Senate Democrats' study reveals leaks to journalists; Obama pushes back on contentious anchor Jose Ramos; armed security guards get little oversight, reporters find; CNN's Janelle Rodriguez named to senior post at NBC News; renowned black photographers taking buyouts at N.Y. Times; Alison Bethel McKenzie leaving press-freedom group; Dallas paper asks Latino parents to help cover education; how offensive was that Spanish word used on NPR?; African court rules for reporter in defamation case (12/10/14)Senate Democrats' Study Reveals Leaks to Journalists
Obama Pushes Back on Contentious Anchor Jorge Ramos
Armed Security Guards Get Little Oversight, Reporters Find
CNN's Janelle Rodriguez Named to Senior Post at NBC News
Renowned Black Photographers Taking N.Y. Times Buyouts
Alison Bethel McKenzie Leaving Press-Freedom Group
Dallas Paper Asks Latino Parents to Help Cover Education
How Offensive Was That Spanish Word Used on NPR?
Did NPR use an offensive Spanish word Wednesday morning?
Patricia Guadalupe, Capitol Hill editor of Hispanic Link News Service, says yes, and she told her social media friends so. "Because the FCC has no bilingual staff, you can hear MARICON on NPR with your morning coffee without a beep or warning LOL," Guadalupe wrote. "And because NPR is equally clueless they translate that as 'gay.' Excuse me but MARICON does not mean the polite 'gay' but rather the harsh and offensive 'faggot.' Wow and it's not even 7am yet!
The "Morning Edition" story was about "Pelo Malo," a new Venezuelan film described therein as "a rare look into identity politics among Latin Americans, where racism is often a taboo topic."
Isabel Lara, NPR's director of media relations, disagreed with Guadalupe. "We know the word can have a broad range of meanings," she said in an email to Journal-isms, noting that she is originally from Venezuela. "I mentioned this to other native Spanish speakers at NPR and even we had different interpretations. Jasmine Garsd translated it in the context of the film that was being reviewed in her piece."
Guadalupe, who is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, messaged Journal-isms, "if you ever introduce a gay friend as maricon, you probably going to get slapped. and you can quote me on that."
African Court Rules for Reporter in Defamation Case
"The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates welcomed today African Court on Human and Peoples Rights' landmark decision last 5 November in the case of the journalist Issa Lohé Konaté against Burkina Faso," allafrica.com reported Wednesday, citing an Oct. 12 news release.
"The Court has delivered that this country violated the right to freedom of expression of the reporter, who was sentenced to 12 months in prison in 2012 after having accused a public prosecutor of corruption. The court ordered Burkina Faso to amend its law and the decision will bind on all African Union member states.
"'We welcome this magnificent victory for press freedom. The African Court has delivered an extraordinary first ruling on press freedom which will have a knock on effect on the legislation in all African countries forcing them to change their law on defamation. African governments should now amend their laws, drop pending criminal defamation charges, and free those jailed under such laws.' said IFJ's President Jim Boumelha. . . ."