Monday, March 30, 2009

Monday, March 16, 2009
IRAN-Internet quickly becoming only refuge
From an article from 2007 we see that press freedom continues to deteriorate. There has become a widening and growing issue between the publics attempt to access information and the government's restrictions upon that information. The decline of information keeps going down as journalists and reformists are being spotted. The public has turned to the internet for freedom of expression. Efforts have continually been made to arrest bloggers over the internet and filter out information. In 2007 the Iran government began to target more internet based media. The public is still finding ways to gain information about their government and around the world, but the government keeps narrowing down the field of information that is available. Internet usage as increased. Satellite dishes are forbidden, but many Iranians have them allowing for many citizens to receive international news coverage. At the end of 2006," YouTube, the New York Times website, and the English version of Wikipedia were all blacklisted at the end of the year. Public use of high-speed Internet connections was banned" More and more bloggers were targeted as well as journalists and many were sent to prison. This epidemic is threatening Iranians self liberty and freedom expression to the harshest extent.

http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=70&release=498

-Amanda Reinstein (IRAN)
Posted by Amanda Reinstein at 10:09 AM 0 comments
Labels: bloggers, internet, journalists, prison
Monday, February 23, 2009
Iran: Blogging against the Regime and 'We are Iran'
Iran has become known as having the largest prison for journalists in the middle east, noted in 2006. Over the past 6 years, 41 newspapers in Iran have been banned which cancels out any forum for individual opinions and voices.
Iran was the first country to imprison a blogger and in April 2003, the first blogger Sina Motallebi blogged on rooznegar.com and was sent to jail. Iranians have been more polarized against the government, creating more political and personal bloggers at a faster growing pace.
Alavi created a book called 'we are Iran' to help outsiders understand the "monumental social changes" in Iran. The book emphasizes citizens rights and the struggle for a civil society.
The "blogosphere" is the only way for free speech, but free means of communication are being deprived in Iran. Literacy rates in Iran stand much higher than many European countries.

'We are Iran' helps shed light on views in Iran and people will find the freedom of expression they are searching for in cyberspace if it is allowed. Lolivashe writes in Alavi's book; "...I write so as not to be lost in my despair. I write a weblog so that I can shout, cry and laugh, and do the things that they have taken away from me in Iran today."
People are acting out and writing to get their point across and opinions heard.

http://www.alternet.org/story/30702/?page=1
Posted by Amanda Reinstein at 10:24 AM 0 comments
Labels: blogosphere, Iran, webblog
Sunday, February 8, 2009

No comments: