The BOBs, RSF award of World’s Best Press Freedom Blog is…
not me, but wow! Look who I lost to:
BOBS: The 2008 Reporters Without Borders Prize was awarded by the jury to a pair of blogs.
Zeng Jinyan, the wife of an imprisoned Chinese human rights activist Hu Jia, and 4equality, a Persian blog that fights for women’s rights in Iran.
Placed under house arrest, Zeng Jinyan’s blog describes life under constant surveillance by the Chinese authorities.
“It’s a moving example of what people go through when someone is always watching what they are doing,” said Clothilde Le Coz, the Reporters Without Borders representative on the jury. “She is isolated at home raising a daughter with her husband in jail. Hopefully this award will raise her spirits.”
The Persian Weblog 4equality is working to gather 1 million signatures on a petition for increased women’s rights in Iran.
“This blog is an alternative media,” said Farnaz Seifi, the BOBs’ Persian-language jury member, adding that 48 people involved with the movement surrounding the blog landed in prison and that the Web site had been blocked by Iranian authorities a total of 17 times.
I agree with the judges completely, the two winners deserve it more than me, and furthermore they need the publicity and international support more than me. I have rights; my Chinese and Iranian co-finalists are fighting a bigger battle under much more dire circumstances, and really its an honor to be grouped in with them. Good job ladies.
