Global Media COMM458

Remembering John Lennon...

2006-12-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will mark 26 years since the life of John Lennon was so unfortunately taken away from him and all of us who appreciated what he stood for.
So instead of mourning his death, celebrate his life and all that he gave to us.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-11-26-ono_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream.
A dream you dream together is reality...”
-John Lennon

U.S. tailors sanctions to annoy N. Korea's Kim

2006-11-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Bush Administration is planning a unique strategy in response to North Korea's recent secret nuclear weapons program by making it more difficult for the North Korean president to buy certain electronic entertainment devices he favors in order to capture attention. This would be employed by means of enforcing certain foreign trade sanctions on items such as the ipod, plasma TV’s, music and sports equipment.

Wal-Mart to open retail stores in India

2006-11-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

India has become a keen target for the global retail industry because of its increased income of their middle class and a heightened demand for name brand products. Even though government regulations avert foreign multi-product retail chains from conducting business there, Wal-Mart stores may soon be able to set up operations in India due to Wal-Mart constructing a deal that will link them up with a local company.

Papers Embrace Enemy

2006-11-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

This article discusses ways in which newspapers are working with Web industries to increase advertising opportunities since many companies have gone to advertising only online and no longer in local newspapers. This is another interesting article on newspapers and how they are becoming less popular (and could soon be extinct): http://www.newassignment.net/blog/john_mcquaid/nov2006/20/charles_lewis_on

Mac fans clamor for 'iPhone'

2006-11-21T22:31:00.001-07:00

The long-rumored arrival of a hybrid mobile phone and iPod music player from Apple Computer Inc. has morphed from a question of "If" to "When" among fans and analysts.
Since Apple's introduction of the iPod five years ago, the company has sold more than 67 million of the devices and more than 1.5 billion songs from its iTunes online music store.
Now, Chief Executive Steve Jobs and Apple are poised to roll out what has been dubbed the "iPhone," perhaps as soon as January next year at the Macworld conference that kicks off every new year, analysts say.

Mac fans clamor for 'iPhone'

2006-11-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

Private US firm buys Oz network

2006-11-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Foreign markets, such as the private American firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), are taking advantage of Australia's recent lift on foreign media restrictions. KKR is entering into a joint-venture with Seven Media (in Australia) that is valued at $4 billion. This investment will give Seven Media the opportunity to expand the dynamics of its media operations.

Kazakh president laughs off Borat

2006-11-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

Kazakhstan's president has laughed off the film Borat, which mocks his country, saying that "any publicity is good publicity".
Nursultan Nazarbayev, in the UK for talks with Tony Blair, said: "The film was created by a comedian so let's laugh at it - that's my attitude."

Sidenote- we were talking about this movie before class, I found out this was a real country, and am very surprised that they did not get so upset. It displays the country in very poor lighting, and with tasteless (yet funny) descriptions.

Is the web going mobile at last?

2006-11-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

The new X-Series mobile phone, offered from 3G network operator 3, plans to offer everything from viewing movies, watching TV from your home cable network, podcasting, bidding on Ebay, etc...pretty much everything you can do on your PC. The thing that will distinguish them from their competitors is they are offering all of this for a flat rate so users don't have to worry about using their minutes or paying high prices for internet use. Since 3 billion people use mobile devices and only 1 billion use PC's to access the internet, 3G is really hoping their new phone package will appeal to the market.

Egypt arrests another blog critic

2006-11-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Egypt (along with other countries) has started to arrest people based on their views posted in personal blogs. This goes along with what we talked about in class the other day...how the U.S. government could eventually start to monitor our personal computers in search for terrorists.

Universal and MySpace: The Copyright Battle

2006-11-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

Universal Music Group is mighty upset with MySpace, enough so as to file a legal complaint against the site, alleging copyright infringements.
The music company is demanding $150,000 apiece for the material unrightfully present on MySpace. Universal’s owner, French media giant Vivendi, is claiming that MySpace.com “encourages, facilitates and participates in the unauthorized reproduction, adaptation, distribution and public performance”. The statement added, “Our music and videos play a key role in building the communities that have created hundreds of millions of dollars of value for the owners of MySpace. Our goal is not to inhibit the creation of these communities, but to ensure that our rights and those of our artists are recognized.”

New software promises to unlock iPod, iTunes

2006-11-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Not even the lure of one million songs could separate Stanford University student Rolf Steier from his iPod.
When Stanford partnered with Yahoo to offer students a free subscription to Yahoo Music Unlimited, Steier - like most other people he knew - didn't bother to check it out because his iPod won't let him play songs bought from other online music stores...
This could be music to the ears of consumers and good news for Apple rivals looking to cut into the company's enormous share of the digital music market.

Searching for the holy grail of Web-to-TV video

2006-11-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

A new way to look at media is currently being created (it could even be available by Christmas) in which a special chip (called a Quartics chip) is used to transfer videos from your PC to a TV screen (or projector). The product will be able to process any kind of video (iTunes, YouTube, Flash, Real, WindowsMedia, etc) and will only require a small box to be set up to your TV and will use Wi-Fi to connect to your PC. Apple is launching a Web-to-TV product called iTV sometime early next year, but will only be able to stream videos from iTunes. Analysts think the Quartics chip is going to reinvent the media industry and become HUGE...

Wake up and smell the copyright

2006-11-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Vice Chairman of EMI Music is going after musicians who are artistically modifying songs to which EMI has the copyright. This discusses the use of intellectual property and argues that other companies, such as Google, use content which they don't own to their economic advantage.

Big media seeks new Web blood

2006-11-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Big 5 media corporations are making significant managerial changes...and the new hires all have significant backgrounds in digital media business. (This has to do with the rise of online videos, which we talked about in class today.)

The race to create a 'smart' Google

2006-11-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Similar to Amazon's "recommender system", Google is attempting to create a system which will tap into consumers' personalities and help them "discover" what all is out there that appeals to them, rather than making the consumers have to "search" for it.

Google's Purchase of YouTube

2006-11-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Who's sweeping whom?
By Jim Ledbetter
Maybe you think, along with Microsoft's Steve Ballmer, that Google paid way too much money for YouTube. And from a strict investment banker's point of view, $1.65 billion, even in Google (GOOG) stock, seems like a huge chunk of change. But you don't have to be as smart as Michael Hirschorn to see that Web video is the driving force behind American media right this second.The latest piece of evidence is Michael Richards' inexplicably racist eruption at a Los Angeles comedy club last Friday, caught for all eternity by someone who flipped it to TMZ.com. (That site, which the New York Times declared on Monday is the nation's leading entertainment news site, is owned by Time Warner, which also owns CNNMoney.)As recently as five years ago, a moment like this would have made it into a gossip column in one newspaper in New York or L.A., a publicist would furiously spin behind the scenes, and the incident would be a stain soon forgotten. But now, thanks to nifty phones and the power of Web video, Richards was forced to apologize within 24 hours of the thing being posted online--on network TV during sweeps.It's not The Browser's job to meditate on the psychological motivation behind any of this (although for the record, we think The Malcontent pretty much nailed it). And our cynical side suspects that Jerry Seinfeld made room on the Letterman show for his old costar partly out of affection, and partly as damage control, lest Richards' spewing interfere with sales of a certain DVD. The point here is that video news now breaks on the Web first, leaving even the biggest networks to scramble to catch up. In and of itself, that's not a business model for YouTube, but it suggests that whomever can build an advertising platform around Web video will be able to host the next generation of Lettermans and Seinfelds.

YouTube and eBay, meet O.J.

2006-11-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Bootleg versions on Ebay or YouTube are probably the only way someone will be able to see O.J.'s interview, which was scheduled to air on Fox (but was cancelled). O.J. Simpson recently wrote a book called "If I Did It" explaining how he would have killed his ex-wife, had he done it. The publisher, HarperCollins, has recalled the book (although the copies have already been published and distributed to warehouses) due to the negative publicity it has gotten so far. The chances of another publisher picking it up isn't likely because "It's the public equivalent of doing a snuff film," said Viner, referring to films that claim to show a person being killed.
"People can make money by doing snuff films, but no one wants to be associated with it."

Kazakh president laughs off Borat

2006-11-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

"Kazakhstan's president has laughed off the film Borat, which mocks his country, saying that "any publicity is good publicity".

Nursultan Nazarbayev, in the UK for talks with Tony Blair, said: "The film was created by a comedian so let's laugh at it - that's my attitude"

I wonder how this movie effects other countries opinions of the US and our opinions on kazakhstan?

TiVo stretching into the Internet

2006-11-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here is an instance where the companies are working with the technology, in this case broadband video on the web, to make it work for them.

"SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- In its ongoing bid to be a central conduit of media, TiVo Inc. plans to broaden its digital video recording service later this year so users of its set-top boxes can download videos from the Internet and watch them from their television sets. "

Since we've been talking about digital piracy, it's interesting to know that The videos aren't copy protected yet but TIVO hopes to make them in the future.

wikipedia unlocked in China

2006-11-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- Online encyclopedia Wikipedia was accessible again in China on Thursday after being blocked for more than a year, a move hailed by free media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.
The main page of the Chinese-language version of Wikipedia (zh.wikipedia.org) could be displayed and searches for apolitical terms turned up results, but searches for subjects taboo to China's Communist leadership, such as "June 4", remained blocked.
June 4, 1989, was the date that China's military crushed a student-led movement for political change centered on Beijing's Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds and possibly thousands. The incident remains among the most sensitive subjects for the country's state-controlled media.

Court OKs broad Web libel immunity

2006-11-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

"SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- Web sites that publish inflammatory information written by other parties cannot be sued for libel, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The ruling in favor of free online expression was a victory for a San Diego woman who was sued by two doctors for posting an allegedly libelous e-mail on two Web sites.

Some of the Internet's biggest names, including Amazon.com, America Online Inc., eBay Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., took the defendant's side out of concern that a ruling against her would expose them to liability."

appearently, you can post anything as long as you aren't the original source, including information that can be harmful to another party. Only the original source is held accountable for statements. This is justified through the Communications Decency Act of 1996.

This is good for free speech but it may be harmful in that it allows posting of offensive material? Is there a way to protect both individuals with opinions and those who have harmful information about them out there?

Journalist denies Colombian allegations of terrorism

2006-11-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

"Colombian authorities arrested Munoz on Sunday, accusing him of participating in attacks on the electrical infrastructure in and around the coastal cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena. No one was killed in the explosions which occurred in 2002.

Munoz, a Colombian national, said in a note published on Telesur's Web site that he believes he was detained because of his reporting critical of U.S. policy.

The Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders called the arrest "an abuse of power, an arbitrary measure."

iPhone

2006-11-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

Thought this new mac product was exciting!
The long-rumored arrival of a hybrid mobile phone and iPod music player from Apple Computer Inc. has morphed from a question of "If" to "When" among fans and analysts.
Since Apple's introduction of the iPod five years ago, the company has sold more than 67 million of the devices and more than 1.5 billion songs from its iTunes online music store.

Humiliated frat boys sue over "Borat" portrayal

2006-11-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen Borat yet, stop reading here. There are some portrayals in the movie that are controversial and are resulting in lawsuits. If you have seen Borat, you will understand that these lawsuits will not end up as anything but a Hollywood joke.

