Bloggers advised on protections

by brian_turner

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Reporters Without Borders, the media watchdog, has released a handbook advising bloggers on how to protect themselves from recrimination and censors. It includes tips on how to set up a blog, publicise it and establish credibility. It also offers advice on writing blogs from countries with stringent media restrictions, including as Iran and China. The handbook was part-funded by the French government.

The booklet, called The Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-dissidents, includes advice from key international bloggers, experts and writers, including US journalist Dan Gillmor and Canadian net censorship expert, Nart Villeneuve.

Blogs, or weblogs, are becoming increasingly popular as a medium for people to publish their own thoughts on the Internet, and are a vital source of communication in countries where mainstream media is restricted. However, they are increasingly being targeted by strict authorities.

The handbook discusses how to blog anonymously and how to identify the most suitable way to avoid censorship. It also offers help on developing ethical and journalistic values.

Iranian authorities have been censoring mainstream media for some time, but they have now started to clamp-down on bloggers. According to campaign groups, at least two dozen Iranian bloggers have been jailed. In June, Microsoft’s MSN Spaces site in China started to block blog entries which used words such as “freedom”, “democracy” and “demonstration”.

The blogger booklet can be downloaded from the Reporters Without Borders website in English, French, Chinese, Arabic and Persian.

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