (extra-territorial) 36.00 31.50 48.50 36.00 41.00
113 Flag of Chad Chad 36.50 35.50 30.00 33.25 24.00 28.75
114 Flag of Venezuela Venezuela 36.88 29.00 23.00 24.63 27.83 25.00
115 Flag of Tajikistan Tajikistan 37.00 30.00 33.00 27.75 34.50 28.25
116 Flag of Bhutan Bhutan 37.17 25.00 51.50 55.83 77.33 90.75
117 Flag of Peru Peru 37.38 28.25 33.33 40.00 10.25 9.50
118 Flag of Bahrain Bahrain 38.00 28.00 38.75 52.50 35.17 23.00
Flag of Brunei Brunei 38.00
119 Flag of Tonga Tonga 38.25 13.00 14.50 38.17
120 Flag of India India 39.33 26.50 27.00 38.50 39.00 26.50
121 Flag of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone 39.50 26.00 39.50 24.50 23.50 24.50
122 Flag of Jordan Jordan 40.21 27.50 24.00 39.13 37.00 33.50
123 Flag of Algeria Algeria 40.50 40.00 40.33 43.50 33.00 31.00
124 Flag of Malaysia Malaysia 41.00 22.25 33.00 39.83 32.00 37.83
125 Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 41.63 41.00 36.17 44.17 42.50 42.00
126 Flag of Colombia Colombia 42.33 44.75 40.17 47.38 49.17 40.83
127 Flag of Burundi Burundi 43.40 39.83
128 Flag of the Philippines Philippines 44.75 51.00 50.00 36.63 35.25 29.00
129 Flag of the Maldives Maldives 45.17 51.25 58.50 69.17 47.50
130 Flag of The Gambia Gambia 48.25 54.00 41.00 29.50 18.25 22.50
131 Flag of Nigeria Nigeria 49.83 32.23 38.75 37.75 31.50 15.50
132 Flag of Djibouti Djibouti 50.25 33.00 37.00 55.00 35.50 31.25
133 Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo 50.50 51.00 57.33 51.50 38.50 40.75
134 Flag of Bangladesh Bangladesh 53.17 48.00 61.25 62.50 46.50 43.75
135 Flag of Thailand Thailand 53.50 33.50 28.00 14.00 19.67 22.75
136 Flag of Mexico Mexico 53.63 45.83 45.50 27.83 17.67 24.75
137 Flag of Nepal Nepal 53.75 73.50 86.75 84.00 51.50 63.00
138 Flag of Swaziland Swaziland 54.50 40.50 35.00 31.00 37.50 29.00
139 Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan 55.40 47.00 51.00 49.67 34.50 34.50
140 Flag of Sudan Sudan 55.75 48.13 44.00 44.25 45.75 36.00
141 Flag of Singapore Singapore 56.00 51.50 50.67 57.00 47.33
142 Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan 56.50 44.25 39.17 28.25 40.17 35.50
143 Flag of Yemen Yemen 56.67 54.00 46.25 48.00 41.83 34.75
144 Flag of Russia Russia 56.90 52.50 48.67 51.38 49.50 48.00
145 Flag of Tunisia Tunisia 57.00 53.75 57.50 62.67 50.83 67.75
Flag of Oman Oman 57.75
146 Flag of Egypt Egypt 58.00 46.25 52.00 43.50 34.25 34.50
147 Flag of Rwanda Rwanda 58.88 41.00 38.00 37.25 34.25 37.50
148 Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 59.75 76.00 66.00 79.17 71.50 62.50
149 Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 62.00 50.00 64.25 67.50 45.50 48.25
150 Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia 63.00 75.00 42.00 37.00 37.50 37.50
151 Flag of Belarus Belarus 63.63 57.00 61.33 54.10 52.00 52.17
152 Flag of Pakistan Pakistan 64.83 70.33 60.75 61.75 39.00 44.67
153 Flag of Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea 65.25 48.00 44.00 46.25 44.75 42.75
154 Flag of Syria Syria 66.00 63.00 55.00 67.50 67.50 62.83
155 Flag of Libya Libya 66.50 62.50 88.75 65.00 60.00 72.50
156 Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 67.50 50.75 33.25 36.50 24.83 15.75
157 Flag of Iraq Iraq 67.83 66.83 67.00 58.50 37.50 79.00
158 Palestinian Authority 69.83 46.75 42.50 43.17 39.25 27.00
159 Flag of Somalia Somalia 71.50 51.25 59.00 43.50 45.00
160 Flag of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan 74.88 71.00 66.50 52.13 61.50 45.00
161 Flag of Laos Laos 75.00 67.50 66.50 64.33 94.83 89.00
162 Flag of Vietnam Vietnam 79.25 67.25 73.25 86.88 89.17 81.25
163 Flag of the People's Republic of China People’s Republic of China (mainland only) 89.00 94.00 83.00 92.33 91.25 97.00
164 Flag of Burma Myanmar 93.75 94.75 88.83 103.63 95.50 96.83
165 Flag of Cuba Cuba 96.17 95.00 87.00 106.83 97.83 90.25
166 Flag of Iran Iran 96.50 90.88 89.17 78.30 89.33 48.25
167 Flag of Turkmenistan Turkmenistan 103.75 98.50 93.50 99.83 82.83 91.50
168 Flag of North Korea North Korea 108.75 109.00 109.00 107.50 99.50 97.50
169 Flag of Eritrea Eritrea 114.75 97.50 99.75 93.25 91.50 83.67