News Corp. Accused of Hush Money Offer

2006-11-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/21/D8LHHG2G0.html

CNN's Nancy Grace Sued

2006-11-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

I wonder if CNN has a "do no harm" policy??? Nancy Grace's interview with the mother of a missing child drove her to commit suicide! Apparently the woman was misled about the reason for the interview by being told it was to help bring attention to her missing child, and then she was continuosly questioned about her whereabouts the day her son was missing and basically accused by Nancy Grace. I personally don't think that it is a newsreporters job to interogate a potential suspect? The goal of the media is to report and remain unbiased...not to try to force a confession or solve a crime? Anyway, the story is below...

ORLANDO, Fla. - Relatives of a missing boy's mother who killed herself after aggressive questioning by CNN's Nancy Grace sued the network and the talk-show host Tuesday, claiming Grace caused emotional distress that led to the suicide.

Melinda Duckett committed suicide Sept. 8, a day after Grace's show on CNN Headline News aired a segment in which Grace grilled Duckett about her whereabouts Aug. 27 — the day 2-year-old Trenton Duckett was reported missing.
Authorities, who said last week they believe the boy is alive, have named Melinda Duckett as the prime suspect in his disappearance.
Jay Paul Deratany, the attorney representing Duckett's estate, said Tuesday that Grace encouraged Duckett to appear on her show by saying the goal was to draw public attention to help find Trenton.
"It's not just about the questioning, it's about the misrepresentation with the knowledge that she was emotionally distraught," Deratany said. The attorney said Grace improperly took on the role of a law enforcement officer.
CNN Headline News declined to comment specifically on the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
"We stand by Nancy Grace and fully support her, as we have from the beginning of this matter," a spokeswoman said in a news release Tuesday.

Muslim Group Removed from Plane for saying prayers

2006-11-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last evening a group of men known as imams, which is a muslim group, was removed from an airplane because they were saying their evening prayers and a passenger complained. They were retained and questioned for several hours before they were allowed to fly home. They are planning to sue the airline. We have talked so much about the different freedoms and civil rights in our class when relating to new technologies, etc. (such as my groups media project about sentiment analysis program) and I think that we forget that there are still cases like this that are completely unacceptable! I am curious to the airlines response to this news story and the lawsuit.

Google shares hit $500

2006-11-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

Google stock prices hit $500 today, putting it close to the ranks of giants like Exxon. This is just another milestone in the internet search engines journey to the top. More than just its performance, Googles stock success goes along with its shares that they issue. The company has plans to continue to grow even larger with newspaper advertising in the works.

Calif. court says bloggers can't be sued

2006-11-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that bloggers and participants in Internet bulletin board groups cannot be sued for posting defamatory statements made by others.
In deciding a case closely watched by free speech groups, the court said a federal law gives immunity from libel suits not only to Internet service providers, like AOL, but also to bloggers and other users of their services.
"Subjecting Internet service providers and users to defamation liability would tend to chill online speech," today's unanimous ruling said.
The decision (http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S122953.PDF) is a victory for Internet free speech advocates, who warned that a contrary outcome could have affected users of newsgroups, blogs, listservs, and bulletin boards who enter those forums to discuss the views of others. A loss could even have jeopardized websites run by students to evaluate their professors, said the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation in friend of court briefs.
The case involved a lawsuit against Ilena Rosenthal, a women's health activist, who created an e-mail list and a newsgroup (alt.support.breast-implant) to discuss issues related to breast implants. Six years ago, she posted a letter written by a man who was highly critical of the efforts of a doctor to discredit advocates of alternative health treatments.
In the letter, the doctor, Terry Polevoy, was accused of trying to get an alternative medicine radio program canceled by using "scare tactics, stalking, and intimidation techniques" against the program's producer. Polevy, who maintained a website himself to expose what he called "health fraud and quackery" sued Rosenthal for libel.
She argued that because she did not write the letter herself and instead posted the work of another to her newsgroup, she was immune from suit under a section of the federal Communications Decency Act, passed by Congress in 1966. It protects both Internet service providers and their users from lawsuits.
In today's ruling, the California Supreme court said that granting such broad immunity for posting defamatory statements "has some troubling consequences."
Nevertheless, the court said, "Until Congress chooses to revise the settled law in this area" people who contend they were defamed on the Internet can seek recovery only from the original source of the statement, not from those who re-post it."

Online encyclopedia offline in China

2006-11-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Dr. Weber your favorite online encyclopedia is unavailable in China! You should be happy!

Wikipedia reportedly unavailable again in parts of country.
BEIJING - China's easing of a ban on the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia appears to have been short-lived.
Users reported Friday that the site was unavailable in several parts of China, barely a week after it suddenly became accessible.
It wasn't immediately clear if user-contributed encyclopedia was unreachable due to technical glitches or because government censors had blocked the site again. The Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Information Industry did not immediately respond when contacted for comment Friday.
Beijing first blocked access to the English and Chinese versions of Wikipedia in October last year, apparently out of concern about entries touching on Tibet, Taiwan and other sensitive topics.
China's communist government has waged a battle to control the anarchic Internet and filter the information Chinese can get. Police employ an array of measures, from sophisticated filters and detection software that hunts for sensitive words to having officers monitor Web traffic.
As a result, surfing the Web in China is a very different experience from that in much of the world. Because almost anyone can add to and edit listings in Wikipedia, the site is famously freewheeling, addressing sensitive topics that pose a challenge to Beijing's control.
The site's English version was unblocked last month, while the Chinese version became available late last week, until Friday when users said both versions could not be accessed.
"China's Internet users are not different from other countries' users," said Yuan Mingli, 33, a software engineer in Shanghai who has contributed articles on computer science and Chinese historical figures to the site. "Wikipedia is a very important source of information for us."
Experts had earlier expressed skepticism over the government's unannounced lifting of the ban on the popular site, saying it could be only temporary. "It's great to see Wikipedia unblocked, though in China an unblocking is probationary: it might be blocked again in a day, a week, or a month," Jonathan Zittrain, professor of Internet governance and regulation at Oxford University, said at the time.
Wikipedia contributors such as Yuan said they recalled at least two instances before the ban when censors teased Internet users by sporadically blocking access to the site for weeks at a time.
It was also not clear why Beijing had earlier allowed access to the site.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Thursday she had no information on the issue, but added China "actively supports and promotes the development of the Internet." "We manage the Internet in accordance with our laws and regulations," Jiang said.

Aerosmith Concerts- for those who love good live music

2006-11-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

So I attended two Aerosmith concerts this weekend, as well as two Burden Brother concerts and they were all amazing! I seriously have been to over 75 concerts, but its what I love and I guess its what my credit card loves too. Ha, I guess I will worry about that later?

I first saw Aerosmith in San Antonio on Friday which was amazing of course, but I sat in the lawn which is pretty much against my religion, because I never sit farther back than 15 rows when it comes to seeing those Aerosmith boys. However, I was with a bunch of people so it was best.

I saw them again in Houston last night and we had 7th row seats, and of course, they sounded better than awesome-even when it was sooooooooo cold outside. I seriously get dumb founded with how good they sound. Steven Tyler's voice is one of my favorites to hear live, as well as the whole band because of their talent, and plus its one of the best and most fun shows to see. That's why I keep coming back for more. it's crazy, but seriously it seems to sound better and better each time I see them.
AHAHA I might be quite biased, but they are my favorite band of ALL TIME. I have had the opportunity to see them 7 times and meet Steven Tyler and the boys twice. They have been around for more than 30 years, went through pretty much everything possible a band can go through, and still do what they love and with every original band member still intact. That’s hard to come by these days. Anyways because of their dedication and passion for what they do, as well as what they represent, is precisely why I want to be in the music business. I have to say, I’m pretty ambitious and I would love to have my own record label someday. I don’t think I would have ever gone in this direction if it weren’t for Aerosmith. They have been through and learned so much and still remain on top. They are a prime example of excellence- getting through the tough times and continually growing. A lesson everyone should learn. So ya, I could go all day but enough of that. Here is the article from the Houston concert last night- check it!

Down with DRM

2006-11-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

This goes along with our presentation tomorrow. People are mad because the people that are working against piracy... Zune and I-tunes are not compatible with each other but they are competing, so music lovers are forced to chose.

NewsCorp pulls O.J. Simpson book

2006-11-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of debate in the last week over the potential release of a biography by O.J. Simpson. People are upset that he would write about such a touch subject, especially titling it "If I Did It...". The idea was quickly pulled by NewsCorp after such outrage came of the idea.

Branson and Murdoch clash over future ownership of ITV

2006-11-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

http://informitv.com/articles/2006/11/20/bransonandmurdoch/

English Al-Jazeera expects scrutiny

2006-11-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

I know you guys already posted, but I found this yesterday and thought you might think it was interesting.

New Bond is dandy in solid 'Casino'

2006-11-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- By rights he should be well into middle age, but James Bond turns 21 (movies, that is) here with a new look and a fresh start...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/16/review.casino/index.html

McCain calls for "common sense conservatism"

2006-11-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arizona Sen. John McCain, taking the first step toward a 2008 White House bid, said on Thursday a return to principles of limited government and "common sense conservatism" would carry Republicans back to power after last week's election drubbing.

"We lost our principles and our majority. And there is no way to recover our majority without recovering our principles first," McCain told the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group, in the first of two high-profile speeches kicking off his expected presidential campaign.

McCain, an early favorite in what promises to be a crowded Republican presidential field, filed papers with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday forming an exploratory committee that allows him to raise money for a White House campaign.

Iranian papers: Great war to wipe out Israel coming...

2006-11-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

ranian newspapers Kehyan and and Resalat have urged Muslims around the world to prepare for a 'great war' to destroy the State of Israel.

The newspapers published the editorials, translated from Persian by MEMRI , the Middle East translation service, to mark 'Quds' day on October 20, an Iranian 'holiday' calling for the "liberation" of Jerusalem and war against Israel.

"Hizbullah destroyed at least half of Israel in the Lebanon war... Now only half the path (to its destruction) remains," an editorial in the conservative Keyhan newspaper declared.

Clear Channel agrees $18.7bn sale

2006-11-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

The channel of the guy who donated 10M to build Mays business school, has been sold.
Clear Channel Communications, which owns and operates more than 1,500 radio stations, has agreed to be bought by an investment group for $18.7bn (£9.9bn).

Students produce movies with cell phones

2006-11-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

BOSTON - The cameras capture the young man walking down the stairs, reciting a monologue about the three things people should know about him: His favorite movie is "Gone with the Wind," he loves roller coasters and he hates when people don't take him seriously.
The shot is complicated and takes several attempts to perfect. But there's no big camera equipment, no expert sound system and no reels of film to capture the moment.
Instead, everyone involved, from the three cameramen and the sound guy to the extras, is producing the miniature movie with — and for — cell phones.

Man pleads guilty in 4 kittens’ burning deaths

2006-11-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - A man pleaded guilty in the deaths of his ex-girlfriend's four small kittens, which were tossed into a fire pit after the couple argued.
Robert Tomlin, 22, of Smithsburg was sentenced Monday to 1 1/2 years in jail for aggravated animal cruelty. Washington County Circuit Judge John McDowell suspended the sentence except for the 134 days Tomlin has served since his arrest.
In the plea bargain, charges of assault for allegedly striking former girlfriend Kelli Ann Green and destruction of property were dropped.

