Throughout the world… May 3rd serves as an occasion to inform the public of violations of the right to freedom of expression and as a reminder that many journalists brave death or jail to bring people their daily news.
In support of World Freedom Press Day, the US Mission to the United Nations is hosting a panel today at the UN titled “The Citizen Journalist: The Internet as a Tool for Freedom of Speech.” Panel members represent a variety of sectors from media and bloggers in countries with press freedom restrictions, to government and non-government organizations serving as proponents of freedom of expression.
The following speakers will present a status report on blogging worldwide today and the state of free expression online and will be available to answer audience’s questions:
– Tala Dowlatshahi, New York Director, Reporters Without Borders
– Nora Younis, Egyptian Blogger and Activist
– Watson Meng, Founder, Boxun News
– Frank Xie, Chinese Blogger, Boxun News (Assistant Marketing Professor, Drexel University)
– Jeffery Krilla, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
– Moderator: Bridget Johnson, columnist and blogger LA Daily News
** Also… I will be attending the meeting later today and am hoping to liveblog the event.
It may get interesting. There are rumors that: Representatives from the Egyptian Ambassador’s Office will be there in attendance at the meeting. A UN blogger is planning on attending and may be critical of the UN for its editing of his blog.
There are also people saying that UN members are actually tearing down the flyers for today’s event. It may actually be people working for the UN who are doing this.
Sadly… the United Nations decided that the best way to depict violence against reporters was to post a picture of a US soldier detaining a reporter in Iraq:
…Even though AP reporters in Iraq have been charged with working with insurgents.
I will have much more later live from the United Nations…