August 11, 2008 Posted by lvieira | General | | 2 Comments

Morgan Freeman is already ok

For those who expected more news about the actor Morgan Freeman, he was ok since thursday (08.07) according to the hospital from Memphis. Freeman got a car accident on last weekend and receveid treatment for broken bones.

The actor lost the control of his car while he was driving close to his home in Mississipi. The british newspaper Daily Mail reported that Morgan Freeman is divorcing from his wife after 24 hours of marry.

This blog is talking about that because this blogger is an assumed fan of Morgan Freeman. Also, because this blog will talk about things not related to free press sometimes, to be nicer.

August 10, 2008 Posted by lvieira | General | | No Comments Yet

Bill O’Reilly is really watchdog journalist

Porto Alegre, August 9, 2008

by Luís Henrique Vieira

For who does not know, watchdog journalism is the job that is incumbent to provide the truth whatever who will be touched with the facts, even workmates. The american journalist Bill O’Reilly commands a daily show at Fox News TV and he is a really watchdog journalist. On last thursday (08.07), O’Reily dennounced that the Florida Congressman Robert Wexler does not live in Florida and pay income taxes just there. Besides that, his show told that The Palm Beach Post is not commited with the public, but with political forces. Check the text below:

Media Corruption

The O’Reilly Factor

“Last week we reported that Florida Congressman Robert Wexler doesn’t live in Florida. It also looks like Wexler pays income taxes in Florida, not in Maryland where he actually lives. The Palm Beach Post, a far left concern for years, wrote that the Congressman had done nothing wrong and then attacked us for reporting the story. The head hatchet man is editorial page editor Randy Schultz, a committed left wing zealot. Few people care about the Palm Beach Post or Schultz, but here is the bigger picture: No longer can Americans trust the media, which was given special Constitutional privileges to look out for the folks. The Palm Beach Post and many other media outlets are in the business of advancing a political cause – liberalism – and there’s no balance in this ideological intrusion. Media ideology has greatly aided Barack Obama in his quest to be president, and now it’s being used as a blunt instrument. The folks in Congressman Wexler’s district have a right to know where the man lives and what his tax situation is. We provided that; the Palm Beach Post did not. You decide which enterprise is noble.”

August 9, 2008 Posted by lvieira | General | | No Comments Yet

China´s challenge is on

Porto Alegre, August 8, 2008

by Luís Henrique Vieira

Doug Mills/New York Times

The olympic games in China started officially today. A lot of people believe that with this event, chinese people will get more freedom. But, in fact, what is really changing? What does China´s government will do after the olympic games end? I honestly cannot think as an optimistic with this reality. Some people thought that at time the country opens economics, it opens politically. However, the economy is opening since 10 years ago. The international community admits that cannot make nothing after China got a powerful country. Sarkozy and Bush´s speeches in their own countries will not work for a country that does not allow foreign television´s networks.

Now, to conquer the freedom is a challenge that only chinese people can got it. Although, the olympic games will not be smaller because of  a communist dictatorship.

August 8, 2008 Posted by lvieira | China | | No Comments Yet

RCTV asks for condemnation for Chávez at international court

Translated from Folha de São Paulo from August 8, 2008

Employees of RCTV (Radio Caracas Televisión) asked for the International Court of Human Rights for a condemnation for the government of Venezuela because of the attacks hostilities that suffered. The lawyer Carlos Ayala said that it´s a case of arround 20 victims, that from 2002 to 2005 were attacked by many 23 times, resulting for violent speeches that were not punished or investigated.

