Thursday, December 29, 2011

Patriot Or Traitor?

Bradley Manning vs The US Military 

A look at the Bradley Manning case and its implications for whistleblowers, plus the story behind award-winning photos. 

Listening Post 
Last Modified: 26 Dec 2011 14:59 
Courtesy Of "Al-Jazeera"


It has been more than 17 months since Private Bradley Manning was arrested for allegedly leaking classified US military documents to Julian Assange and his whistleblowing website WikiLeaks. Since his detention, there has been news of torture, solitary confinement and mistreatment by prison guards. The information leaked by Manning to WikiLeaks made front page news around the world. But Manning's case and the grim conditions of his detention have not attracted as much press.

In this week's News Divide, we look at the case of Bradley Manning and the implications it could have on whistleblowers in the US.

Quick hits from the media world in our Newsbytes: an update on bloggers in detention in Syria and Egypt; a controversial media law in Hungary is partially blocked by the country's constitutional court; Iranian state TV airs an alleged confession by an alleged US spy; and the media spectacle from North Korea - the masses mourn the death of Kim Jong-Il.

The Story Behind News Pictures

Every year, the World Press Photo Awards celebrates the best images from the world of photojournalism. The judges select images that best capture some of big events of the previous year and showcase the pictures in an exhibition that tours the world. 2010 saw some big stories, including the Haiti earthquake, trapped Chilean miners and the violent anti-government protests in Thailand. Without giving too much away, the winning entry had many aspects to it, disturbing, powerful, and brought controversy when it was used by an American publication.

In our feature this week, the Listening Post's Nic Muirhead heads to the exhibition in London and dissects the stories behind the award-winning images.

Finally, our internet video of the week takes us back to our lead story on Bradley Manning. It is a song written by Graham Nash, a singer known for his work with the American rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and James Raymond. The song is called Almost Gone.

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