We can't do without radio. However many new forms of mass communication are invented, the grandmother of them all remains indispensable. From peru to jordan, it's radio journalists who are often the first, and the last, to defy censorship and push the boundaries. As modern technology multiplies radio's reach, "Index" examines the medium and its messengers. Alexei venediktov gives an exclusive interview on the secret of radio station ekho moskvy's survival - one of the last bastions of free speech in russia; joe queenan reveals why he has no time for talk radio in the us and shirazuddin siddiqi on the programme the taliban couldn't ban, plus richard norton-taylor on the pursuit of secrecy; marge berer on a full-frontal cover-up; and, an exclusive extract from javad mahzadeh's acclaimed novel set during the iran-iraq war and martin rowson's stripsearch. "Index on censorship" is an award-winning magazine, devoted to protecting and promoting free expression. International in outlook, outspoken in comment, "Index on censorship" reports on free expression violations around the world, publishes banned writing and shines a light on vital free expression issues through original, challenging and intelligent commentary and analysis, publishing some of the world's finest writers. This is the winner of 2008 amnesty international consumer magazine of the year.