Comcast backs out of Al-Jazeera deal

2006-11-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

Check it out.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117953878.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

MTV launching guidebook series

2006-11-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

HOBOKEN, New Jersey (AP) -- A venerable name in travel is partnering with the network that brought you music videos, "Pimp My Ride" and "Cribs" to produce a new series of trendy guidebooks for young travelers.
"MTV Italy" ($24) and "MTV Ireland" ($22) are the first books in the series from Frommer's, an imprint of New Jersey-based Wiley Publishing.
"MTV Europe" ($25) is due out in early December. Guides to Spain, France, England, American road trips and Mexico's beach resorts will be published in 2007.
The publisher says the books will lead readers "to some of the world's hottest party scenes and outdoor adventures" while also listing traditional museums and world-class attractions.
The MTV series is ideal for inexperienced travelers who need basic advice, especially those on a budget. They start out with "Best of" chapters that can help anyone come up with a good itinerary for a trip covering a lot of ground in a short time, combining authentic, offbeat experiences with local must-sees.
But the paperbacks are also filled with easy-to-digest tips on everything from arranging affordable cell phone service overseas, to making sure you have the right converters and adapters for your electronic gear, to explaining that it's hard to find a rental car in Europe with an automatic transmission (most are stick shift). Other advice includes calling your credit card company before you leave the U.S. so that your account isn't frozen because your charges from overseas look suspicious.
The "best of" recommendations in "MTV Italy" include "most awesome ancient ruins" like the Colosseum and Roman Forum, best seen, according to the guide, after dark when the floodlights come on. Best churches, according to "MTV Italy," are St. Peter's Basilica, the Duomo in Florence and St. Mark's Basilica.
The book also recommends the Riviera Romagnola towns of Rimini and Riccione on the Adriatic Coast as anything-goes destinations for serious partying, and Perugia and Bologna as "best college towns." For bars, the Drunken Ship in Rome and the Red Garter in Florence are described as places where "body shots and Power Hour drink specials" will remind you of spring break.
Less wild but also highly recommended bars include Vineria Reggio on Campo de' Fiori in Rome, Rock Castle in Perugia, Corto Maltese in Bologna and Bar Magenta in Milan. Best hostels in "MTV Italy" include Archi Rossi in Florence, The Beehive and Colors in Rome, and Hostel of the Sun in Naples.
Recommendations from "MTV Europe" include the continent's hottest nightclubs and bars, from London's celebrity-studded Boujis to Munich's retro Atomik Cafe to the Kulimnator in Antwerp, Belgium, where you can choose from 700 types of beer.
A chapter on Lisbon, Portugal, compares the city's Avenida da Liberdade, "with its marvelous mosaic walkways and rows of high-end shops," to the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Lisbon listings also include the Lisbon Lounge Hostel, described as "one of Europe's funkiest hostels" with an "irresistible lounge ... for hanging out"; Bom Apetite, a small, no-frills restaurant recommended for cheap eats; and Cafe A Brasileira do Chiado, where stopping in for tea or coffee is a local tradition.

Don't be anti-US, says Murdoch

2006-11-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

ANTI-Americanism is on the rise in Australia, fuelled by the unpopularity of the Iraq war among young people, Rupert Murdoch said last night.
Speaking in Sydney, Mr Murdoch warned Australians against allowing doubts about the US administration to fester into an irrational antipathy that saw America as a greater threat to world peace than al-Qaeda.
"Australians must resist and reject the facile, reflexive, unthinking anti-Americanism that has gripped much of Europe," said Mr Murdoch, chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, publisher of NEWS.com.au.
Addressing a star-studded audience, including Prime Minister John Howard, at the inaugural American Australian Association benefit dinner, Mr Murdoch said America had to work to address criticisms that it took Australia too much for granted "and not come calling only when in need".
"Australian sentiment is thankfully nowhere near Europe's level of hostility - but it could get there, and it mustn't," Mr Murdoch said.
"In the coming century America will find Asia more important than ever - and its alliance with Australia more useful than ever."
He spoke about the importance of finding new sources of energy to avoid the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change and to lessen dependence on oil "whose profits in some instances help to finance terror and prop up hostile regimes".
Political, business and academic leaders joined media and sporting personalities including golfer Greg Norman, designer Collette Dinnigan and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann at the dinner.
Lachlan Murdoch and wife Sarah shared a table with family members, while PBL chairman James Packer and partner Erica Baxter sat with PBL bosses.
The benefit dinner honoured Mr Murdoch for his contribution to Australian-American relations and launched the new United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.
Mr Murdoch said the centre, an initiative between the American Australian Association and the Federal Government, would "raise awareness, dispel myths, groom new leaders" and increase ties between the two countries.

In-car Internet Hits the Road

2006-11-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

Stephen Devine says having Internet access in his camper van has already saved one family vacation.
Tracnet allows accessible internet in vehicles...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/11/09/mobile.internet.ap/index.html

Musicians 'upbeat' about the net

2006-11-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

This information is from BBC and explains about a report done by a lady on the effects of piracy on big and small name musicians. In the end, both believe it is wrong to share files, but they agree that it helps more than hurts. Sometimes the BBC is right on and sometimes it seems that their story are completely fabricated, so I would guess that this one is somewhere in the middle. If the answer was clear, the debate over piracy would not really exist.

Myspace Acts to Halt Music Piracy

2006-11-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Myspace is making an online music store in their efforts to stop piracy... I think that's odd considering that one of the main reasons myspace was invented was to get small name bands out there by sharing their music. The software is from Gracenote and is most commonly used with Apple computers.

Iran, Syria and Israel

2006-11-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

I hate when I write a great blogg comment and suddenly, my magical fingers erase it. Anyway, here it goes again:
Basically Israel tells the US: "Hey, listen, Iran has weapons and there is also Syria, and you are inside Iraq, and you cannot leave Iraq because then that will cause a civil war; and guess what I live on that area so, yeah, stay there and also do something with Iran and Syria; and just in case you forget we have to do something with the democrats because now there are too many as the opposition leading force....yeah, we need more jewish republicans and lobbyists to support Israel"
Ok.....so, the US says: HOOOOOOKAY.....even though you have nuclear weapons, yes we will look into Iran....WE KNOW YOU DON'T WANT A WAR....but if so, we will be there to back you up.
In the meanwhile....Israeli troops kill people in Gaza and nobody says a thing; which is ok because afterall; Israelis are doing IT on the sake of peace....becasue yes people, they are very peaceful people.
Just read the article
THE END

Vodafone to Launch Triple-Play Broadband Service in UK Market

2006-11-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

Vodafone will launch broadband in Uk. Vodafone plans to actually rent Broadband access instead of purchasing it. I don't understand what the "triple play" in this article means though. Could someone explain that please?

Ashley

Motorola to Make Strategic Acquisition of good Technology

2006-11-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

Motorola purchased or is about to purchase software called, "Good Technology." This article does not tell the sum they paid, but it had to be alot. Good Technology is for email on your wireless devices... I know none of us ever use that... insert sarcasm here.

-Ashley

Zune vs. Ipod

2006-11-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Microsoft tackles digital music market
Microsoft has recently introduced the Zune...which is similar to and will be competing with Apple's Ipod. Analysts don't think it's going to be very popular despite it's ability to share pictures and songs from Zune to Zune, because in order to share these things your friends will have to have a Zune too. It will also be hard to compete with the Ipod because there is only one option compared to the Ipod which offers the Shuffle, Nano, regular, etc. Microsoft plans to invest "hundreds of millions" in this little project so hopefully it can win people over...

Microsoft to pay Novell $450m

2006-11-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

MICROSOFT has agreed to pay Linux software maker Novell $450 million to make its software interoperate with Windows, the open source specialist revealed in filings to the US securities exchange regulator.
The payments, which will be made in two tranches, are part of an agreement under which Microsoft and Novell will adopt a broad set of business and technology measures to make their products work together better. Novell lodged documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which said that would Microsoft would pay Novell $US240 million ($300 million) up front in subscription fees to allow the world's largest software maker to use its Linux software.
Microsoft will also pay Novell an additional $US108 million for use of its patents, Linux is the most popular variant of open-source software. Unlike proprietary software, open-source software lets developers share code and add functions, and users only pay for custom features, maintenance and technical support. Microsoft agreed not to sign a similar agreement with any other Linux distributor for three years. Microsoft's pact with Novell dealt a blow to other Linux distributors such as market leader Red Hat, according to analysts. Under the pact, which will run until at least 2012, Novell will also pay Microsoft at least $US40 million over five years for use of Microsoft's patents based on a percentage of its revenue from open-source products.

President Bush nominates former CIA chief Robert Gates as defense secretary to replace Donald Rumsfeld

2006-11-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, intends to resign after six stormy years at the Pentagon, Republican officials said Wednesday.
Officials said Robert Gates, former head of the CIA, would replace Rumsfeld.
The development occurred one day after congressional elections that cost Republicans control of the House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate as well. Surveys of voters at polling places said opposition to the war was a significant contributor to the Democratic Party's victory.

Media goes too far

2006-11-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Monday night at the CMA awards, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, and other musicians were nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year. When the presenter called out Carrie Underwood's name the cameras showed Faith Hill's reaction. "At the moment Faith Hill realized Carrie Underwood had won the CMA's female vocalist award on Monday night (Nov. 6), she suddenly threw her arms wide open, mouthed what appeared to be a very angry "What?!" and stormed away. All the while, she was still being shown on camera." The media is having a field day with this. It is a common human reaction to feel disappointed when you lose and she was laughing while doing it. "Hill was laughing as she appeared to be talking to someone out of the camera's range." Faith Hill later told the press that it was a joke and her and Carrie Underwood are friends. Carrie Underwood said the same thing.

I think it is ridiculous that the media pounced on this the way they did. It was a human reaction that everyone has and it was not done with malice. I wish the media would just let celebrities be people instead of scrutinizing their every move. It doesn't mean anything and it doesn't help anyone by calling Faith Hill out like that. I think it is sad that this is bigger news than some other topics that are going on in the world right now.

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1545074/11072006/hill_faith.jhtml

MySpace in China

2006-11-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Discussions are in the works for MySpace to be introduced in China. There are great possiblilities in this country for such a website to be incredibly successful. It is estimated that internet use is already 10 times that of the U.S., and 400 million mobile users in China. MySpace is joining so many other organizations that we have discussed this semester in class and going global.

"The Transit of Mercury"

2006-11-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

If you're interested, and have the right equipment to be able to see it, on Wednesday, Mercury will be passing in front of the sun. It's a pretty rare event, last time happened in 2003. The planet closest to the sun will only be a tiny black dot when looking through special telescope lenses. There will supposedly be websites where viewing the event is possible.

World press divided over Saddam death sentence

2006-11-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

PARIS (AFP) - The world's media has been torn between applause for the death penalty given dictator Saddam Hussein and warnings that killing him would only exacerbate divisions threatening to destroy Iraq.

The New York Times called for Saddam's execution to be deferred, saying his trial had given Iraq "neither the full justice nor the full fairness it deserved".

Murdoch calls for climate deal

2006-11-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Murdoch calls for climate dealPeter Alford and Matthew Warren
November 07, 2006
RUPERT Murdoch has called for the Kyoto Protocol on climate change to be replaced by a new international agreement that can be endorsed by the US and the emerging industrial giants China and India.
And the chairman of News Corporation, publisher of The Australian, said that while he had until recently been wary of the global warming debate and apparently far-fetched assertions about its causes, he now believed business must lead the search for solutions.

Once Again....Kanye West sore loser at awards show

2006-11-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

I like Kanye West, but his ego is seriously a problem!

"If I don't win, the awards show loses credibility," Kanye said

Kanye won Best Hip Hop artist at the MTV Europe Music Awards, but "crashed" the stage and pouted when Justice and Simian won best video.

