The eloquent last words of the assassinated Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga.
Last Words
Category Archives: Media Workers
labor issues and working conditions, censorship and citizen journalism
55 Organizations Support The Re-Introduction of The Private Prison Information Act
U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) reintroduced the Private Prison Information Act (PPIA) in Congress. The bill, HR 5838, requires non-federal correctional and detention facilities that house federal prisoners to comply with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), by making certain records available to the public.
Media Alliance is proud to join the Human Rights Defense Center and 54 other organizations to support PPIA, HR 5838, which requires private prisons and detention centers to comply with FOIA. Continue reading 55 Organizations Support The Re-Introduction of The Private Prison Information Act
Bay Guardian Shut Down
The San Francisco Media Company suddenly and with no notice shut down the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the city by the Bay’s alternative newspaper for decades.
The decision was supposedly based on the failure of the Guardian to achieve financial viability in a difficult market for print media, but appeared to abruptly cut short a revitalization effort underway before it even had much of a chance to get going. Continue reading Bay Guardian Shut Down
Muzzle Mumia Law Falls Outside the US Constitution
A prisoner gag law in Philadelphia, apparently triggered by rage at a recent commencement speech at Goddard College by alumni, inmate and author Mumia Abu-Jamal, is being challenged in court as an unconstitutional abrogation of the right of speech. The legal challenge is being mounted by the Abolitionist Law Center and Prison Radio producer and former MA board member Noelle Hanrahan, who has been distributing Abu-Jamal’s commentaries for decades. Their press release below. Continue reading Muzzle Mumia Law Falls Outside the US Constitution
Improving FOIA
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is one of the most important tools for investigative journalism.
MA joined with over 50 civil liberties organizations to press Congress to reform and improve FOIA to facilitate government transparency and the informed consent of the American people to the actions taken in their name. Continue reading Improving FOIA
Copyright and Fair Use
This on-line guide from the Stanford University Library and Nolo Books covers most of the important information on copyrights, fair use and permissions.
Rules of the Road: Ethics and Local On-Line Journalism
Report that collates experiences from several online local journalism sites around the country. Among the survey respondents are the Voice of San Diego, baristanet and the local Berkeleyside website. Put out by J-Lab at American University, a project of the Knight Foundation.
BAVC: Impact Playbook: Best Practices for Understanding the Impact of Media
Some of you that make movies and videos might be interested in this new toolkit on metrics for evaluating the impact of media pieces put out by the Bay Area Video Coalition.