Free speech champion?

IN Media Watch Briefs | 24/06/2013

Ecuador is anxious to give asylum to Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, but its own free speech record is dubious. Its National Assembly approved a new 'Communications Law' on June 14 which bans dissemination of information that undermines the prestige of a person or a legal entity, and forbids deliberate omission of topics of public interest. President Rafael Correa is known to have filed defamation suits against newspaper editors, book authors and political activists for criticising his response to a police uprising last year and for reporting corrupt practices in public offices.

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Free speech champion?

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Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.