Essay #2 - Jeff Jacobson - British Media Ownership: Has America Taken Over?

A worldwide trend of media convergence and consolidation has been occurring for several years now. Many of these companies are US-based. As foreign governments de-regulate their broadcast media, American companies have carried their consolidation efforts overseas, as the American market has become very developed and no longer has room to expand (McChesney, 2001, ¶5). As part of my ongoing investigation into what impact American television and broadcasting are having on British television, this week I want to look at how American companies have made ownership inroads in the UK market. The surprising result is that they?ve hardly arrived at all.
As stated in the previous paragraph, media corporations are consolidating. This raises concerns about the quality of information received when it is coming from just a few sources (Wresch, 1996, 8). As the Labour Government began discussing its proposals for broad media reforms in 2002, this became a concern, particularly in a provision that changed rules regarding ownership of newspapers and television. Previous rules prohibited anyone who owned more than 20% of the UK newspaper market from owning a terrestrial Television channel as well (Media ownership, 2002, ¶30). A clause in the reform bill removed that restriction from the UK?s Channel 5. This bill seemed targeted squarely at Rupert Murdoch and his News Corporation, who owned 32% of the newspaper market (Media ownership, ¶29). Some even suggested that the provision might become known as the ?Murdoch Clause? (Media ownership, ¶35). Another controversial reform opened UK television ownership to non-EU companies, prompting fears that British TV would be ?flooded? with low-quality American imports (Doyle & Vick, 2005, 84). Now that the reforms have been implemented, have these predictions come to pass?
Somewhat surprisingly, neither of these really have. In fact, according to The Media Owners project, as of May 24, 2007, News International (News Corp) currently does not own an over-the-air station, as many detractors of the bill had feared would happen (http://www.londonfreelance.org/rates/owners/_ni.html). In fact, the same project (http://www.londonfreelance.org/owners/index.html) reports that of the major American corporations in broadcast television, only Disney has any television broadcasting interests in the UK, with a 25% stake in Good Morning Television. GE and Time-Warner currently have no broadcast interests whatsoever in the UK. There may be several reasons for this, according to Gillian Doyle and Douglas W. Vick (2005). They suggest that ?prevailing exchange rates, high UK company valuations and the early stage of US economic recovery? are important factors in the lack of US investment in UK broadcasters (84). And as I discovered last week, the UK has not become a ?dumping ground? (Doyle & Vick, 84) of low-quality American programming. If anything, the US has been a dumping ground of low-quality British programming.
Thus, it seems that so far an Americanization of British television broadcasting ownership has not really happened. However, this may be a situation unique to the UK, and may not reflect conditions in other recently liberalized economies. Further, changing market conditions could at some point in the future attract US companies to the British market. While the UK has thus far avoided this, the future is still up in the air.

References
Doyle, G. & Vick, D. W. (2005). The Communications Act 2003: A new regulatory framework in the UK. Convergence, 11(3), 75?95.
McChesney, Robert W. (2001). ?Global media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism.? Monthly Review, 52. Retrieved May 30, 2007, from: http://www.monthlyreview.org/301rwm.htm
Media ownership laws to be relaxed. (2002, May 8). BBC. Retrieved May 31, 2007, from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1972519.stm
Wresch, William (1996). Information rich, information poor. In W. Wresch, Disconnected: Haves and Have-Nots in the Information Age. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press.

Posted at 01:14PM Jun 01, 2007 by Jeff Jacobson in General  |  Comments[1]

Essay 2 - Alicia Thomas - Rethinking the Media - Strategies for Native inclusion

            Perceptions of Native people have always been portrayed inaccurately by the dominant culture. Today?s contemporary setting would suggest a kaleidoscope of constructive thoughts and viewpoints on this misunderstood community, but the dangerous reality is that inaccuracies and propaganda still perpetuate themselves, even on a global scale. From advertisements (i.e. Land O Lakes butter, Cherokee cigarettes) to sports mascots, this nation's indigenous peoples (as well as the broader community in the Western hemisphere) have been dehumanized and marginalized, and the news media continues to perpetuate these dangerous practices by their slanted depictions. 

            Nowhere is this more evident than the news media. While the forms may be subtle, the voice of the Native is still silenced and disregarded. In a study of the Boston Globe?s framing of American Indians across the media, ?Only one in six articles framed American Indians in neutral, empowered, or balanced ways. Thus, stereotypical or distorted depictions of American Indians dominated more than 80% of the coded stories. The three most frequent frames of American Indians in the Boston Globe were the generic outsider, the degraded Indian, and the historic relic? (Miller, Ross, 2004).

