-The Hoot The brutally fatal silencing of three journalists along with the sharp rise in censorship of content in online media and the increasing cases of defamation marked the deterioration of the climate for free speech across India in 2011. Attacks on journalists continued to be high, with 24 recorded instances even as writers, journalists and lawyers bore the brunt of the intolerance of vigilante groups to dissenting opinion. The Free Speech...

The number of journalists in prison worldwide has spiked to its highest level in 15 years. Of them, nearly half worked online, raising larger questions about Internet freedom for more than just reporters, but average citizens as well. Eighty-six out of 179 journalists who were in prison worldwide as of Dec. 1, 2011 were reporters or bloggers whose work appeared online, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect...

-The Hindu   The Communist Party of India has criticised the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for proposing to impose curbs on freedom of expression claiming the proposed curbs, though indirect, on social networking sites were a blot on the country's image. The defence of Union Communications Minister Kapil Sibal did not hold ground in that there were several laws to punish people spreading communal and anti-national messages through any medium, CPI deputy...

-IANS Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Orkut are emerging as an important tool to drive movement against corruption and bring positive change in the society, a survey has revealed. In a nationwide survey conducted amongst the youth of India, nearly 76 percent of youth believe that social media empowers them to bring change to the world we live in. They are convinced that causes for women and movements against corruption can...

Assailed from all sides, does the UPA really hope to recover its ‘image’ by muzzling online dissent? Kapil Sibal ko gussa kyon aata hai? Butt of online jokes: Politicians in 'tweaked' cinematic avatars. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. The UPA government has made it something of a fine art. Hardly had the ruckus over the decision to open up the retail sector to FDI died down than...