Date of publication: July 24, 2010
Source: The Valley News
Author: Andrew Henderson
Excerpt from article:
by Andrew Henderson
...The Valley News was contacted Wednesday by Timothy Newman, campaigns director of the International Labor Rights Forum, which is based in Washington, D.C. He noted that three journalists from the Ivory Coast were arrested after publishing a story that highlighted some of the findings of the ongoing government inquiry into corruption in the cocoa sector in the Ivory Coast, which includes the former New York Chocolate & Confections plant in Fulton.
“Unfortunately, reporters sometimes experience repression when they shed a light on aspects of the cocoa industry that those in power would rather keep hidden,” wrote Newman.
“When reporters who work to expose the truth face government repression, it can have a chilling affect on all of those who speak out,” he added. “Journalists in Cote d’Ivoire in particular have played an essential role in providing some form of public accountability for governmental and corporate malfeasance. Please take a minute to send a message to the government of Cote d’Ivoire that we will not accept violations of freedom of the press.”...