Come on! Get a grip!

death by hanging

2006-11-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Finally, former Iraq's tyrant receives what deserves. I wonder if the court that sentenced him could have figured a more humane way for him to die, regardless of how inhumane he was.
Saddam, his brother, a judge and some others have been finally sentenced to death for the crimes commited against the people of Iraq.

Media Exercise 6: Digital Piracy

2006-11-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Group

Julie Jones
Jacque LaCroix
Allison Coggins
Liz Knol

Digital priacy has posed significant problems for the recording industry with new technologies empowering the user to copy, distribute and exhibit music without having to pay the high costs for CDs charged by the industry's Big 5. As a result, the industry responded by issuing law suits, purchased offending companies, and introduced technological enhanced products that are designed to protect copyright and the companies' extensive profits.

While the emergence of online music providers iTunes has provided ways for people to download music and protext copyright, the ethical and moral issues continue to exist for the industry, artists and users over copyright, particular as movies and television programs have become the next frontier for digital downloads.

Your task is to examine the issues surrounding digital music and answer the following questions in preparation for your presentation:

What position does the Big 5 music media companies take in relation to copyright and digital music and how does this differ in relation to independent artists and some users?
What ethical and moral issues exist in relation to the different positions these stakeholders have over issues of copyright?
What implications do these issues have for the movie and television industry as video streaming becomes more of a reality over the Internet?
What impact will "The Secure Digital Music Initiative" (see McCourt and Burkart) have on the distribution and exhibition of movies and television programming in the online environment?

The following resources will help get you started:

http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-5161871.html

http://news.com.com/RIAA+steps+up+file-trading+suits/2100-1027_3-5160262.html?tag=st.rn

http://news.com.com/Court+RIAA+lawsuit+strategy+illegal/2100-1027_3-5129687.html?tag=st.rn

http://www.halexandria.org/dward667.htm

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=140&subsecID=289&contentID=252145

Deadline: Saturday, November 11 at 5pm.

Media Exercise 5: Sentiment Analysis Program

2006-11-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Group 6:

Jody Warner
Marcie McSwane
Daniel Ebert
Trisha Morrow

A RECENT report indicated that the Bush Administration had funded a Homeland Security initiative that would see $2.4m spent on developing "sentiment analysis" software. This initiative would allow the government's "security organs" to sift through millions of news articles for "negative opinions of the United States or its leaders in newspapers and other publications overseas". The software would be developed by academics in some of the US's leading institutions, including Texas A&M University.

Your task is to critical assess this development through the following questions:

What are the key objectives in developing the sentiment analysis software?
How will the information gathered from these searches be used in relation to security?
What concerns are raised in relation to freedom of speech, civil liberties and privacy that reflect similar issues foudn in the US government-Google wranglings over access to user information?
What implications does this software development have for the roles and responsibilities of the media?
How will sentiment analysis impact on the delicate balance between government, media and society?

Resources:

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10C1EF73F540C778CDDA90994DE404482

http://www.rense.com/general73/crtic.htm

http://www.alias-i.com/lingpipe/demos/tutorial/sentiment/read-me.html

http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/111704/Software_sorts_out_subjectivity_111704.html

http://www.iwr.co.uk/information-world-review/comment/2159993/search-moves-notch-emotional

Due Date: November 9, 5pm

Burma, a paradise or hell?

2006-11-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

Burma is one of Asia's poorest countries and it has been under military rule since 1962. There are many regimes around the world, but most people are not even aware of these contry's existence. Anyway, I was reading about this lady's wedding and tehn I went to youtoube.com to see the video...and It was breath taking, not because of the beauty but because it is was outrageous....CHECK OUT THIS LINK....and if you can read further.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1300003.stm

Kitschy Pink Flamingo Faces Extinction

2006-11-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Heard about this on the Today show. How sad. It's like a cultural icon.

The plastic pink flamingo, a front-lawn icon that has been reviled as kitschy bad taste and revered as retro cool, is dead at age 49.

The pop culture symbol met its demise after its manufacturer, Union Products of Leominster, Mass., was socked with a triple economic threat — increases in costs of electricity and plastic resin combined with loss of financing. Production ended in June, and the plant is scheduled to close Nov. 1, according to the president and chief executive, Dennis Plante.

Union Products made 250,000 of its patented plastic pink flamingos a year in addition to other garden products.Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, paid tribute to the bird that has been immortalized everywhere — in the 1970s John Waters movie "Pink Flamingos" and on lawns across America.

"Let's face it," he said, "as iconic emblems of kitsch, there are two pillars of cheesy, campiness in the American pantheon. One is the velvet Elvis. The other is the pink flamingo.

"The birth of the plastic pink flamingo in 1957 coincided with a booming interest in Florida, Thompson said, making it possible for those in other parts of the country to have a little piece of the Sunshine State's mystique in their yard.

By the late '70s, according to Thompson, the pink flamingo became a symbol of bad taste. It was considered trash culture and embraced by folks with a wise-guy attitude.

By the late '80s and early '90s, he said, we learned to make fun of pop culture items such as the pink flamingo as well as appreciate them.

"The pink flamingo has gone from a piece of the Florida boom and Florida exotica to being a symbol of trash culture to now becoming a combination of all we know — kitsch, history, simplicity and elegance," Thompson said.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-na-pink19oct19,0,7313496.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Microsoft considers China policy

2006-11-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Fred Tipson, senior policy counsel for the computer giant, said concerns over the repressive regime might force it to reconsider its business in China.

"We have to decide if the persecuting of bloggers reaches a point that it's unacceptable to do business there."

Human rights activists are concerned that the technology is being misused by some governments to track the online activities of people and to filter dissident comment.

This article brings up corporate responsibility questions about the degree to which corporations are responsible for human rights issues of thier customers, such as freedom of speech.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6102180.stm

Reese and Ryan Split?!?!

2006-11-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

I am truly sad about the split! They are one of my favorite Hollywood couples!

To say that people were shocked by Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe’s sudden split would be an understatement.
But today, we find out what (or who) may have caused the breakup.
Just two weeks ago, Reese accompanied Ryan to his screening for “Flags of Our Fathers” in New York, where the couple reportedly fought bitterly at the after party.

Sadly, explosive new details are surfacing about Reese and Ryan’s troubled marriage, including reports of an alleged affair between Ryan and a young actress.
“Ryan did not go out of his way to hide the fact that he was having a fling with his co-star Abbie Cornish,” said Us Weekly’s Katrina Szish. “Besides the fact they were spotted making out in a sushi restaurant together, she was spotted many times leaving his loft apartment.”
According to Us Weekly, Ryan’s alleged affair with Cornish, a 24-year-old Australian actress, was common knowledge around Austin, Texas where the two were shooting the new film “Stop Loss.”
Abbie’s rep denies the affair and both Reese and Ryan’s people had no comment.

Kerry cancels campaign events after remarks

2006-11-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

Kerry was supposed to say, "I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq."

He said: "You know, education -- if you make the most of it, you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well.
"If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

The flap over what Sen. John Kerry calls his “botched joke” has prompted the Democrat to cancel a couple of upcoming appearances over the next two days, campaign officials said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the rhetoric between Kerry and the White House continued to escalate.
Bush’s spokesman pressed Kerry to apologize for a comment Republicans say was disrespectful of U.S. fighting forces in Iraq, saying he “put gasoline on the fire” of an already sizzling midterm election campaign.

Bob Barker set to retire after 35 years hosting The Price Is Right

2006-11-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true; TV icon Bob Barker has finally decided to retire. After watching the show loyally through the years, I have definitely noticed that he has shown his age lately with his obvious lack of patience towards game players who cant seem to decide to choose the number"6" or "7" within a reasonable amount of time. Well, I suppose to him as an 83 yr old, it seems a reasonable amount of time now is .5 seconds before he makes them feel somewhat inadequate with his slightly grumpy demeanor for not being able to give him an immediate answer. I sure as hell know I would be asking the audience and taking my time if choosing a "6" or "7" was the basis of me getting a new car. But regardless, I love him and the show anyways! I am truly sad- such a travesty. Well such as life- but whoever does replace him, better make sure that "Plinko" is still a part of the show.

Bob Barker Retiring After 50 Years on TV
Oct 31, 4:06 PM EST
The Associated Press

Bob Barker is heading toward his last showcase, his final "Come on down." The silver-haired daytime-TV icon is retiring in June, he told The Associated Press Tuesday.

"I will be 83 years old on December 12," he said, "and I've decided to retire while I'm still young."

He'll hang up his microphone after 35 years as the host of "The Price Is Right" and 50 years overall in television.

Though he has been considering retirement for "at least 10 years," Barker said he has so much fun doing the show that he hasn't been able to leave.

"I've gone on and on and on to this ancient age because I've enjoyed it," he said. "I've thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm going to miss it."

Reaching dual milestones, 50 years on television and 35 with "Price," made this an "appropriate" time to retire, Barker said. Besides, hosting the daily CBS program — in which contestants chosen from the crowd "come on down" to compete for "showcases" that include trips, appliances and new cars — is "demanding physically and mentally," he said.

"I'm just reaching the age where the constant effort to be there and do the show physically is a lot for me," he said. "I might be able to do the show another year, but better (to leave) a year too soon than a year too late."

Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation, said Barker has left an enduring mark on the network, calling his contribution and loyalty "immeasurable."

"We knew this day would come, but that doesn't make it any easier," Moonves said in a statement. "Bob Barker is a daytime legend, an entertainment icon and one of the most beloved television personalities of our time."

Barker began his national television career in 1956 as the host of "Truth or Consequences." He first appeared on "Price" on Sept. 4, 1972 and has been the face of the show ever since.

A CBS prime-time special celebrating the show's longevity and Barker's five decades on TV was already under way, a network spokesman said.

To kick off his retirement, Barker said he will "sit down for maybe a couple of weeks and find out what it feels like to be bored." Then he plans to spend time working with animal-rights causes, including his own DJ&T Foundation, founded in memory of his late wife, Dorothy Jo, and mother, Matilda.
He said he'd take on a movie role if the right one came along, but filmmakers, take note: "I refuse to do nude scenes.

These Hollywood producers want to capitalize on my obvious sexuality, but I don't want to be just another beautiful body."

Freemantle Media, which owns "Price," has been looking for Barker's replacement for "two or three years," Barker said. And he has some advice for whoever takes the job: learn the show's 80 games backwards and forward.

"The games have to be just like riding a bicycle," Barker said. "Then he will be relaxed enough to have fun with the audience, to get the laughs with his contestants and make the show more than just straight games, to make it a lot of fun."

As for his fans, Barker said he "doesn't have the words" to express his gratitude.

"From the bottom of my heart, I thank the television viewers, because they have made it possible for me to earn a living for 50 years doing something that I thoroughly enjoy. They have invited me into their homes daily for a half a century."

But when it comes to saying his final TV goodbye, Barker said he'll do it the same way he does each day on "Price": "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=239855&GT1=7703

AOL cancellation

2006-10-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

This is a funny clip from the Today show about AOL. It is kind of long but if you have time you should look at it.
http://www.thisisbroken.com/b/2006/06/aol_cancellatio.html

Intro

2006-10-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'm doing The Office.

Our discussion begins with an analysis of the elements of globalization present in The Office before moving to localization strategies used for making the program suitable for American culture. Finally we address our third research question in an analysis of what determines the success or failure of glocalized television products, including what may be learned from this specific case.

"More fright than they bargained for"

2006-10-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

Some teens get a little more of a Halloween scare then what they might have wanted. After a Halloween party they were at, the teens stopped off at a scary looking house to add a little fright to their evening. They got just that when they came across a man who had hung himself.

