Japan Media Review is a new online publication covering journalism in Japan.
Category: Media, Journalism & Blogs
Looking Abroad For News
It’s really no surprise that many Americans are using the Internet to find a diversity and depth of news that’s often lacking in the domestic media.
US public turns to Europe for news
journalism.co.uk
The American public is apparently turning away from the mostly US-centric American media in search of unbiased reporting and other points of views. Much of the US media’s reaction to France and Germany’s intransigence on the Iraqi war issue has verged on the xenophobic, even in the so-called ‘respectable’ press. Some reporting has verged on the hysterical — one US news web site, NewsMax.com, recently captioned a photograph of young German anti-war protesters as “Hitler’s children.”
Mr Dennis [of the Guardian] said: “American visitors are telling us they are unable to find the breadth of opinion we have on our web site anywhere else because we report across the political spectrum rather than from just one perspective.”
This article, however, tends to overstate the matter a bit — the large majority of Americans are still passively glued to Fox News, CNN and the like. Those who are searching out the BBC and other international news organizations online would tend to be more active and critical thinkers — a distinct minority of the American population, to be sure. And the assumption that hysterical, xenophobic news coverage in only found in America is just silly.
But the fact remains that it’s much easier these days to actively expose oneself to a wide range of news and viewpoints. If one so chooses. The benefits of this will only come if those who are so informed turn around and work to spread that knowledge to the more passive citizens in society. A more communal and grass-roots spread of news and information is needed to counter the increasingly shallow and corrupt business of mainstream media.
Random Links
Domo Darko. Starring Domo-kun, and set to Gary Jules’ beautiful remake of Tears For Fears’ Mad World, which was used in the movie, Donnie Darko. (Another Domo-kun site, this one explaining that when domo-kun is in a bad mood, he breaks wind.) Thanks for the Domo Darko link, Greg.
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The Kids look more gorgeous than ever. Someone please put them back on TV on a regular basis.
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If there’s anyone (after the Bush administration, of course) that deserves to be relentlessly mocked, it’s television news. Here’s a recent bit from Jon Stewart’s excellent The Daily Show that manages to kill two birds with one stone.
NOW – Copyright in America
Showing on Friday, Jan. 17 in the U.S., the PBS series NOW: With Bill Moyers will examine the history of copyright law in America. Check local listings.
Helen, If You Think…
Helen Thomas asks tough questions.
Q (Helen Thomas): At the earlier briefing, Ari, you said that the President deplored the taking of innocent lives. Does that apply to all innocent lives in the world? And I have a follow-up.
MR. FLEISCHER: I refer specifically to a horrible terrorist attack on Tel Aviv that killed scores and wounded hundreds. And the President, as he said in his statement yesterday, deplores in the strongest terms the taking of those lives and the wounding of those people, innocents in Israel.
Q: My follow-up is, why does he want to drop bombs on innocent Iraqis?
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, the question is how to protect Americans, and our allies and friends —
Q: They’re not attacking you.
MR. FLEISCHER: — from a country —
Q: Have they laid the glove on you or on the United States, the Iraqis, in 11 years?
MR. FLEISCHER: I guess you have forgotten about the Americans who were killed in the first Gulf War as a result of Saddam Hussein’s aggression then.
Q: Is this revenge, 11 years of revenge?
Hoorah for Helen! Go git ‘im!
Did you hear about this in traditional, mainstream media? CNN? Fox? Anyone? It’s sad that the bubbly fluff that gets spit out of the tube and into print is never this interesting. And is poor old Helen Thomas the only one in the White House press corps trying to light a fire under the President’s ass?
(found via EastWest, Cursor and Bloggy — I need to get Trackback up and running)
17th Century Blog
In a new twist, a blog is now channeling the writings of a 17th century diarist. Pepys’ Diary is a daily blog based on the diary of Samuel Pepys, who lived in London in the 17th century.
Driving Mass Media
At least two recent events — the Trent Lott controversy and the Henry Kissenger debacle — highlight just how asleep at the wheel the mainstream media has become. But they also show that a vibrant and growing online community is becoming more and more influential in providing a true national discussion.
As Arianna Huffington points out in her recent Salon.com column, it was a community of bloggers who kept discussion and coverage of these events in play. But unlike traditional media, the discussion came up from the bottom rather than being dictated — or neglected — from the top. This is what Cokie Roberts was so worried about.
As mainstream news continues it’s transformation into entertainment and corporate propaganda, real news, information and perspective is bubbling up from below.
I’d Rather Eat Pants
If you’ve missed NPR’s radio comedy, I’d Rather Eat Pants, you can find it online. The final episode airs in about 12 hours, and will be posted online within 24 hours.
Putting On The Pounds
Did I really just hear this right? Whitney Houston told Diane Sawyer that she became so thin that she had to be digitally altered to add weight after an appearance at a Michael Jackson concert? (Send those digital technicians to save Courtney Cox, STAT!)
I heard this mentioned on All Things Considered, where host Jacki Lyden took a little dig at Ms. Sawyer by setting up the bit with something along the lines of: “Last night Diane Sawyer put her journalistic chops to the test and interviewed Whitney Houston.” This just after Lyden’s colleague, Lynn Neary, played video games on air.
Digitally Altered (NPR RealAudio Stream)
Thanks For The Warning, Cokie!
On today’s Morning Edition, NPR called Cokie Roberts to get her take on John Kerry’s announcement that he is, um, like, really, really serious about running for President (“Hello, anyone listening?”). Her take?
“The last liberal Democrat from Massachusetts who ran for President was Michael Dukakis, and we know what happened to him.”
She also dredged up a comparison from even further back in the political past:
“The last Democrat who did that was George McGovern.”
Wow. Scary stuff. Thanks for the tips, Cokie!
(Not that Kerry has any chance whatsoever of being elected President.)