Former Journalists Push Press Freedom in Virginia House of Delegates

The Virginia General Assembly now has two former journalists as members, and they are hoping to move forward with bills to increase press freedom. High school newspapers shouldn’t be bullied or told what to do by principals and administrators. That’s the idea behind a bill introduced by Delegate Chris Hurst, a Democrat from Blacksburg who […]

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Newsmakers video: The Best & Worst of WNC Open Government

At its Newsmakers forum held on March 17, Carolina Public Press hosted some of the state’s top open government advocates and reporters for a live interview and public question and answer forum about challenges to open government in North Carolina. Two dozen people attended the free and public forum, which was held at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
 
The event also helped mark Sunshine Week, the annual nationwide celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community.
 

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Randy Petersen: Freedom of expression comes with a fine line

For journalists — especially those working in the realm of opinion — it's hard not to take the attack on the Paris offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hedbo personally.

As a result, each of the editorial cartoonists regularly featured in the Post-Bulletin have weighed in on the subject. Charlie Hedbo was likely best known in the United States for featuring satirical depictions of religions, most notably featuring Muhammad, a fact that had produced threats from Muslim extremists.

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Editorial: Open government: The battle never ends

All governments share a common temptation: to use their power to evade accountability. Several police officers proved it again last week in Ferguson, Missouri.

In the middle of heated demonstrations over the shooting of Michael Brown, two reporters – one from the Washington Post – got roughed up and arrested without cause by officers at a McDonald’s restaurant. The officers may have been set off by Post reporter’s refusal to stop filming them with a video camera. They were certainly set off by the journalists’ presence.

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How did you recognize World Press Freedom Day 2014?

Every year, May 3rd is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

3 May was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991.

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