Freedom of the press isn’t everywhere

So, you wanna be a journalist?

American journalist Danny Fenster has been freed from prison in Myanmar, according to a Myanmar military official and former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who had been on a private humanitarian visit to the country.

Fenster’s release comes just days after the former managing editor of Frontier Myanmar — an independent news outlet that covered current affairs, business and politics — was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a military court in Myanmar.

The ability to cite the First Amendment or use the law to require government agencies to release documents can seem like standard fare around here. It’s great that we have these rights and that we have access to organizations that will help us stand up for them as well.

That’s not the case everywhere, as Fenster was one of about 120 journalists detained in Myanmar this year after a governmental coup.

According to CNN, 47 remain in prison.

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