Palestinian journalists on Wednesday refused to cover a visit by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to the Civil Police headquarters in Gaza City after some of them were beaten by security officers...

...The journalists were invited to cover Abbas's morning visit to the police headquarters, known as the Yasser Arafat Police Compound. They complained that while they were waiting for Abbas to arrive, some policemen started pushing them in a violent manner and cursing them.

In response, the journalists left the compound, announcing that they would boycott coverage of events related to Abbas's activities. The journalists also refused to cover the weekly meeting of the PA cabinet, which was held in Gaza City.

"The policemen beat us for no reason," a local photographer told The Jerusalem Post. "That's why we left the area. This is not the first time that the police have attacked journalists in the Gaza Strip."...

...Earlier this month, Palestinian journalists called for an end to PA control of the media and threatened to go on strike unless their demand was met. They also demanded that journalists working for the PA-funded media be given higher salaries and better conditions...

...In another development, Abbas issued a decree on Tuesday placing the PA's radio and television station under the jurisdiction of the PA Ministry of Information. The stations and other PA-funded media have been under the direct control of the PLO Executive Committee.

Abbas also decided to unite the Voice of Palestine radio station and Palestine TV under one body called The Palestinian Radio and TV Corporation, which will be under the direct control of Information Minister Nabil Shaath.

Shaath revealed on Wednesday that many Palestinian journalists and media outlets had been on the PA's payroll for years. He said the payments were made on the instructions of Yasser Arafat.

He told Palestinian legislators that several newspapers and magazines published in Jerusalem had been receiving funds from the PA. They include the newspapers al-Quds, al-Manar, al-Shaab, Falasteen, and three magazines: al-Awdah magazine, al-Bayader al-Siyassi and She'er.

Some of the publications were continuing to receive funds although they stopped appearing many years ago...