Otterbein hosts “citizen journalist’ panel May 4
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].