Otterbein hosts “citizen journalist’ panel May 4

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U.S. MISSION TO UNITED NATIONS BRINGS INTERNATIONAL PANEL TO DISCUSS SPEECH FREEDOM

In observance of World Freedom Press Day, Otterbein College and Columbus International Programs will host a panel entitled, “The Citizen Journalist: The Internet as a Tool for Freedom of Speech.” The U.S. mission to the United Nations will present the program, according to a media advisory sent out by the college.

The panel will take place Friday, May 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Room 114 of Roush Hall. Bloggers are invited to connect via wireless Internet and blog live during the panel discussion

Panel members will represent a variety of sectors from media and bloggers in countries with press freedom restrictions (whose friends have been arrested for blogging), to government and non-government organizations serving as proponents of freedom of expression.

Those expected on the panel are:

  • Lucie Morillon, Washington Director, Reporters Without Borders
  • Nora Younis, Blogger and Human Rights Activist, Egypt
  • Watson Meng, Founder, Boxun News, China
  • James Viray, Director, Office of International Labor and Corporate Social Responsibility, U.S. Department of State
  • Bridget Johnson, Columnist and Blogger, LA Daily News

Kirk Lawson of the Columbus International Programs will moderate the panel discussion.

According to the advisory, Internet freedom is a key component of press freedom in the 21st Century. The U.S. State Department documents press freedom worldwide in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights. The 2006 report includes a section on Internet repression documenting concerns the U.S. government has with countries having poor conditions for press freedoms. The report available on http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/

The panel is open to the public. For more information, contact Jennifer Pearce at [email protected]. If you plan to attend, please email [email protected].