SAMSN Blog
-
04 Oct 2016
Uncovering Solidarity
By Raksha Kumar
At the recently concluded conference of investigative journalists, Raksha Kumar discovers that collaborative journalism is possible. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I sat in the middle of a football field sized room, decorated with...
-
30 Sep 2016
When Knowledge is Power
By Laxmi Murthy
The Right to Information in most countries of South Asia has been won after protracted struggles by the media and civil society activists. To mark September 28, the International ‘Right to Know’ Day, Laxmi Murthy traces this history and outlines ...
-
12 Sep 2016
Silencing Through ‘Regulation’
By Aunohita Mojumdar
Aunohita Mojumdar, Editor, Himal Southasian provides the context for the suspension of the pioneering South Asian magazine. Why was the decision taken to suspend publication of Himal Southasian magazine? We see an increasing trend in the region wher...
-
17 Aug 2016
Media blackout in Kashmir
By Shujaat Bukhari
It has been a bad year for media in Kashmir. The current unrest that left 60 dead and thousands injured has also taken a toll on media. From raiding the printing presses to blocking the internet to newspapers, many methods have been used to muzzle th...
-
08 Aug 2016
Calculating the Loss of a Maldivian Journalist
By Daniel Bosley
On Monday, August 8th, 731 days will have passed since Maldivian journalist and blogger Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla was taken from outside his apartment on the island of Hulhumale’. 609 days would pass before police conceded, last April, that the then 28-...
-
20 Jul 2016
Trolls Target India’s Media Women
By Sujata Madhok
India’s Minister for Women and Child Development, the sassy Maneka Gandhi, recently sparked debate by asking trolled women to send complaints to her Ministry. She said the Ministry would interface with the Police and the Cyber Crimes Cell to help t...
-
18 Jul 2016
In any Kashmir emergency, why is Press always the first casualty?
By Bismah Malik
The current unrest in Kashmir marred by the worst kind of violence that the valley saw after six years has again raised serious questions about the freedom of press and journalists in this part of the world. The Kashmir region located in the northwes...
-
14 Jul 2016
RTI in Sri Lanka: It took 22 years, and journey continues
By Nalaka Gunawardene
Sri Lanka’s Parliament debated the Right to Information (RTI) bill for two days (23 – 24 June 2016) before adopting it into law. No member opposed it, although some amendments were done during the debate. If that sounds like an easy passage, it w...
-
30 Jun 2016
Right to Information in Sri Lanka
By Sanjana Hattotuwa
Right to Information (RTI) legislation was unanimously passed in Sri Lanka’s Parliament last week (June 24) without a vote. It sounds easy and inevitable when framed thus, but that one sentence masks decades of activism and advocacy to pass RTI to ...
-
22 Jun 2016
Online Media Directives ill-intended, needs immediate scrapping
By Taranath Dahal
The Government of Nepal recently approved the Online Media Operation Directives 2016 which grossly violates citizens’ right to freedom of expression and media freedom. It truly reflects government’s attempt to control media. It is quite a...