These skewed representations have done nothing to empower the Native communities in the digital age.  It has rather, denied them access and made it harder to bring them into the fold, if you will. Ethnocentric mentalities among those who rule the media world refuse to challenge these misrepresentations. Instead they (journalists, etc.) find ways to reinforce and emphasize them, compounding the problem even more. ?As cultural products, news media contain a limited range of content frames because the structure, norms, and practices of the media reflect and reinforce the elite group frame in which individual journalists and news organizations participate.? (Miller, Ross, 2004)  This is a direct correlation to McChesney?s view of global media where he asserts that, "the corporate media have the additional advantage of controlling the very news media that would be the place citizens would expect to find criticism and discussion of media policy in a free society" (McChesney, 2001).

There are opportunities for Native communities to become more engaged. In Hudson's Digital Divide, she highlights the K-Net program, a Smart Community Project serving remote Ojibway and Cree native communities in Ontario, Canada. This prototype model could be replicated in Native communities across the hemisphere, both rural and urban. It would enhance ?visibility? for the many that are disconnected.  ?Leaders of isolated communities should invite government and corporate leaders involved in telecommunications to visit their communities?, and she adds that this strategy  ?was very helpful for them to gain a better appreciation of the physical realities we face here, which in turn benefits us? (Hudson, 1996, p80). The NVISION project discussed in last week?s essay is continuing to gain momentum in its multi-media efforts, and is attracting more media coverage as well (NVISION, p 1).

Both of these projects are building on an inclusion model of news representation that has evolved over many years. ?In the late 1990s, about 25 radio stations, most public and nonprofit, served Native American communities in theUnited States and Canada. A daily national newscast. National Native News, and a national talk-radio program. Native America Calling, offered a voice and information. One of the Native American media's central characteristics has been fluidity of response to changing needs and conditions and to economic, social, and political pressures.? (Murphy, 1998, p. 422)

In a growing world of global connectivity, it is important more than ever for Native communities to engage and insert themselves into the domestic, international, and global representation agendas that affect them and that will ultimately decide how the entire world views, accepts and interacts with their people.

 References:

Hudson, H (2006).  Digital Divides: Gaps in Connectivity. Chapter 5 in H. Hudson, From rural village to global village: Telecommunications for development in the infomation age, pp. 62-82.  

McChesney, R. W. (2001). Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism. Monthly Review, 52(10).

Miller, Autumn (2004).  They Are Not Us: Framing of American Indians by the Boston Globe.  Ross, Susan. Howard Journal of Communications,  Vol. 15 Issue 4, p245-259

Murphy, Sharon M. (1998). Native American Media. History of the Mass Media in the United States: An Encyclopedia, p420-422

www.myspace.com/nvision1 (Retrieved May 30, 2007)

Posted at 12:48PM Jun 01, 2007 by alicia kathryn thomas in General  |  Comments[2]

Essay 2: Tisha Buelto- Blogging for Darfur

Tisha Buelto

Essay 2

1 June 2007

According to comScore Network's World Metrix Service, the Internet reaches nearly 747 million of the estimated 6.6 billion people worldwide (2007). These numbers hardly constitute universal access. Furthermore, Hudson notes in her article that universal access does not guarantee universal service, meaning that these Internet penetration estimations could potentially be even few (2006). And yet, a number of human rights blogging sites call upon the world to take action. This presents somewhat of a contradiction, as only the world's elite has access to the Internet. One cannot call upon a worldwide audience that does not exist.

GlobeforDarfur.org, a cross-posted blog, between itself and SaveDarfur.org, stands as a prime example of human rights blogging sites that contradictorily call upon the world to take action. Blogging in eight different languages, the audience that GlobeforDarfur.org targets, is an imaginary worldwide audience. McChesney discusses the notion that ?dominant media firms increasingly view themselves as global entities? (2001). Put another way, Herman discusses ?dominant players treating the media market as a single global market? (1997). These concepts can be applied to larger human rights blogging sites as well. By viewing themselves as ?global entities,? they are able blindly target imaginary Internet audiences.

The problem with targeting a non-existent worldwide audience is that one loses focus on what is really there. By targeting a real audience that can really make a difference, a human rights organization such as SaveDarfur.org or GlobeforDarfur.org is better able to set and meet its organizations goals.

References:

Herman, Edward S., and Robert W. McChesney. (1997a). ?The Global Media in the Late    
    1990s.?  Chapter 2 (pp. 41-69) in Herman and McChesney, The Global Media: The New    
    Missionaries of Corporate Capitalism. London and Washington: Cassell.
    http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/~wiley/courses/447/HermanMcChesney1997a.pdf

Hudson, H. (2006b). Toward universal access: Strategies for bridging digital divides.
    Chapter 6 in H. Hudson, From rural village to global village: Telecommunications for   
    development in the information age, pp. 83-99.
    Electronic reserve: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/eresdocs/files2/b7029.pdf.

