WHERE FREE SPEECH IS A PRIVILEGE: China Moves to Rein In Microblogs: “Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts in recent weeks to rein in the hugely popular microblogging sites that have become an alternative source of real-time news for millions while challenging the Communist Party’s traditional grip on information. Journalists, bloggers, media analysts and others said the moves are part of an intensifying control of the media landscape ahead of next year’s crucial Communist Party Congress, which will bring the broadest leadership change in China in a decade. Although leadership shuffles here are routinely decided behind the scenes and carefully choreographed for the public, they are still often fraught with uncertainty — and jittery authorities typically want to take no chances.”

Who do they think they are, New York?

UPDATE: Meanwhile, a free speech victory at the University of Wisconsin: Chancellor Folds after Censorship of ‘Firefly’ and Anti-Fascism Posters. “Under pressure from FIRE, national media, and actors Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin, the University of Wisconsin-Stout (Stout) has reversed its censorship of theater professor James Miller’s poster featuring a line from Fillion’s character in Joss Whedon’s television series Firefly. Campus police had threatened Miller with criminal disorderly conduct charges, and he was reported to the ‘threat assessment team.’ After Stout censored his second poster, which stated, ‘Warning: Fascism,’ Miller came to FIRE for help.”

FIRE does good work. If you can afford it, consider donating to ’em.