The building of the Mexican newspaper El Siglo de Torreón was once again the target of another armed attack, making it the third in just a week, reported the Associated Press.
The transmission center of a Peruvian radio station ceased broadcasting after a fire that caused approximately $5,800 in damages, said the news portal Ifex. This is the second attack in 15 days against the Paraíso de Olmos radio station, whose administrator linked the attack to the mayor of the town, located in the northern department of Lambayeque, added Ifex.
Are media blackouts effective—or even ethical—when a journalist has been kidnapped? That’s the question Frank Smyth, a senior adviser for journalist security with the Committee to Protect Journalists, explored in a recent blog post on the organization’s website on Tuesday, Feb. 26.
A group of armed men fired at the building of Mexican newspaper El Siglo de Torreón on Tuesday Feb. 26, according to this newspaper published in Northern Mexico. It's the third time the newspaper has been attacked in the last four years. Earlier this month, five of its employees were kidnapped and freed after several hours. No one was hurt during the attack but some employees suffered from anxiety attacks, the newspaper said. On Tuesday afternoon, Torreón mayor Eduardo Olmos visited the newspaper to speak with its directors. They were also expecting the governor of Coahuila state, Rubén Moreira, according to
Two Colombian journalists claimed they were physically and verbally attacked by a former congressman and his wife in the view of police officers, who did nothing to stop the assault, reported the Colombian Federation of Journalists (FECOLPER in Spanish). The attack took place in Sincelejo, Sucre when the two journalists tried to cover a suspected robbery at the home of former Congressman Héctor Vergara, added FECOLPER.
Two Haitian journalists said they were repeatedly beaten by Haitian President Michel Martelly’ssecurity agents when the president visited RFM radio’s headquarters on Tuesday, Feb. 12, reported news site Defend.HT.
The International Press Institute released a statement on Monday, Feb. 18, warning of rising impunity for crimes against journalists in Brazil and insisting the Congress approve a bill that would allow federal authorities to investigate attacks on press workers in the country.
The São Paulo State Union of Professional Journalists denounced threats journalists received and other obstacles they faced while reporting in the interior of the state at the beginning of 2013, according to a statement form the organization on Feb. 13.
The website “Bananaleaks.com” accused the Ecuadorian government via Twitter of attempting to sabotage its operations, reported Fundamedios. According to journalist Santiago Villa, spokesperson for the website, the website suffered an attack from hackers early in the morning of Jan. 28, shortly after the organization published information about two Swiss bank accounts supposedly owned by President Rafael Correa, added Fundamedios.
During the forum "Journalists: harm, memory and healing" on Feb. 8, in Bogota, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos recognized the work of renowned journalist Hollman Morris. For the journalist, who former-president Álvaro Uribe accused of being allied with the FARC and had been followed by state intelligence agents, the acknowledgement could mark an positive turn in his relationship with the government.
Mexican journalists and bloggers need to urgently improve their understanding of digital and mobile security, according to a new report by Freedom House Mexico and the International Center for Journalists.
The Press Freedom Foundation (FLIP in Spanish) celebrated the Day of the Journalist in Colombia on Saturday, Feb. 9, with the release of its 2012 report on the state of press freedom in Colombia. Click here to read the full report (in Spanish).