Reporting and policing can be a high adrenaline business. But the decade-long trajectory in New York is toward expanded police power.
The mayor even argued that to let the press watch the police retake Zuccotti Park would be to violate the privacy of protesters. “It wouldn’t be fair,” he said
Using a fat Chinese man, a large backpack, a baseball cap and the hood from my sweatshirt, I attempted to hide myself.
I was sandwiched in between the beefy man and a f-stop Satori backpack jammed with gear on the rear of his motorcycle. He drove me down a dark dirt road in the middle of the night near the uniquely autonomous village of Wukan, Guangdong Province, China.
I was hiding from police and those who might not want attention drawn to the small village of about 13,000 people.
As the year draws to a close, EFF is looking back at the major trends influencing digital rights in 2011 and discussing where we are in the fight for a free expression, innovation, fair use, and privacy. The government has been using its secrecy system in
via Electronic Frontier Foundation: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/12/2011-review-year-secrecy-jumped-shark
The government has been using its secrecy system in absurd ways for decades, but 2011 was particularly egregious. Here are a few examples
An Ethiopian court has declared Swedish photojournalist Johan Persson and reporter Martin Schibbye guilty of supporting terrorism and entering the country illegally, according to an AFP report. “Guilty as charged, period, unanimous vote,” the judge declar
via PDNPulse: http://pdnpulse.com/2011/12/swedish-photographer-reporter-convicted-in-ethiopian-show-trial.html
An Ethiopian court has declared Swedish photojournalist Johan Persson and reporter Martin Schibbye guilty of supporting terrorism and entering the country illegally, according to an AFP report.
House Speaker John Boehner’s office ordered CSPAN to switch off its camers during a fellow Congressman’s scathing dressing-down over the Speaker’s refusal to entertain further deb…
The Speaker asserts control over CSPAN’s cameras and has made it clear that Americans can only expect to see their government in session when he believes it is in their interest to do so
Sean Quinn snapped the picture and sent it to The Repository, saying that the officer photographed was only a few hundred yards from a car crash. He said he flashed his own vehicle’s high-beam lights at the cruiser for several minutes in an attempt to get the officer’s attention before another officer responding to the scene stopped him from taking more pictures.
Lacoste reportedly objected for political reasons to a project by finalist Larissa Sansour called “Nation Estate,” which was inspired by the recent Palestinian bid for nationhood at the United Nations. Lacoste said in a statement today that Sansour’s work did not fit the contest theme, and denies it excluded her for political reasons.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published a new guide, “Defending Privacy at the U.S. Border: A Guide for Travelers Carrying Digital Devices,” which explains how the law, good te…
via Boing Boing: http://boingboing.net/2011/12/21/howto-keep-your-data-safe-at-t.html
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published a new guide, “Defending Privacy at the U.S. Border: A Guide for Travelers Carrying Digital Devices,” which explains how the law, good technology choices, cryptography and backups can be combined to keep your data safe while you travel, especially when crossing into the USA, where customs officials reserve the rights to search your laptop and mobile phone without a warrant and keep whatever they find.
Journalists die at high rates while covering protests in the Arab world and elsewhere. Photographers and freelancers appear vulnerable. Pakistan is again the deadliest nation. A CPJ special report…
Link: http://cpj.org/reports/2011/12/journalists-killed-political-unrest-proves-deadly.php
Pakistan remained the deadliest country for the press for a second year, while across the world coverage of political unrest proved unusually dangerous in 2011, the Committee to Protect Journalists found in its year-end survey of journalist fatalities. CPJ’s analysis found notable shifts from historical data: Targeted murders declined while deaths during dangerous assignments such as the coverage of street protests reached their highest level on record. Photographers and camera operators, often the most vulnerable during violent unrest, died at rates more than twice the historical average.
At least 43 journalists were killed around the world in direct relation to their work in 2011, with the seven deaths in Pakistan marking the heaviest losses in a single nation. Libya and Iraq, each with five fatalities, and Mexico, with three deaths, also ranked high worldwide for journalism-related fatalities. The global tally is consistent with the toll recorded in 2010, when 44 journalists died in connection with their work. CPJ is investigating another 35 deaths in 2011 to determine whether they were work-related.
