A friend of Dan’s, who is also an acquaintance of some of us here at Push My Follow, Brian Conley, was detained with five others in Beijing on August 18 during a protest backed by FreeTibet2008.org. Brian is best known for producing Alive in Baghdad, which puts video cameras in the hands of Iraqi citizens so they can share their stories. In a statement Brian’s wife Eowyn Rieke says,

If you haven’t heard yet, Brian was among 6 people recently arrested in Beijing, China while traveling to cover pro-Tibet demonstrations. We believe his arrest and detention (now over 3 days) are a direct result of his work as a journalist and his commitment to reporting on people’s struggles. Of course, a repressive and authoritarian Chinese government doesn’t help much either.

Dan is regularly posting updates on his site, please visit there and help spread the word, particularly if you have access to major media outlets. At this writing there has been no communication from Brian and the other detainees since Monday.

In this episode we also discuss “citizen journalism,” what it is, what role it plays, is it a good thing or not? Dan also talks about his upcoming stints covering the Democratic and Republican Conventions, and strongly recommends that you check out The Brookhaven Chronicles.

*Update August 24* We’ve received word that Brian Conley and 7 other detainees have been released and are headed back home.

Direct link to mp3