Citizen Journalist Beaten to Death in China

CNN is reporting that a citizen who pulled out his mobile phone to film a confrontation between city inspectors and villagers was beaten to death. According to CNN, the villagers were trying to prevent trucks from dumping waste near their homes.
When Wei Wenhua took out his cell phone to record the protest, more than 50 municipal inspectors turned on him, attacking him for five minutes. Wei was dead on arrival at a Tianmen hospital, the report said.
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VIDEO: Faisal Al Kasim, from Al Jazeera, speaks to UAE Students

Dr. Faisal Al Kasim is one of the most popular, and controversial, television personalities in the world. UAE Students who work on this blog, Broadcasters of Tomorrow, did an exclusive interview, at Al Jazeera's Qatar studios, with Dr. Al Kasim. This first excerpt of the interview deals with critical reaction to his popular Al Jazeera program The Opposite Direction. Critics believe that despite the show’s efforts to provide a forum for open debate the show is, at times, little more than a “shouting match”

Dr. Faisal Al Kasim’s program The Opposite Direction, has been broadcast on Al Jazeera for over 12 years. On the show, guests debate hot-button political and social issues with candour and passion rarely seen on television. The debates occasionally get confrontational; guests have walked off the set mid-debate.

Critics, including Dr. Muhammed Ayish, from University of Sharjah, suggest that the program’s confrontation style is counterproductive. Many critics suggest that these kinds of programs actually limit the space for meaningful dialogue in the public sphere. We read some of Dr. Ayish’s writings to Dr. Al Kasim, and asked for his comments.

More interview clips will be released in the coming weeks.