Pentagon gears up for new media war

2006-10-31T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Pentagon's new effort to influence media coverage of the war in Iraq is an example of how governments react when a war is not going too well.
They begin to think it is not the war that is the problem, but the presentation of it.
The media, being the messengers, get the blame, not the message itself.

New strain of bird flu found in China

2006-10-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Scientists have discovered a new strain of bird flu that appears to sidestep current vaccines.
It’s infecting people as well as poultry in Asia, and some researchers fear its evolution may have been steered by the vaccination programs designed to protect poultry from earlier types of the H5N1 flu.

Chinese slow to embrace 'free hugs' campaign

2006-10-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- "The Chinese appear not to have warmed to a "free hugs" campaign aimed at cheering up strangers by hugging them on the street, with some huggers even being hauled away by police for questioning, media said on Monday.
...police moved in and took away four huggers briefly for questioning, baffled by their wacky, Western-style activities on a busy downtown shopping street."

Perhaps this is an example of resistance to change, particularly in regard to westernization.

'Al Qaeda school' attack: 80 dead

2006-10-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

CHINGAI, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistani troops backed by missile-firing helicopters on Monday struck a religious school purportedly being used as an al Qaeda training center, killing 80 people in what appeared to be the country's deadliest-ever attack against suspected militants.

Presentations

2006-10-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Media Exercies: Problem-Solution

You have explored a series of media-related problems through a set questions in your media exercises. Responses to the problems will help you to formulate your solution to these problems.

In your presentation, you will deliver a brief overview of the problem from your combined weblog entries (to refresh our memories). You will then outline what strategy/s you would employ to solve this problem. Now it is clearly understood that these problems remain substantial (sometimes through inactivity and sometimes because of other factors). So your solution will be limited in various ways. Therefore, you will be required, in your presentation, to provide a critique of the strengths and weaknesses of your solution. All members of the group must present a sectiion the delivery must be professional in design, style and content.

Time: 30 minutes (including 10 minutes for Q&A)
Technical: PowerPoint
Participants: All group members

Criteria:
Presentation Skills 20%
Content 25
Argument 20%
PowerPoint 15
Q&A 20 (10 minutes)

You will be assessed as a group and provided feedback on the presentation in relation to the criteria above.

Assessment is worth 75 points (of a possible 400 total points).

November 2 Reading – Territorial marketing: international repertoire and world music

2006-10-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

In this article, the author explores the idea of “territorial rights” in the music industry. This territorialization, he argues, is central to “global marketing strategies” in the music industry. He follows Garcia’s suggestion that cultural relations are defined by 1) deterritorialization, or “the loss of any natural relationship between culture and geographical and social territories,” and 2) reterritorialization, or the relocalization of old and new symbolic productions. The author explores how international marketing departments in major record labels have influenced acquisition, prioritizing and circulation of the music of recording artists and its consequences.

In the 1960’s and 70’s, international departments within record labels were supposed to synchronize the movement and marketing among international artists or act as a link for workers in different countries. Now international marketing departments influence how artists are acquired, produced and presented. This issue affects location of offices and organizational change, and is a new consideration as to whether a new artist will have international potential. Marketing outside the U.S. opens new doors for producers because of its potential for extra income.

International staff have to make judgments on the types of music (instruments, tempos, rhythms, voices, and melodies), political judgments on parts of the world, marketing judgments about music distribution, and pragmatic judgments about sound carrier formats (mp3, CDs, cassette tapes, etc.). The most profitable countries based on these judgments will become the “global markets.”

International repertoire – “a label which has become an institutionalized euphemism for the recordings of artists who sing conventional melodic songs in accent-free English and who have a number of ballads in their repertoire.”

In contrast to a regional repertoire (a repertoire that will work in a region of the world, such as Spanish pop music), or a domestic repertoire (released in only one national territory), international repertoire will work globally, and producers seek out artists with international potential. Ballads always work for international repertoire, said David McDonagh, Senior VP of International at PolyGram’s NY office. An artist must also have the right voice which is “in English without an accent.”

Rap and country do not usually work internationally because of their “dependency on lyrics,” and British rock doesn’t usually work internationally because of its artists’ accents.

Artists are re-labeled from domestic artists to international, and must be marketed very carefully in order to break into the international market. A good example of this is the case study on Mari Hamada, which I will discuss in class.

Artists and their representatives will try to market themselves according to the wishes of major corporations to be placed on the international priority list. If an artist is picked up as an international artist, he/she can expect admittance to an exclusive artist aristocracy, but the company must market, invest, and promote strategically to get the artist to this point.

“World music” is defined as “an eclectic mixture of styles, rhythms and sounds” that was meant to solve the marketing dilemma of placing diverse music. It is not from the entire world, but from certain places in the world. World music, whose sounds signify different places, differs from international repertoire in that it is more easily located and less open to local appropriation. In addition, world music emphasizes the artists’ origins, while international repertoire tries to hide it. Marketing artist origin has been viewed as “a rather cynical ploy by the music industry” because it appears to encourage global attentiveness, when really it is marketing world music as a commercial category.

The 4 consequences of these processes the author outlines are:

1. Performers are encouraged to compete with each other by the corporate organization of musical production in pursuit of specific commercial strategies. This competition has the potential to hinder creativity.

2. Most artists stay “local” only because companies will not market their music to other territories.

3. Because the major labels have tried to make themselves “global,” local staff defensively resist stepping outside their “genre boxes.”

4. Although some artists are internationally successful because of corporate marketing and investment, many are successful despite corporate marketing and investment. This is due to the actions of enthusiasts who contribute to the formation of music industries, which employs a different kind of logic: emotional investment and pluralizing knowledge to that found in the institutional industry.

Questions:

1. Is “transcending” a non-English speaking background the only way to break into the international music industry? What are some possible solutions to this problem?

2. Is listening to “world music” an acceptable source of diversifying your music intake?

3. If a performer chooses not to compete with others to become an international repertoire artist, can he/she still be internationally successful? If so, what would he/she have to do to get there?

Oct 31 Reading

2006-10-27T23:49:00.000-06:00

When creators, corporations and consumers collide: Napster and the development of on-line music distribution
Tom McCourt, Patrick Burkart

This article discusses intellectual property, focusing mainly on the music industry and the advancements in distribution that took place during the growth of the internet. The internet became a new area for technology that allowed music to be transferred independent from the music industry. Such an atmosphere supports the Internet Nirvana Theory which is a somewhat a “naïve perspective” according to McCourt and Burkart. This theory states that the “Internet is an arena of free exchange in which everyone wins,” meaning frictionless capitalism would be created, where distributors, consumer electronics, technology companies, and service providers would all reap the benefits while the consumer is enabled limitless choices at a low cost. This theory is furthered by the Electronic Market Hypothesis which believes “networked computer technology will match buyers and sellers quickly at minimal cost.” With the growth of the entertainment industry into global markets, the Big Five record companies which include EMI, Universal, Sony, Time Warner, and BMG focused on the Old Economy of intellectual property to reinforce its’ market oligopoly. With the creation of the MP3, developed by the Motion Picture Experts Group (independent of the Big Five), a format was developed that offered no copy protections which greatly threatened the Big Fives dominance of the music industry. Therefore it was forced to adapt in other ways in order to continue profit, focusing on the control of intellectual property rights. They began to contract artist in a ‘work for hire’ bases meaning ownership of the recordings went to the companies who financed the product as well as provided the resources, such as producers, to create the work. Also in favor of the recording industry were the Sonny Bono Term Extension Act which extended existing copyright protection, and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act which made it illegal to reproduce copy-protected media. The landmark decision of the A&M Records et al. v. Napster case gave ownership of online intellectual property rights of entertainment to the industries conglomerates, therefore ceasing the unregulated transfer of copyrighted material. The success of the case alleviated anti-trust pressure from the government and also gave the record companies a legal claim over an alternate delivery system through the Internet. Later Bertelsmann of the Big Five paid Napster to develop a secure file-sharing system and other Big Five corporations soon followed suit. Concerning international growth, content is 'locked up' through ‘trusted systems’, known as Digital Rights Management and was created to avoid conflict and inconsistency in copyright enforcement. The Secure Digital Music Initiative also came about which was suppose to act as a gateway that enabled time limits, restricted copies made, and enabled a trace back to the original purchaser, yet this system has to not yet been successfully created. The music industry latest attempt to increase profit is in the form of subscription service yet this form of distribution may hinder CD sales.

Questions
1. Has the Internet Nirvana Theory been completely disproved by the Big Fives’ enforcement of copyright protection?
2. With heavy restrictions on internet distribution of music, has the internet been transformed from a “community of freely participating individuals” to a “network-delivered commodity”?
3. Should the transfer of music over the internet be a free, unrestricted process?

Ford and Globalization

2006-10-27T18:00:00.000-06:00

Random, but I was watching Fox news and it was saying that the reason the Taurus is going off the market is because Ford didn't respond properly to GLOBALIZATION. There are so many popular foreign car companys entering the U.S. so the Ford Taurus just wasn't cutting it! Whats funny, is that WE are the ones being assaulted by foreign countries and they are making it harder for our local companies to survive. Looks like we aren't always the bad guys when globalization is concerned.

Madonna speaks out on adoption

2006-10-27T17:22:00.000-06:00

"Madonna also addressed the reports that the baby's father, Yohane Banda, thought the adoption was only temporary... I believe that the press is manipulating this information out of him. I believe he's been terrorised by the media. They have asked him things, repeatedly, and they have put words in his mouth. They have spun a story that is completely false...Madonna also addressed the media storm around the adoption. "I understand that gossip and negative stories sell newspapers. But I'm disappointed because it discourages other people from doing the same thing"

http://www.antimusic.com/news/06/oct/2610.shtml

New Jersey court recognizes right to same-sex unions

2006-10-26T12:20:00.000-06:00

TRENTON, New Jersey (CNN) -- In a decision likely to stoke the contentious election-year debate over same-sex marriage, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that state lawmakers must provide the rights and benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples.
The high court on Wednesday gave legislators six months to either change state marriage laws to include same-sex couples, or come up with another mechanism, such as civil unions, that would provide the same protections and benefits.

New e-mail scam using FBI name

2006-10-25T13:21:00.000-06:00

A new Internet scam promising cash for responding to a document request claims to be from
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller. The top government cop's request is followed by a second e-mail threatening that "failure to comply will result in charges being brought against the individual by the FBI."
"This e-mail is a hoax," the FBI said in an alert to consumers that was posted Tuesday on its Web site. "Do not respond."

Seoul's top minister on NKorea offers resignation

2006-10-24T21:48:00.000-06:00

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea's top minister handling relations with North Korea has announced his resignation, as Seoul's conciliatory policy towards its nuclear-armed neighbour came under increasing pressure.

Unification Minister Lee Jong-Seok is the second top minister in three days to quit, after Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-Ung. The resignations come just over two weeks after North Korea shocked the world with its first nuclear test.

"I told the president (Roh Moo-Hyun) that I would step down and the president said he would accept it," Lee told reporters.

He insisted the government will not drop its "sunshine" policy of engagement with its communist neighbour, which he said had eased tensions.

"I hope my resignation

Australians among world's top resource consumers

2006-10-24T21:47:00.000-06:00

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australians soak up more scarce resources than almost any other nation and produce so much waste on average that their mark on the world's ecology exceeds China, the environmental group WWF said on Tuesday.

