From community radio to Internet radio, mobiles and narrow-casting: New models for enduring needs

For more images of Saru Praja radio and the training we conducted, click here. In May this year, a colleague and I went to Nissankamallapura, Pollonnaruwa to strengthen online journalism capacities of a group trained in community radio production and had a decent production studio conveniently adjacent to an ICTA Nenasala. This groups was very …

IGP now wants to “suspend licenses” of porn websites in Sri Lanka

An order by the Inspector General of Police in Sri Lanka, the same chowderhead who once said women could record themselves getting raped through mobile phones, now wants to the Director General of Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to suspend the licenses of 12 websites which were exhibiting nude photographs. Firstly, none of the websites the IGP …

Sunday Times in Sri Lanka “hosts” Twitter!

Not satisfied with such pathbreaking initiatives in the "professional" print media industry in Sri Lanka such as using Wikipedia to defame and plagiarising content from Flickr, the Sunday Times in Sri Lanka proudly announces today that it has "linked up" with Twitter and will be "hosting" the service to boot! Journalist Surekha, understandably a little …

Guerilla Techniques for Online Activism

FreeVoice has an interesting blog post up on using the Internet and web for online activism. The Invisible Ghost Writer: Using this strategy the person who has the “dangerous” information will build an alliance with another prominent blogger or writer in another country. The collaborator will then publish his article as if he is the …

Posts on Iran, new media and citizen journalism

I've been inundated with links on how new media is helping us understand what's going on in Iran after its recently held Presidential elections. In order to understand the broader context of who uses new media in Iran, why and how, the Berkman Centre's Mapping Iran's Online Public is essential reading. A few articles on new …

Internet censorship in Sri Lanka

UNHCR's RefWorld features a report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that raises fears over a regime of Internet censorship in Sri Lanka broader and deeper than what exists at present. There is an element of hyperbole here - calling Sri Lanka an enemy of the Internet is, as yet, far too premature in light of the …

Turning to the web for news on the war

Associated Press has an interesting story on how news, information and analysis of the on-going war in Sri Lanka for those in the diaspora is served by various websites and the Internet. As the report notes, The Web posts accuse the government of shelling populated areas and blocking the delivery of food and medicine. They …

Unbowed and unafraid: New website in memory of Lasantha Wickrematunge

A new website - Unbowed and Unafraid - to be officially launched on 8th May, aims to continue the spirit of investigative journalism of the slain Editor of the Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge. The website was announced at the World Press Freedom Day conference in Doha, Qatar. Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge's statement upon accepting the World …

SLT blocks Tamil websites

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) has blocked access to the following websites as of today from its ADSL network: Tamilcanadian and TamilCanadian's News Section Puthinam.com Tamilnation.org Reports I have received indicate that these are still accessible on Dialog. All ISPs in Sri Lanka have repeatedly blocked access to Tamilnet.com, but actions today indicate that the scope …

UK’s proposed Internet surveillence a model for repressive regimes?

This is not the first time I have expressed very deep concern over plans in the UK to monitor Internet and web communications. From the time of my last missive, these plans have evolved into a draft called Protecting the Public in a Changing Communications Environment, that is up for a public consultation in the …