Analysis & Commentaries

By Kishor Pradhan*

KATHMANDU, Jun 21 - The issuance of more than 200 licences to operate community radio in Nepal in the past couple of years, and the fact that more than 150 of them are currently operational, is surely is a remarkable development. However, there is no denying the fact that community radio in Nepal faces inherent challenges.

By Nalaka Gunawardene*

When Barack Obama was elected in November 2008, it was not only a case of democracy at work — but also a show of new media’s ability to harness people power.

Analysis by Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK, May 6 (IPS) - Nearly eight weeks after anti-government demonstrators occupied the streets of this modern metropolis, virtually crippling two iconic areas, the rage it has generated in the media has exposed another fault line cutting across this kingdom – a digital divide.

By Charles Mabbett*

When China’s most popular blogger Han Han had his recent post about a spate of violent attacks in Chinese schools taken down, it wasn’t the first time that he had courted controversy and it is unlikely to be the last.

Cyber security should be on top of the government's list of priorities, declares a 'Times of India' editorial on Apr. 9.

"The pressure of livelihood is  so great that putting food on the table trumps all ideals. Google may have overestimated the importance of freedom, truth, justice and righteousness in the minds of a large number of netizens. These values are not nearly as practical as picking up a 100-yuan bill on the road," states a translated text of Chinese Mainland writer and blogging icon Han Han in an 'Asia Sentinel' article by Alice Poon on Apr. 1.

By Howard Lee — 'The Online Citizen'

By now, Jack Neo’s fall from grace would stand a good chance at winning News Story of the Year.

The highly-acclaimed filmmaker and actor’s multiple infidelity has been well-documented in every major newspaper and broadcast network in Singapore. Online discussions were on fire with similar threads.

By Syed Ali Mujtaba

We often hear of Islam being misrepresented in the media and the Muslim community subjected to bad press in India. Recently, some Muslim journalists held a discussion over this subject in New Delhi and made some interesting observations on the issue.

Analysis by IPS Correspondents

COLOMBO, Feb 9, 2010 (IPS) - Sri Lankan journalists, for whom intimidation, threats, assault and killings seem to have become unavoidable professional hazards, are bracing themselves for a fresh confrontation with the government as curbs on reporting intensify.

By Antoaneta Bezlova*

LONDON, Feb. 2 (Asia Media Forum) – In the acrimonious row between Google and the Chinese government over who sets the rules of the Internet game, Beijing has made it increasingly clear that cyberspace is the new frontier where the battle for world dominance will be played out.