The average Australian used 6.6 "global" hectares to support their developed lifestyle, ranking behind the United States and Canada, but ahead of the United Kingdom, Russia, China and Japan.

"If the rest of the world led the kind of lifestyles we do here in Australia, we would require three-and-a-half planets to provide the resources we use and to absorb the waste," said Greg Bourne, WWF-Australia chief executive officer.

Australia and the United States have refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which obliges about 40 nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12, saying it is unfair because developing nations are exempt.

AP: Whites on top of Katrina insurance

2006-10-24T21:42:00.000-06:00

NEW ORLEANS - The Littles and the Kitchens watched helplessly as Hurricane Katrina battered their homes. Both families waited patiently for an insurance adjuster to settle their losses. And both were sorely disappointed with the outcome.

Then, their paths diverged.

Richard and Cindy Little, a white couple living in a predominantly white neighborhood, filed a complaint with the Louisiana Department of Insurance. Eventually, they won full reimbursement for their repairs.

Doretha and Roy Kitchens, a black couple living in New Orleans' overwhelmingly black Lower Ninth Ward, simply gave up and took what their insurer gave them. They didn't know they could appeal to the state.

Tom and Katie's Rep Confirms November 18 Wedding

2006-10-24T21:39:00.000-06:00

After a year and a half of anticipation, on October 20, friends and family of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise finally got what they have been waiting for: a wedding invitation. Us has learned exclusively that guests were notified late in the day to be free the weekend of November 16-19. The couple's rep, Arnold Robinson, confirms the wedding will take place November 18 in Italy--"All those details are correct," he says--and tells Us "proper security measures are being taken" to keep the vows private.

The invites are just the latest detail scratched off the couple's "I do" to-do list. Italian designer Giorgio Armani has confirmed to Us that he will create Holmes' wedding dress. "When I am asked by a friend to make a wedding wardrobe, it goes straight to my heart," Armani, who will also whip up Cruise's wedding wear, tells Us. "It really is an honor to play a small role in that milestone moment."

It's a moment that's been a long time coming--Holmes, 27, and Cruise, 44, have been engaged since June 2005. And for months, Cruise's stock answer to wedding-date questions was, "Summer," then, as summer passed, "Soon!" But now that everything is falling into place, a source tells Us, "They are so excited!"

China moves toward 'real name system' for blogs

2006-10-23T14:14:00.000-06:00

From: Reuters
October 23, 2006

THE Internet Society of China has recommended to the Government that bloggers be required to use their real names when they register blogs, state media said on Monday, in the latest attempt to regulate free-wheeling Web content.
The society, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Information Industry, said no decision had been made but that a 'real name system' was inevitable.
"A real name system will be an unavoidable choice if China wants to standardise and develop its blog industry," the official Xinhua news agency quoted the Internet Society's secretary general, Huang Chengqing, as saying.

Bush Surveillance: A Thousand Points of Sight

2006-10-23T11:46:00.000-06:00

Sentimental Education:
Academia Signs Up to Track Down Dissent
Chris Floyd
TO UK Correspondent
t r u t h o u t Report
Tuesday 17 October 2006

I.
Why is the United States government spending millions of dollars to track down critics of George W. Bush in the press? And why have major American universities agreed to put this technology of tyranny into the state's hands?
At the most basic level, of course, both questions are easily answered: 1) Power. 2) Money. The Bush administration wants to be able to root out - and counteract - any dissenting noises that might put a crimp in its ongoing crusade for "full spectrum dominance" of global affairs, while the august institutions of higher learning involved - the universities of Cornell, Pittsburgh and Utah - crave the federal green that keeps them in clover.
But beyond these grubby realities, there are many other disturbing aspects of this new program - which is itself only part of a much broader penetration of American academia by the Department of Homeland Security.
As with so many of the Bush measures that have quietly stripped away America's liberties, this one too is beginning with a whimper, not a bang: a modest $2.4 Department of Homeland Security million grant to develop "sentiment analysis" software that will allow the government's "security organs" to sift millions of articles for "negative opinions of the United States or its leaders in newspapers and other publications overseas," as the New York Times reported earlier this month. Such negative opinions must be caught and catalogued because they could pose "potential threats to the nation," security apparatchiks told the Times.
This hydra-headed snooping program is based on "information extraction," which, as a chipper PR piece from Cornell tells us, is a process by which "computers scan text to find meaning in natural language," rather than the rigid literalism ordinarily demanded by silicon cogitators. Under the gentle tutelage of Homeland Security, the universities "will use machine-learning algorithms to give computers examples of text expressing both fact and opinion and teach them to tell the difference," says the Cornell blurb.
At this point, the ancient and ever-pertinent question of Pontius Pilate comes to mind: "What is truth?" Of course, Pilate, being a devotee of what George W. Bush likes to call "the path of action," gave the answer to his philosophical inquiry in brute physical form: truth is whatever the empire says it is - so take this Galilean rabble-rouser out and crucify him already. In like manner, it will certainly be the government "security organs" who ultimately determine the criteria for what is fact and what is opinion - and whether the latter is positive or negative, perhaps even a candidate for the Bush-Pilate "path."
The academics will be trying out the Sentiment Analysis program (let's call it SAP, for short) on four main clusters of articles from 2001-2002, the Times reports. These include: Bush's famous declaration of an "axis of evil" threatening the world; the treatment of his Terror War captives in Guantanamo Bay; global warming; and the failed Bush-backed bid to topple Venezuela's Hugo Chavez in a coup - all of them issues on which the Bush administration was at odds with much of the world, and large swathes of American opinion as well. Obviously, such issues are fertile fields for terrorist thought-crimes to be snagged and tagged by SAP.
For those with concerns about civil liberties, Cornell assures us that SAP will be limited strictly to foreign publications. Oh, really? Hands up out there, everyone who believes that this technology will not be used to ferret out "potential threats to the nation" arising in the Homeland press as well. After all, the Unitary Executive Decider-in-Chief has already decided that the nation's iron-clad laws against warrantless surveillance of American citizens can be swept aside by his "inherent powers" if he decides it's necessary. Why should he bother with any petty restrictions on a press-monitoring program? And wouldn't dissension within the ranks of the volk itself actually be more threatening to government policy than the grumbling of malcontents overseas?
II.
Then again, what is so sinister about the plan, exactly? Surely every government is eager to read its notices in the press, foreign and domestic. Surely the Bush administration already has a myriad of minions in the White House, the CIA, the NSA, the DIA and embassies around the world doing just that. True enough - and there's the rub. For if they are already tracking and sifting media sentiment to a fare-thee-well, why do they need SAP's $2.4 million software?
Here we see the same principle that lies behind Bush's illegal warrantless surveillance program. Long-established law - the FISA court - already provides Bush with the power to spy on anyone even remotely suspected of a connection to terrorism - and to do so immediately, without waiting a single instant or jumping through a single bureaucratic hoop to get the operation going. So who is he actually using his warrantless surveillance program against? It can't be suspected terrorists; they are already covered by existing law. There are only two conclusions to be drawn from this strange state of affairs: 1) The Bush regime is using the program to spy on people other than suspected terrorists. 2) It is using the program to establish the principle that presidential power cannot be restrained by law in any area that the president arbitrarily designates a "matter of national security." These conclusions are not mutually exclusive, of course.
Likewise, we must ask: who is the "Sentiment Analysis" program aimed at? It can't be the major news and opinion drivers in the international and national media; these are already being monitored. And it hardly requires a deus ex machina to determine the political sentiment behind news stories and opinion pieces. Why then would you need multimillion-dollar computer whizbangery to tell you whether a story casts a favorable or critical light on Bush and his policies? And how could critical "sentiment" in the kinds of stories that Cornell, Pitt and Utah are examining in their tests pose any kind of "potential threat" to the nation? Again, there must be something else behind the program because, as with warrantless surveillance, it is clearly redundant on its face.
The key to this conundrum mostly likely lies in the envisioned scope of the program: "millions of articles" to be processed for "sentiment analysis." This denotes a fishing expedition that goes far beyond the "publicly available material, primarily news reports and editorials from English-language newspapers worldwide" that Claire Cardie, Cornell's lead researcher on SAP, says that her team will be using in developing the software. The target of such a scope cannot be simply the English-language foreign press, or the foreign press as a whole, or indeed, every newspaper in the world, from Pyongyang to Peoria. It must also be aimed at other modes of textual communication, in print and online.
In fact, later in the PR blurb, Cardie rather gives the game away when, seeking to allay "fears about invasions of privacy" raised by the research, she notes that "the techniques would have to be changed considerably to work on documents like e-mails." Yes; and an intercontinental ballistic missile is just a big, shiny, harmless rocket - until you load it with a nuclear weapon and fire it at somebody. No doubt Cardie is simply a dedicated scientist, focused on the technical problem at hand, and her naivetè on this point is genuine; but once you have built a platform that can churn through millions of pieces of text to uncover criticism and dissent - however the organs deign to define these concepts - then this technology can certainly be adapted to launch all-encompassing "sentiment analysis" against any form of written communication you please.
Nor is this program being developed in isolation. It is part of a larger Homeland Security push "to conduct research on advanced methods for information analysis and to develop computational technologies that contribute to securing the homeland," as a DHS press release puts it, in announcing the formation of yet another university consortium. This group - led by Rutgers, and including the University of Southern California, the University of Illinois and, once again, Pitt - has pulled down a whopping $10.2 million to "identify common patterns from numerous sources of information" that "may be indicative of" - what else? - "potential threats to the nation."
This research program will draw on such areas as "knowledge representation, uncertainty quantification, high-performance computing architectures" - and our old friends, information extraction and natural language processing. It is in fact closely associated with the "sentiment analysis" work being done by the Cornell group - and note that the Rutgers consortium is designing its info-gobbling software to deal with "numerous sources" of information. Do we sense some synergy going on here?
III.
The Cornell and Rutgers groups are two of four "University Affiliate Centers" thus far established by Homeland Security. All of the consortiums are geared toward the amassing, storing and analysis of unimaginably vast amounts of information, gathered relentlessly from a multitude of sources and formats. They are in turn just part of a still-larger panorama of "data mining" programs being developed - or already in use - by the security organs.
These include the "Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight and Semantic Enhancement" (ADVISE) program, which can rip and read mountains of open source data - such as web sites and databases, as analyst Michael Hampton reports. Two Democratic congressmen, David Obey of Wisconsin and Martin Sabo of Minnesota, have asked the General Accounting Office to investigate the program for possible intrusions on privacy rights, Hampton notes.
While Congressional concern for privacy is all well and good, we know that it means nothing to the Unitary Executive. Earlier this month, Bush used his "signing statement" magic wand to wave away a direct Congressional mandate for reports on whether Homeland Security is obeying privacy laws in compiling its secret "watch lists," which increasingly control more and more aspects of American life, including "who gets on planes, who gets government jobs, who gets employed," as Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told AP. Using the by-now ritualistic language of presidential dictatorship, Bush's statement said he would ignore Congress's direct order and delay, alter or simply quash the privacy reports as he saw fit.
You don't need a machine-learning algorithm or $2.4 million worth of Ivy League software to connect the dots here. The Bush administration already has spyware devouring reams of private information in every direction. It is now paying top universities millions of dollars to refine this data into actionable intelligence - including the automated discernment and tracking of dissent against administration policies and criticism of the president. Bush has openly declared that he has no intention of obeying privacy laws - or any other laws safeguarding the Constitutional rights of American citizens - if he doesn't want to.
And if that's not sinister enough for you, consider this: on Tuesday George W. Bush signed the "Military Commissions Act," which states that he can arbitrarily declare anyone - yes, American citizens included - an "unlawful enemy combatant" for any action that he arbitrarily decides constitutes "material support" to terrorists. He can imprison these "UECs" without charge or trial, for the duration of the "War on Terror," which he and Dick Cheney have already assured us will not end "in our lifetime." He can subject these captives to "strenuous interrogation techniques" that by any sane reckoning constitute torture - but this same Act allows Bush himself to determine what is legally torture and what is not, except in the most extreme cases, such as rape and deliberate murder.
A regime openly committed to wielding arbitrary power over the life and liberty of every person on earth is now equipping itself with intrusive technology beyond the wildest dreams of the most totalitarian states in history. And some of the nation's most respected educational institutions - proud bastions of civilization and enlightenment - are helping them do it. It is simply impossible that such a system will not be mightily abused.
And for all you SAP machines out there: that conclusion is a fact, not an opinion.

