It was brought to my attention by my instructor about a journalist who was in prison in china for writing a story. According to an article on The BBC’s website the New York Times reporter Zhao Yan, was arrested in 2004, and what was he charger with? “leaking state secrets, prompting condemnation from human rights groups and Western governments.”
Yan is now free, and it is a shame that he had to spend years in prison for just writing what he had found out… “rivalries among China’s leaders.” This should make us take a minute and be grateful for all “the stuff” we are allowed to say or write.
Sadly in another blog, I read about how in Turkey the government blocked access to YouTube because of videos that were considered insulting to that nation’s leader.
Blogs also seem to be under the microscope. In Russia, a 23 year old blogger could go to jail for writing a fictional short story based on the tragedy at Virginia Tech. I haven’t read the story of this young Russian but it sounds a bit scary. Maybe that wasn’t a smart thing for him to write and post.
The media plays a big role in shaping people’s minds, I think we all know that and with the internet it’s like we freed a beast… who knows what is going to happen now that it has been unleashed.
