"Negro Cocaine Fiend" Stories Echo Today

"Scandal" Creator "a Little Pissed Off" by Diversity Award

"Grey's Anatomy and Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes managed to score the Diversity trophy at this year's Directors Guild of America Awards and school her peers on the importance of cultural inclusion,"Camille Travis wrote Jan. 27 for centrictv.com.

"On Saturday, she and production partner Betsy Beers took the stage to accept their honor, but not without the 44-year-old showrunner expressing her slight disappointment in being given the award. During her speech, Rhimes stated:

"'When I heard I was getting an award I was really, truly, profoundly honored. I began to get calls from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, etc., and I was asked to comment on the award. Asked how good I felt about the award. Asked if it made me feel like I was doing the right thing. Asked if it had been a struggle making diversity happen on my cast and crews. While I'm still really and truly profoundly honored to receive this award, but I was also a little pissed off. So was Betsy. So over many, many, many bottles of wine we discussed this. Betsy and I are being applauded and given an award for something that we should all be doing. There shouldn't need to be an award!' . . ."

Al Jazeera Cameraman Acquitted in Egypt

"An Al Jazeera cameraman who has been in detention in Egypt has been acquitted along with 61 other defendants, the channel's lawyer has said," Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.

"The lawyer said on Sunday that Mohamed Badr was not held on any other charges and should be released, although that must be ordered by the court.

"Badr had been held since July accused of involvement in rioting in Ramses Square, Cairo, during protests against the army's removal of the former president, Mohamed Morsi, from power.

"Al Jazeera repeatedly denied the accusations and called for his release since he was arrested. . . ."

The story also said, "Correspondent Peter Greste and producers Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been held in custody for more than a month without charge. Another Al Jazeera staff member, Abdullah al-Shami, has been in custody since August. . . ."

• Hamza Hendawi, Associated Press: Video Surfaces Of Al Jazeera Journalists' Arrest In Egypt
  
  
• Joshua Hersh, the New Yorker: Journalism Becomes a Crime in Egypt
  
  
• International Press Institute: IPI welcomes acquittal of Egyptian cameraman
  
  
• Jared Malsin, Columbia Journalism Review: There are no Al Jazeera journalists reporting in Egypt