Douglas Turner, The Buffalo News
Today, photographers and reporters are being manhandled again in this country by police. Not in the smoky backwoods of the Deep South, as in the 1960s, but in cradles of so-called liberalism like New York, Los Angeles, Oakland and Rochester
via NPPA
Egypt’s state-run and independent media battled over whom to blame as clashes between security forces and protesters continued for a fourth day on Monday in Cairo.
Independent journalists trying to film the military violence complained of harassment. An independent satellite channel broadcasting live images of the clashes was removed from the air twice in recent days, once after it focused on a scene of soldiers beating a woman. Soldiers have also taken or smashed cameras. And on Saturday they raided an apartment overlooking Tahrir Square that has become a well-known hangout for journalists and activists filming or watching the events below, occupants said.
Met Commissioner compensates journalist arrested for taking photographs in public place and told to stop “running round acting silly, being stupid and…
via duckrabbit: http://duckrabbit.info/blog/2011/12/confused/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+duckrabbit%2FNrks+%28duckrabbit%29
“You know what, I consider you a threat under the Terrorism Act young man. I’ve had enough.”
So have many photographers.
A flaw in Facebook’s image reporting tool allows users to view the private photos of other users, including those of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg — like the one at the top of this story. The flaw was found by members of a bodybuilding forum, who disco
A flaw in Facebook’s image reporting tool allows users to view the private photos of other users, including those of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg — like the one at the top of this story.
Several recent incidents suggest a disturbing new trend: public safety officials targeting photographers, including professionals. “Cops don’t want to be identified,” says Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “They don’t want their pictures taken.”
A man arrested while photographing the police raid to shut down the Occupy L.A. encampment last Wednesday was finally released on $10,000 bail late Friday, according to press reports. Tyson Heder was charged with assault and battery on a police office and
via PDNPulse: http://pdnpulse.com/2011/12/photog-released-on-bail-after-rough-arrest-at-occupy-l-a.html
A man arrested while photographing the police raid to shut down the Occupy L.A. encampment last Wednesday was finally released on $10,000 bail late Friday, according to press reports. Tyson Heder was charged with assault and battery on a police office and resisting arrest.
After objections, Attorney General Irvin Nathan says city rules will be narrowed.
via Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/mike-debonis/post/dc-will-revisit-street-photography-regulations/2011/11/28/gIQAbxqX5N_blog.html
Under current city regulations, persons or businesses that “engage in the business of taking photographs of any person or persons upon the streets, sidewalks, or other public spaces of the District of Columbia, for profit or gain” must hold a city license and follow a number of rules governing their conduct. Breaking them happens to be an arrestable offense.
Israel’s Defense Ministry has apologized to photojournalist Lynsey Addario after soldiers subjected her to a humiliating strip search at a Gaza Strip checkpoint several weeks ago, according to an Associated Press report. The search occurred after Addario,
via PDNPulse: http://pdnpulse.com/2011/11/israel-apologizes-to-lynsey-addario.html
Israel’s Defense Ministry has apologized to photojournalist Lynsey Addario after soldiers subjected her to a humiliating strip search at a Gaza Strip checkpoint
Legislators overwhelmingly approved a new secrecy law that critics say is designed to shield a corrupt elite from press scrutiny.
Brushing aside protests by press-freedom advocates and heroes of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, the parliament overwhelmingly passed a contentious bill on Tuesday that will severely restrict the ability of journalists to report any information deemed to be a government secret.
Over several days, New York police officers have arrested, punched, whacked, shoved to the ground and tossed a barrier at reporters and photographers.
Over several days, New York cops have arrested, punched, whacked, shoved to the ground and tossed a barrier at reporters and photographers.
A NYC spokesman says reporters should get an official press pass from the police to avoid getting arrested while covering Occupy Wall Street. He neglects to mention that the NYPD won’t issue press passes to cover the protests.
Stu Loeser, a spokesman for New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, says the best way for reporters to avoid being arrested while covering Occupy Wall Street is to carry a press pass issued by the New York Police Department. [UPDATE: Loeser says that’s not what he meant. Details below.]
But the NYPD isn’t issuing press passes to reporters covering Occupy Wall Street, as we learned when we contacted them Thursday.