13 Oct 11 | Index Index, minipost
A long-awaited report on a Texan estuary is being delayed, following accusations that important information in the original report has been omitted for political reasons. John Anderson, the professor of oceanography at Rice University has accused the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) of deleting references to climate change, human impact on the environment and sea-level rise. Anderson believes that the omissions have been made for partisan, rather than scientific, reasons. A spokesperson for the environmental agency said that the deletions had been made because the TCEQ did not agree with information in the article.
11 Oct 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Hundreds of protesters have attacked a private television company in Tunisia in protest over the broadcast of the award winning film “Persepolis.” The protesters, who believe that the animated film denigrates Islam, attacked the TV station Nessma in Tunisia’s capital on Sunday. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and made 40 arrests. The film, which is about the 1979 Iranian revolution, was aired on Friday. Following the broadcast, according to Nebil Karoui, the head of Nessma, messages appeared on Facebook calling for the station to be burned down and its journalists killed.
10 Oct 11 | Index Index, minipost
The head of the press censorship department in Burma has called for greater media freedom in the country. Tint Swe called for the abolition of censorship during a radio show with Radio Free Asia. Recent reforms under the new administration are showing determination to reform in the country, where the media is said to be the most heavily censored in the world. Some previously blocked websites are now available and newspapers have been allowed to publish photographs and reports about the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which is previously unheard of.
07 Oct 11 | Index Index, minipost
Increasingly strict media regulations are being applied to dating shows in China. Shows such as “If you are the one,” which have been highly successful in the country, are being subjected to regulations from the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT). The administration has recently banned “fake participants” who seek publicity, “morally provocative” hosts, and sexual references in all entertainment shows. Some fans have said that the new restrictions have made the shows less entertaining.