The venezuelan ambassador in the court, Germán Saltón, charged “insignificant” the number of attacks and a decision for RCTV would stimulate a “desetablishing action” in the media companies.

August 8, 2008 Posted by lvieira | Venezuela | | No Comments Yet

Book tells stories about the censorship of brazilian workers party

Porto Alegre, August 7th, 2008

by Luís Henrique Vieira

Launched just in 2006, the book called “Vanguarda do Atraso” (Delay´s vanguard) tells stories about the difficulties of the press during the gorvernment of the governor Olívio Dutra, from PT (Brazilian Workers Party), in the state of Rio Grande do Sul(Brazil). This term was since 1999 until 2003. At the book, the journalist Diego Casagrande interviews 11 journalist that talk about their own experiences.

The subjects that increased the rage of PT´s government was private property, ilegal games, Farc and the freedom of press. The strategy was process all journalists that talked bad about the party or the government. Also, they tried to cut advertises from the government at the media companies that do not terminate journalists that criticizes the government. They used the own party or the government to do that. The argument was the opinion of the journalists. However, the brazilian constitution keeps the right of the journalists to have opinion.

The journalist José Barrionuevo, who worked for the biggest newspaper of the state, Zero Hora, told in the book never seen it before in his all carreer. “I fought with PT against the military dictatorship. Now, they are against me”, said Barrionuevo. He also told about an invasion and the shame. “PT stimulated an invasion to the newspaper and they put me in shame. I couldn´t go to the places like downtown. I made the question: PT can do everything? It can´t!”

Políbio Braga, who has a website, said the PT`s rage against journalists started before Dutra´s government. “When PT was in the mayor of Porto Alegre they was already fighting with me.” He also told that was called from different courts to answers about his opinions about the government. Some journalists, including Braga, was forbidden to get in the government´s house in this age.

Diego Casagrande stills on watch dog journalism

Casagrande´s book is available in the website www.vanguardadoatraso.com.br for free just in portuguese. He also has a news website, which the address is www.diegocasagrande.com.br

Later, in the whole country

Later, when president Lula was trying to get reelected, the columnist of Veja Diogo Mainardi got 300 processes against him in just one year (2006). The processes came from state companies, the federal governent, PT and journalists. Mainardi dennounced that government was paying for journalists to talk in its favor and many cases about corruption. He talked openly agains the Lula´s second term.

Diogo Mainardi has the most read column of Brazil

The commentator Arnaldo Jabor suffered with a similar problem. He criticized the president of the house of representatives, Arlindo Chinaglia (PT). “The House of Representatives is spending a lot of money with gas. Scoundrel! Chinaglia has to do something”, said Jabor, in a radio show. With that, Chinaglia used the house of representatives to process Jabor. After, in an event, the parlamentarian tried to stimulate all the representatives to process Jabor. “Nobody can talk that bad about us. He has to answer for the justice in all states”, said Chinaglia.

So, it is always the same strategy. PT tries to censur braking journalists and media groups up.

August 7, 2008 Posted by lvieira | Brazil´s | | No Comments Yet

Brazilian blogger is censored by the justice

São Leopoldo, August 5th, 2008

by Luís Henrique Vieira

The brazilian blogger and journalist Áuber de Almeida got his page censored by the justice. He called in his blog, wich is named “Por Outro Lado“(On the other side), the ex-mayor of Alvorada Stela Farias as an “incompetent person” this month. Almeida was talking about the crime made by Stela, from PT (Workers Party), that she is answering in the courts. The crime of the politician is called “improbidade administrativa” in Brazil. This kind of crime is spefic about the thief of public money. In the case of Stela, she is suspect to rob about 2 million dollars.

Stela Farias in a speech

The word that the blogger is forbidden to use is “incompetent”. It sounds an euphemism for who is suspect to get public money. This blog expresses solidarity about that. An election cannot be called democratic without freedom of expression and allowing corruption. The brazilian constitution keeps the right to say whatever. Journalists can have opinion.

Alvorada is one of the poorest cities of the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre ( capital and biggest city of Rio Grande do Sul, state of Brazil). Stela Farias is nowadays a representative of the state of Rio Grande do Sul and is running again for mayor of Alvorada.

The PT (Brazilian Workers Party) is known by many journalists as the enemy of freedom of press. In the next post, we will amplify this subject.

August 6, 2008 Posted by lvieira | Brazil´s | | 1 Comment