Chris Floyd is an American journalist. His work has appeared in print and online in venues all over the world, including The Nation, Counterpunch, Columbia Journalism Review, the Christian Science Monitor, Il Manifesto, the Moscow Times and many others. He is the author of Empire Burlesque: High Crimes and Low Comedy in the Bush Imperium, and is co-founder and editor of the "Empire Burlesque" political blog. He can be reached at cfloyd72@gmail.com.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101706A.shtml

Hunan Police Set Upon TV Reporter Investigating Boy's Death

2006-10-22T13:04:00.000-06:00

Police in the southern Chinese province of Hunan have forcibly seized videotape and equipment from a television journalist investigating the suspicious death of a 14-year-old boy, according to the reporter. The boy’s family meanwhile say they have been ordered to dispose of the body and refused an autopsy.

Iraqi Media Network

2006-10-22T12:44:00.000-06:00

Interesting site.. I wouldn’t have guessed that the Iraqi Media Network (IMN) is the country’s largest radio and television empire- having risen from the ashes of Saddam Hussein’s propaganda machinery.

Export of Culture or Coproduction of Culture

2006-10-20T19:05:00.000-06:00

October 20, 2006
Vignettes from the Creative process at a global advertising affiliate, Beijing
By: Jian Wang

This article discusses the fact that advertising has become increasingly globalized throughout the past few decades. There are 3 basic forms that have the Western mutltinational advertising agencies take in or to gain entry into the global advertising market. The first is an "associate arrangement" where the parent company is either loosely or tightly connented to a local agency, but has no official equity. The second is an "affiliate," where the parent company has a lot but not complete control over the agency overseas. A "brand agency" is a local office or branch of the parent company. Almost all of the major multinational agencies are currently present in China, potentially the world's largest consumer market. China still does not allow completely foreign-owner advertising businesses in the country, so many of the agencies have developed a new strategy. To get around the regulates, they establish an affiliate by forming a joint venture with a local agency in China while still keeping a majority of the control and equity share.
When China began to allow outside advertising in the early 1980's advertisors were hesitant but optimistic. However, now the agencies are confident in China as a consumer market. From 1990 to 1997 China went from having only four joint venture agencies to having about 250. Also, of the top ten advertising agencies in China, four were joint-venture.
However, since the boom of multinational advertising, it has been called "advertising imperialism." The research on this advertising/media imperialism is mainly looking at aspects of the structure and content of the communication process. How Western advertising messages are created for the third world has not been researched a lot but does deserve to be examined more closely. This article presents the arguements and counter arguements for advertising imperialism, then illustrates the characteristics of advertising production in a cross-cultural/national context, and then suggests the concept of cultural glocalization as a viable analytical tool for the study of contemporary production and circulation of advertising and culture.
The ideal of media imperialism basically states that the Western media industry and its distribution in the third world is a type of cultural assault and domination. The expansion of Western advertising is symptomatic of media imperialism. Michael Anderson created a detailed account of the mulitnational advertising industry in Southeast Asia and he viewed advertising as an important dimension of the international power structure, and emphasized the unenven flow between Center and Periphery countries. He described advertising in other nations as being structured so that some nations "can dominate others and create a disharmony of interest between them."
The advertising imperialism discourse mainly covers three dimensions of cultural impact produced by multinational advertising in the third world: the export of Western advertising and its professionalism, the transnationalization of consumer culture, and the commercialization of local mass media.
First, studies have argues that multinational advertising in the third world has implanted Western advertising norms and values in those developing countries. Studies have argued that the dominance of multinational advertising is similar to "cultural invasion." The second impact of multinational advertising is the transnationalization of consumer culture. It is held that commercial advertising tends to promote attitudes and lifestyles which extol aquisition and consumption at the expense of other values, and this advertising also tends to inform very little but persuade very strongly. Thirdly, this established dominance in the advertising of the third world countries also extends to the operation of the local mass media. Besides these three reoccuring themes, it has also been said that the advertising's influence could even seep into the political process of the local government, and it also has economic effects.
Basically, the conceptualism of advertising imperialism is identical to that of the broader media imperialism research and the critique also falls along the same lines. The underlying assumption is that ownership means control of advertising practice and content and that content is appreciated uniformly by audience. It also assumes that there is a pure local culture that is opposite of Western values and norms and also vulnerable to the Western culture contamination and domination.
Charles F. Frazer presented some arguement to challenge this claim of advertising imperialism. He questioned the existence of the Western advertising as a great power and that advertising effects are seperable from those of other social forces. Another aspect of the cultural transaction which is often neglected is the condition of media production under the new global context. It used to be that media export what secondary to Western countries and that media that entered into the third world had been originally made for the audience of the West. This is no longer the case. Because the West depends so much on the international audience, they are basing their products more and more for an international audience. Media organizations have grown international rather than transnational. The international organization is more likely to know the needs of the audience from the inside. Therefore, the export of meaning is giving way to a collective mode of cultural production. The foreign and local efforts in the production process are equally important and it is interesting to explain how the roles are negotiated.
There are many departments involved in the process of global advertising but the main focus is on the creative department, specifically that of the Asian Pacific office in Hong Kong. There are several art directors and they often have to design several versions of the same product due to the cultural differences within China. They have to communicate with the locals in order to find which language and image for the particular region. It is important to make sure that the appropriate words are used and it can become difficult for instance when selling automobiles because the chinese language is limited in that area.
Local production companies are often hired to create their own commercials, even though they lack some of the equipement because it is cheaper than having done it overseas. Sometimes the commercials are shot locally and then finished in Hong Kong. Local production companies are better at shooting outdoor scenes in China, but for domestic scenes it seems better to use overseas production. The difference in adaptation is often the degree, rather than the kind. There is always some aspect of coproduction involved. The client's strategy usually influences the degree of global-local involvement.
International agencies play the role of the cultural broker between the global manufacturer and the local Chinese consumer. The expatriates advise and supervise but the locals provide all of the necessary cultural information. They are mutually complementary in creating an effective juncture.
Media imperialism is generally interpreted as a process of cultural homogenization, yet as indicated this outlook is incomplete. The dimension of heterogenization has been overlooked. Comtemporary cultural change is characterized by interlocking duality of globalization and localization, or glocalization. Glocalization is the dialectice process between universalism and particularism, or it is also seen as the process of hybridization, which refers to the continuum of adaptation between the global and the local.

Questions

1. Do you feel that calling the Western distribution of advertising "assault" a little too harsh, or a realty?

2. Do you agree with the idea of advertising imperialism, or do you feel that the idea of glocalization and the continuum is a better approach?

3. Are third world countries right to create laws to limit what can or can't be shown in their country, or should they allow their people the option to watch or not watch what they choose.

Seminar Topic/Leader (updated)

2006-10-19T12:27:00.000-06:00

Sept 5: Elements of a Media System - McKenzie (Ashley Wirt)
Sept 7: Philosophies for Media Systems - Jiafei (Trisha Morrow); Christians (David Elbert)

Sept 12: Globalization, Power & Media I - McKenzie (Kevin Cly); Herman & McChesney (Amber Ramirez); Rodriquez-Rodriguez (Mandy Crawford)
Sept 14: Globalizatio, Power & Media II - Lie and Servaes (Lynne Sullivan); Curan and Park (Josh Amstutz)

Sept 19: US Media and Global News I - Herman and Chomsky (Amanda Cauthen); Hachten (Melanie Page)
Sept 21: US Media and Global News II - Srebreny (Audrey Marshall); Poole (Marcie)

Sept 26: Televisual World I - Straubhaar (Julie Jones); Kraidy (Elizabeth Knoll);
Sept 28: Televisual World II - Iwabachi (Jill Selman)

Oct 3: Televisual World III - Weber (Allison Coggins); Kuhn (Jacque LaCroix);
Oct 5: Televisual World IV - Tsai (Briana Perkins); Shiau (Amy Doty)

Oct 10: The Internet - Hill (Dacia St Angelo) ; Borgman (Nikki Euliarte)
Oct 12: No class

Oct 17: Movie Magic I - Wilkins and Dowling (Marcie McSwane)
Oct 19: Movie Magic II - Wang (Elizabeth Knoll)

Oct 24: Global Advertising I - Fuller (David Elbert)
Oct 26: Global Advertising II - Wang (Kevin Cly)

Oct 31: Global Music I - McCourt and Burkart (Amber Ramirez)
Nov 2: Global Music II - Negus (Mandy Crawford)

Nov 7&9: Digital Futures I - Weber (Lynne Sullivant)

'Poppins' author's life was quite precocious

2006-10-18T00:57:00.000-06:00

Here is something you might recognize ... one of my hometown's memorable daughters...

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Who was P.L. Travers?
The easy answer is that she was the author of the Mary Poppins books that resulted in a beloved Disney movie and a Broadway musical.
But Travers played other roles during her 96 years. She was an actress in Australia. She was a writer for newspapers and magazines in Australia, England and Ireland. She was a poet who became an intimate of the great Irish poets.
Oh yes, she also wrote propaganda for the United States during World War II.
Travers' remarkable life gets full-scale treatment in a biography, "Mary Poppins, She Wrote," by Valerie Lawson.
"In the 1980s, someone had told me, 'Did you know that the author of "Mary Poppins" was born in Australia?' I filed that in the back of my mind, and I did a little work on it. One day I realized I really had to tell this woman's story," said Lawson in an interview from her home in Sydney, Australia.
Lawson, who writes for the Sydney Herald, began her four-year pursuit of the elusive Travers in New Mexico, where Travers had lived in Taos and Santa Fe. Then it was on to Washington, D.C., where Travers met with President Roosevelt during the war and worked for the U.S. propaganda office.
Next came New York, where Travers and her young, adopted son lived during the war, followed by Massachusetts, where she had been a writer in residence at Smith College and Radcliffe College. Lawson also did intensive research in England and Ireland.
Travers was born Helen Lyndon Goff on August 9, 1899, in Maryborough, Australia. Her Irish father was a bank employee and a drinker. Lyndon, as she was called, left school in her teens to go on the stage, a move that shocked her staid Scottish mother. The girl rose from walk-ons to leading roles, changing her name to the more theatrical Pamela Lyndon Travers, the latter her father's first name.

