About Daniel Pearl...

You've probably heard about the Almighty Heart film, with Angelina Jolie, who portrays the wife of Daniel Pearl, the journalist who was killed in the Middle East a few years ago. I thought you might be interested in checking out the movie's website for more information about the events leading up to Pearl's death. In addition, if you click on "In Memoriam," (across the top of the screen), there is an map of Iran and surrounding areas that you can click on to read about other journalists who were killed in this line of duty.


http://www.amightyheartmovie.com/

Sports Blogger Tossed Out of Game!

Here's an interesting situation: a sports writer for the Courier Journal in Louisville, Kentucky was tossed out of a NCAA baseball game because he was blogging the game to the newspaper's internet site. Officials feel blogging is just like a "live representation" and shouldn't be done.

Here's a link to the article, in case you are interested. I don't get the NCAA, though. Couldn't any spectator sitting in the stands use a cellphone or Blackberry or some other device to blog the game? And what's the difference....if the television stations are broadcasting the game, what's the difference if an official reporter blogs the game to their internet page? Is it because of licensing? Perhaps the blogger hasn't paid enough to sit in the press box and do this...at least not as much as the television stations.

Feel free to comment if you want....



http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706110450

Freedom of Speech in High Schools

I found this article about a Wilton, Ct. high school theatre group who was not allowed to perform their play about the war in Iraq...so they ended up performing it in New York City in front of a much larger audience! From a freedom of speech perspective, I thought you might find this article interesting. What's also interesting is that I thought this was over. I thought it was okay now for Americans to critique the war if they wanted to. I don't know if you remember, but right after 9/11, there was a lot of pressure for people to remain quiet and support the war, no matter what, because it was considered unpatriotic to do otherwise. Since then, things have changed; even some members of the press have apologized for becoming complacent right after 9/11 and not asking the right questions or daring to criticize. So it's interesting that 6 years later, we still have this attitude around.




http://www.alternet.org/rights/54077/

Journalism News

I've provided a link to a website that might interest you. The site features a collection of journalism stories from around the world. Many of the stories have come in across the "wire" or Associated Press or Reuters news services.

I thought you might find it fascinating to quickly scroll through the list and see what is happening in the field of journalism around the world...China...Africa...Pakistan. This provides an interesting angle from which to view the status of journalism worldwide.

Feel free to post any reactions to what you have read!


http://www.topix.com/news/journalism