The writer and the state
The relationship between writers and the state is complex, multifaceted and changing. At the Jaipur Literature Festival 2013 a panel of experts explores some of the issues faced by writers around the world.
China’s public expression philosophy: a case of too little theory?
The Chinese government’s stance towards the question of free speech is guided by a philosophy that is complex but intelligent. Rogier Creemers diagnoses the underlying causes.
The Southern Weekly affair: No closer to the Chinese dream?
2013 began dramatically in China with a standoff between journalists and state propaganda authorities over a drastically rewritten New Year editorial. Timothy Garton Ash introduces English translations of the original and finally published versions.
Yahoo, free speech and anonymity in China
In 2002 Wang Xiaoning was sent to prison for 10 years after Yahoo passed on personal information Chinese authorities used to identify him. Judith Bruhn explores a case of conflicting laws and moral expectations.
Chinese journalists test free speech limits
Former investigative journalist Haiyan Wang describes the ways in which Chinese reporters push the boundaries of press freedom. Interview by Judith Bruhn.
China’s human flesh search engines
While China's human flesh search engines can help reveal government corruption they can also be used to humiliate ordinary citizens, writes Judith Bruhn.
China and “so-called freedom of speech”
China’s official media highlight Britain’s Murdoch scandal to illustrate western hypocrisy, writes Judith Bruhn.
Is China actually helping free media in Africa?
China may provide censorship tools to autocratic regimes in Africa, but western companies still dominate this market, writes Iginio Gagliardone, a post-doctoral fellow at Oxford University.
The vital presence of the past
History is a sensitive issue in China with some of it desperately remembered and some, deliberately forgotten, writes Judith Bruhn.
Open government in Chongqing?
Environmental information is tightly controlled in China despite the existence of access to information regulations, writes Sam Geall.
History reclassified as state secret: the case of Xu Zerong
In 2002, historian Xu Zerong was sentenced to 13 years in jail for leaking state secrets. The classification of the leaked materials as "top secret" came only after he had been sentenced, writes Timothy Garton Ash.
On Free Speech: China, India & the art of “Zuckering”
The second episode of FSD's monthly podcast looks at free speech in India, internet censorship in China and Facebook's attitude towards privacy.
Schell: What controls are beneficial to a free society?
China's attempt to both capitalise on and control the internet is "one of the greatest experiments" in the country's history, says Orville Schell of the Asia Society.
Orville Schell on the Chinese media
State control of media in China has certain benefits, including high quality television programmes, says Orville Schell of the Asia Society.
The Berlin Twitter Wall v the Great Firewall of China
In 2009, the Chinese authorities blocked access to the Berlin Twitter Wall from within China following a flood of tweets calling for an end to internet censorship, writes Judith Bruhn.
Daniel Bell on Confucianism & free speech
Confucianism's defence of political speech does not necessarily apply to other forms of expression, says Bell.
Yan Xuetong on a universal value system
For values to be considered universal, at least half the world should accept them, says Professor Yan Xuetong, director of the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University.
Wenzhou train collision
On July 23, 2011, two high-speed trains traveling on the Yongtaiwen railway line collided near the eastern coastal city of Wenzhou killing 40 people and injuring 191. A week later, all traces of the train accident had disappeared from newspaper and television programmes, writes Amy Qin.
The Grass Mud Horse Lexicon
The Grass Mud Horse Lexicon, a catalogue of subversive online witticisms in China, is an example of the unflagging creativity of the human spirit, writes Amy Qin.
Ying Chan on universal values
The east should not simply follow the west, but jointly search for universal values, says Ying Chan, director of the journalism and media centre at Hong Kong University.
Article 19: freedom of expression anchored in international law
Jeff Howard explains what it means for a state to be a party to the ICCPR and how individuals can issue complaints about violations of free speech to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Han Han, the Chinese blogger
With a readership of over 300 million, Han Han is one of China's most influential online personalities. Judith Bruhn looks at his blog as an example of an individual citizen creating more open and diverse media in difficult circumstances.