October 17th Reading

2006-10-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

We Can’t Duck the Issue: Imbedded Advertising in the Motion Pictures
By: Linda K Fuller

This article took an in depth look into the current reality of advertising on the silver screen. Usually when you consider advertisers and their craft, you think of television, magazines, or newspapers. However, since the creation of marketing tools, advertising has always been apart of the movie making process, whether detected by the targeted audiences or not. First noted in Disney’s Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937) and continued in Disney pictures including the now infamous scene when E.T. gobbled up the Reese’s pieces and saw a 300% increase in sales. Now product placement seems to be the most utilized tactic to Advertising firms or Placement companies. A newer addition to the marketing aspect of film, Placement companies “receive scripts weeks or months before filming starts- giving hen a chance for scene by scene analysis of opportunities for “plugging” their products. With this current boom in the correlation between advertising and film, Fuller is aware of the necessity for both “consumers and students of media communication to be educated on this growing phenomenon”.
It would be a rarity to find one movie targeted to the general public which does not use product placement as a means of profit. In Baby Boom (1987), Huggies made a $100,000 deal with the production company to only use Huggies diapers. Coca-Cola bought 49% of Columbia pictures and Tom Cruise downed a Coke while Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses sales increased 40 percent in Top Gun. Others movies in which product placement almost unabashedly incorporated products into their movies include; Pulp Fiction and McDonald’s hamburgers, Other People’s Money and Dunkin Donuts, and not to forget Day’s of Thunder with every imaginable type of car and their parts. Apparently this crazed trend is not left to only food and cars, for example in Menace II Society where anything and everything such as Old English malt liquors, Coke, Coors, Budweiser, Beefeaters, Gatorade, Dr. Pepper, Ford, Nissan, BMW, Pontiac, Chevy, Civic, Marlboro, Berrettas, Glocks, Guess jeans, Chicago White Sox, Nikes, Trojans, Tic Tacs, Motorola beepers, Playboy, and Jack in the Box fast food could be strategically placed so as to have little distraction for the movie, yet huge impact on sales.
Several trends have developed over time as the line between advertising and motion pictures has become increasingly interconnect.
1. Celebrity filmmakers becoming product endorsers for advertising. We are all aware that actors and singers have endorsed products since the beginning of the Star, yet the people behind the camera have now begun to step into the spotlight in any effort to make a quick buck. Those directors include Spike Lee for Nike and The Gap and George Lucas can now be found in Panasonic advertisings.
2. Thought to have originated by British advertisers coming to Hollywood, a new trend is the increase in the number of filmmakers now directing television ads and vise-versa with ad directors jumping into making successful full length films. For example, the director of classics such as Flashdance, 9 ½ Weeks, and Fatal Attraction, Adrian Lyne started his career as a director for television advertising.
For these reason, Fuller has also noted a increasing similarity in the appearance of ads and movies. Movies may at times seem like drawn out ad campaigns while television ads may seem more like movie trailers that are not anticipated to end.
Though it may seem harmless at first, there are many concerns surrounding product placement, especially since advertising agencies and production companies have now turned their sites on young children with excessive amounts of the parent’s money. “A New York Times article noted that 28.2 million American children between the ages of 2-11 have some $7.3 billion in spending money”. Advertising have now zeroed in on a substantial target audience that in the past had been overlooked.
Fuller recognizes this for several problems.
1. More insidious forms of advertising are becoming more subtlety introduced at subconscious levels which conveys both subliminal messages and implied endorsements.
2. Major Motion picture studio bureaucracies which have product-placement agencies that now hold control of determining which movies are made, not to mention the plot and dialogs of those movies.
3. Product placement in movies now offers an outlet for a number of products otherwise banned or discourages from traditional Medias, such as cigarettes and alcohol.
These troubling problems thus lead Fuller to study the product placement in a particularly classic movie sequel from most of our childhoods, The Mighty Ducks, D2, and D3. In all three movies, Fuller was criticizes the movies as “advertising posing as entertainment”. The years the movies began production, Disney signed more than one hundred cross-promotional and licensing agreement. More than likely, some of those were bond to pop up in a Mighty Duck movie or two or three.
Examples in each Mighty Ducks
1. As the underprivileged boys and one girl are taken for a team shopping day, the brands of every piece of equipment are shown with panning, preening, and holding focus shots to insure exposure. Furthermore, the lesson taught to the children is that in order to be a winner or the best, your must have the right equipment.
2. While speaking to Coach Bombay, a sports uniform vendor states “coaches have images. Images mean dollars. I sell you, you sell me”. Not only is Coach Bombay becoming swayed by materialism, he is also falling into the media’ interest.
3. In the final movie, the issue of class could not be more evident when the team finds themselves at a pristine college only by the aid of scholarships and grants.
Fuller considers children to be the particularly most vulnerable, or special audience, and yet while parents and educators are advocating fewer advertisements aimed at children on television, they are completely unaware of the huge amount of advertising inadvertently being exposed and bombarded to their youth.
However, there are few things being attempted to stop the further integration of advertising into children’s movies.
1. Center for the Study of Commercialism is asking Federal Trade Commission to probe product placement in the motion pictures for forms of subliminal messages.
2. Center for Science in the Public Interest is petitioning that advisory boards require a visible disclaimer for on-screen disclosure when paid product placement will appear. For all these reason Linda Fuller fears that now “films go beyond the business of dreams and is just becoming business as usual.

Question to Ponder:
-Do you believe there to be any difference in amount of advertising we are exposed to in daily life versus the amount in films?
-Do you believe counteractions to advertising in film will control the amount product placement or increase exposure of products?

OCT. 17th READING

2006-10-16T20:08:00.000-06:00

Though Marcie provided 3 questions for the October 17th reading, "Mediating Terrorism: Text and Protest in Interpretations of The Siege", I wanted to add my three questions as well.

1. Does the inclusion of real news footage in fictional films distort your perception of the film? For instance, in the film The Siege there is included real clips from actual events. Does that change your perspective from fictional to real?

2. If terrorists in such movies as The Siege were played by anglo- Americans, or others, would the movie extract the same feelings from the audience? Would the film be as contreversial? Would the film be as successful?

3. Would the responses to films like The Siege by the ADC (Anti- Arab Anti- Discrimination Committee) and the CAIR (Council on American- Islamic Relations) be stronger, weaker, or the same following 9/11?

The Horse has Bolted

2006-10-16T13:55:00.000-06:00

AT last, the die is cast.
After a decade of debate, lost opportunity and a last-minute intervention by Peter Costello, Australia's restrictive media laws are about to be reformed.
The final outcome of tense negotiations between Communications Minister Helen Coonan and the Nationals is a mish-mash - the kind of result typically delivered by politicians horse-trading over their obsessions, rather than being driven by good public policy.
Yet good policy is the reason put forward to explain the Treasurer's action yesterday after he managed to impose an ownership limit of two out of three media in a single market.
Before the 1987 "queens of screen" legislation designed by then treasurer Paul Keating, media companies could (and did) own newspapers, radio stations and a television station in one market.
Keating's law limited ownership to a single medium. John Howard's Government twice attempted to overturn this rule. It failed in 1998 and again in 2001. Coonan's original package provided for the abolition of the restrictions, subject to approval by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The Nationals, fearful of a single-owner takeover of regional media, pushed hard for a limit of two out of three.
They also demanded a legislated minimum amount of 4 1/2 hours of local programming and 12 1/2 minutes of local news services on rural radio stations each day.

Media Exercise 4: Media Reform in Australia

2006-10-16T13:24:00.000-06:00

Group 2:

Amber Ramirez
Mandy Crawford
Audrey Marshall
Stephanie Zoch

Task:

Australia's media ownership laws have remained unchanged for over a decade, with debate on the desirability of reform continuing unabated. This debate was fuelled by the impact of new media technologies, a number of inquiries proposing regulatory changes, and the self-interest of those media organisations that report the controversy.

The Australian Government has long indicated that it believed the rules to be anachronistic, and its policy for the 2001 election contained a commitment to amend cross-media and foreign ownership restrictions. The major effect of the 1996 laws is to prevent the common ownership of newspapers, television and radio broadcasting licences that serve the same region. The purpose of the legislation was to encourage diversity in the ownership of the most influential forms of the commercial media: the daily press and free-to-air television and radio. The justification for the rules is that the effective functioning of a democracy requires a diverse ownership of the daily mass media to ensure that public life be reported in a fair and open manner.

Current Australian media reforms, passed in October 2006, are designed to free up media ownership by scrapping foreign ownership limist and cross-media which ban a company form owning television, radio and newspapers in same area.

Your task is to critical assess these changes through the questions posed below, which will act to guide your examination:

What were the key reasons for cross-media ownership rules in the Australian context?
What are the new media ownership rules designed to achieve in relation to criticisms of the previous legislation?
What current criticisms have been leveled at the new cross-media ownership rules in relation to diversity of ownership compared to diversity of opinion through media reporting in fair and open manner?
What implications could these negative aspects have on the media's roles and responsibilities in effective functioning of democracy in the Australian?

The following online resources will help you become oriented to Australian media reforms and associated issues.

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/SP/media_regulations.htm

http://www.australiancollaboration.com.au/democracy/currentthreats/medialaw.html

Australian Government, “Meeting the digital challenge: Reforming Australia’s media in the digital age”. Discussion paper on media reform options.http://www.dcita.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/37572/Media_consultation_paper_Final_.pdf

Morgan, F. (2005). “Up, up & away in my beautiful balloon: Some questions of media policy”. http://arts.anu.edu.au/democraticaudit/papers/200509_morgan_media_own.pdf

http://au.biz.yahoo.com/061012/19/xdwg.html

Deadline for final submissions: Thursday, November 2, 5pm.

Media Reform in Australia: Big Challenges Ahead

2006-10-16T13:22:00.000-06:00

IT is not hard to imagine the main features of the Australian media scene in five years.
The big challenge for the Nine, Seven and Ten networks, Telstra, Fairfax, News Corporation and the many smaller Australian media players is to match their short-term actions to adapt to the new media laws with the long-term shape of the industry.
Whether you like them or not, Helen Coonan's laws give all media companies a chance to adjust their position to the big changes ahead.
Perhaps the biggest fundamental change is that a large chunk of the 2011-12 audience will rely on their broadband connection for television, the phone and the computer; the three effectively merge.
Although they have been given protection under the act, this basic change will create an avalanche of internet-based competitors for free-to-air TV companies and many new avenues for advertisers.
It will mean the only newspapers that survive will be those with clearly defined readership markets because classified advertising will be dominated by the internet and many brand advertising campaigns will reduce their newspaper and TV exposure.
And so newspapers that rely on classifieds will need to sell the virtues of their editorial product and develop new sources of income unless they have a big share of the internet classified cake. This change will foster greater local material in many newspapers and material that caters for special markets. Customised information vehicles will boom.
But those newspapers that do adapt will prosper because their main audience, the baby boomers and older people, have large amounts of disposable cash.

Media giants hit record highs

2006-10-16T13:20:00.000-06:00

PUBLISHING and Broadcasting (PBL) shares joined News Corporation shares in hitting record highs today after the company said it was "constantly reviewing" all of its businesses and options amid speculation about the future of its core media assets.
Other media companies including news giant News Corporation (nws.ASX:Quote,News), publisher of NEWS.com.au, have also hit a record high with new media laws expected to loosen ownership restrictions allowing big media companies to gobble up smaller players.
Rumours surrounding PBL (pbl.ASX:Quote,News) include speculation that the company may sell the Nine Network, ACP Magazines and ninemsn to a private equity group, with speculation focused on US-based Newbridge Capital.
There has also been speculation that PBL may look at putting its media interests into a new listed media group.
Investment bank UBS is believed to be advising PBL on potential transactions in the sector, according to a report in today's Sydney Morning Herald.