Censors got the best of many journalists around the world last year, according to an alarming analysis by Reporters Without Borders reported today on MediaShift:
For the first time since the Internet emerged as a tool for public use, there are currently 100 bloggers and cyber-dissidents imprisoned worldwide as a result of posting their opinions online in 2009, according to Reporters Without Borders. This figure is indicative of the severity of the crackdowns being carried out in roughly 10 countries around the world. …
The number of countries pursuing online censorship doubled in the past year — a disturbing trend that suggests governments seek to increase their control over new media. In total, 151 bloggers and cyber-dissidents were arrested in 2009, and 61 were physically assaulted.
It might seem easy to dismiss reports such as this because it’s happening “someplace else,” such as Iran or China. However, in the wired world of today, around the world might just as well be around the block.
The next journalist/blogger/newscaster to feel the brunt of censors may live in the democracy next door. As the story notes, several European nations along with Australia are looking at ways to “control the Internet.” Beware …
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Update:
- See Mashable: “Zen and the Art of Twitter”
- Mashable: “How Social Media Has Changed Us”