On Thursday, the State Department released an overview of U.S. support for the Tunisian transition by helping lay the groundwork for responsive and accountable governance and supporting preparation for elections this summer.  In order to meet these goals, the Department is seeking to build the capacity of civil society organizations, political parties, and the media.  Additionally, in coordination with international partners and financial institutions, the U.S. is seeking to support ...

On Tuesday, the Center for International Media Assistance at the National Endowment for Democracy and the Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press held a panel discussion on the challenges facing press freedom in the 21st Century.  Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy made opening remarks while  David Killion, U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO moderated the event and introduced the following panelists:  Assistant Secretary  at the Bureau of ...

Al-Jazeera (AJE) journalist Dorothy Parvaz has been held in detention in Syria since her arrival on April 29th.  AJE has been calling her immediate release and is worried about her welfare, security, and safety.  Parvaz is a joint American, Canadian, and Iranian citizen; having graduated from the University of British Columbia and the University of Arizona and previously worked at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.  It is currently unknown which of Syria's ...

Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, spoke at event at the National Press Club commemorating World Press Freedom Day. "Today we recognize the ongoing struggle of journalists across the globe who underwrite the strength of democracy. By keeping the public informed and officials accountable, the role of an active, vibrant media is crucial in the pursuit of responsive governance", she said. She presented the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom prize ...

Over the past day, the Bahraini government has detained two opposition leaders, shut down the only opposition newspaper and announced it will prosecute medical professionals for treating protesters. Jawad Ferooz, the vice-president of the party, and Mattar Ibrahim Mattar, who recently resigned as a member of parliament, were detained on Monday evening. Joe Stork, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch noted a pattern of government critics being arrested by plain-clothed masked men and ...

In remarks made at a World Press Freedom Day event, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale lauded the work journalists have done in the "pursuit of truth" and discussed the importance of protecting press freedom.  McHale discussed her recent trip to Tunisia where activists and citizens "are embracing the blessings of a free press, of freedom of association, and of free expression as vital components of an ...

Steven Cook, of the Council on Foreign Relations, heavily criticized Monday's Washington Post article on U.S. funding to Syrian opposition figures and groups.  He says that the tone of the article makes U.S. intentions and actions regarding democracy promotion sound "sinister" despite USAID and State Department programs like MEPI (Middle East Partnership Initiative) having broad, public bi-partisan support.  Cook states: "The Post turned something for which Americans should rightly be ...

Andrew Hammond, writing for Reuters, notes that Al Jazeera's "pivotal" coverage of uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen, is noticeably absent on the current unrest in Bahrain.  Protests in Oman and Saudi Arabia have also gone uncovered by the network.  As'ad AbuKhalil of California State University says: "Bahrain does not exist as far as Al Jazeera is concerned, and they have avoided inviting Bahraini or Omani or Saudi critics of ...

Zhila Baniyaghoub, a prominent Iranian human rights activist and journalist, is facing new charges related to statements written on her blog.  Baniyaghoub was arrested, along with her husband Bahman Ahmadi Amouyi, in June 2009 during the popular protests over disputed presidential elections.  She was released but her husband is serving a five year prison term.  Last month she wrote to Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi to protest against restrictions barring her ...

A CNN crew in Bahrain was detained while trying to interview Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.  The crew describes how they were surrounded by twenty men in black ski masks who refused to identify themselves.  Equipment was confiscated and the crew and Rajab were forced onto the ground at gunpoint. They were detained at a local police station, accused of entering the country illegally, and ...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a statement on Friday, congratulated jailed Iranian journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi for being named the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize winner.  Clinton stated that the award was a recognition of the "legitimate work" of Zeidabadi and other Iranian journalists currently serving prison terms for exercising their rights to free speech.  She also said that the award was also a recognition of the commitment of the Iranian ...

Dawn McCall, State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs Coordinator, concluded a trip to the Middle East during which she met with media and telecommunications industry executives and journalists as well as senior Embassy officials to discuss media trends and audience usage patterns in today's changing media environment.  McCall  traveled to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.

The U.S. State Department announced that it will give $20 million in assistance to Tunisia to aid in democracy building efforts.  The money will provide training and expertise on conducting free and fair elections, operating a free press, and the creation of political parties.  A portion of the funds has also been designated for economic aid.  The funds are unspent money from Congressional appropriations for other purposes and will be ...

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Senator John Kerry (D-MA) delivered a speech at The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Wednesday, March 16, 2011, on U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East in light of the recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt and continued unrest and protests across the entire region.  Marwan Muasher, vice president of studies at The Carnegie Endowment introduced Senator Kerry and made brief remarks about the current unrest in the region. For ...

Mohammed Jamjoon of CNN and Omar Chatriwala, contributer to DohaNews, confirmed via Twitter that they were turned away/expelled from Bahrain.