McChesney, Robert W., Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism. (2001, March).
    Retrieved May 31, 2007 from http://www.monthlyreview.org/301rwm.htm

Worldwide Internet audience has grown 10 percent in last year, according to comScore    
    Networks. (2007, March 6). Retrieved June 1, 2007 from
    http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1242

Posted at 12:24PM Jun 01, 2007 by BUELTO, TISHA in General  |  Comments[3]

ESSAY #2 - The Walt Disney Company Conglomerate

The Walt Disney Company is indisputably one of the largest and most powerful media corporations in the world. Owning film studios and the ESPN and ABC networks has helped to establish the company as the second largest media entertainment conglomerate in world. AOL Time Warner is the largest (BBC News, 2001).  In addition to its network holdings, Disney also has its hands in internet, radio, cellular phones, and of course, has theme parks planted around globe (Sacramento Business Journal, 2007). In 2002, Disney was listed amongst the world?s top 10 most valuable brands alongside Microsoft, McDonald?s, and Coca-Cola (Khermouch, 2002, p.74). What does this mean for the global media market?

Disney is well on its way to becoming an oligopoly. Adhering to the facets of a global oligopoly as defined by McChesney, Disney is quickly stretching its shadow farther and farther across the globe, targeting countries and regions with the highest potential for profit (McChesney, 2001). In fact, Disney earns sixty percent of its overseas profits from Europe, thirty-five percent from Asia, and only five percent from lesser developed Latin America (BBC News, 2001).  However, Disney is not deterred by economic struggles plaguing countries where it believes it may establish a stronghold. In 2001, Disney began planning to open a Hong Kong Disney theme park, despite the country?s economic depression (BBC News, 2001).

With firmly established markets in four continents, is there any place Disney can?t, or won?t go? At least for now, Africa may be the answer to that question. With so much poverty, war, famine, and disease, Disneyland Somalia isn?t likely to be constructed within our life times. Countries made up of cultures determined to push away western cultural products are not likely to be profitable for the Walt Disney Company. Radio Disney isn?t broadcast in Iran. ABC Family isn?t aired in Madagascar. However, if these countries weren?t plagued with terrorism, political wars and AIDS pandemics, who?s to say Mickey Mouse wouldn?t be seen on Radio Disney billboards in Fallujah? In another eighty-five years, if Disney continues to flourish globally as it is today, there is little doubt that The Walt Disney Company will have media holdings in every developed country in the world.

BBC NEWS. (2001, June 8). Disney in global push. Retrieved May 30, 2007.

       http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1379079.stm

Khermouch, G. (2002, August 5). The best global brands. Business Week, 74.

Mc Chesney, R. (2001, March). Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism. Monthly Review.

Sacramento Business Journal. (2007, May). The Walt Disney Company overview. Retrieved May 30, 2007.

    http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/gen/The_Walt_Disney_Co_3C4F8CC2C04848A4A9913D1DD00B6969.html

Posted at 12:04PM Jun 01, 2007 by COX, KATIE in General  |  Comments[2]

Essay #2 - David Speidel - Online Gaming in Asia

Spread of Online Gaming in Asia

            Interactive gaming over the internet is not a new trend or technology that has developed recently.  Even in Asia, there has been a large population playing online role playing games and other interactive models that allow for people to interact with others around the world simultaneously.  Yet, until recently, the spread of these online atmospheres has been centered mostly in Japan and Korea, but has now seen a large increase in China.  The spread of this type of gaming has roots simply with the ability to access these online environments and the fervent drive for profit.

            It is important to understand that when discussing online games, it is intended as the many gaming environments that connect through the internet.  They allow interaction between users which can take form of communication or competition.  They often take the form of online role playing games, World of Warcraft the largest of this type, but there are also environments, such as Second Life, that are much more communication tools where the creation and interaction process takes precedent. 

            When discussing any creation that is reliant on the internet, the availability of access is always an issue.  Areas such as Japan and South Korea have had a large influx of western influence and financial support which created strong infrastructures.  In the case of Japan, where global corporations like Sony originated, their economy is strong enough that many Japanese have access to their own personal computers that connect to the internet.  In 2002, the percentage of their populations that used the internet was 44.6% and growing (Miyata, 2005, p. 147).  China on the other hand, has grown much more recently into an economic force.  As such their internet use is much less common, only around 3%, or 22.5 million (Chen, 2002, p. 5).  While they have the largest population in the world, the percentage of people that have access is a good barometer of how casual their use can be.  Just as Wresch discussed, those people with access to technology and education are more easily connected globally (Wresch, 1996a).  Those that are able connect to the internet through their own computers are much more likely to use it in their spare time.  As that availability increases, their use of it for leisure will most likely continue to grow.

            Yet just as the media, the quest for profit in online entertainment is a driving force for expansion.  The companies yearn to gain advantage in markets that could be profitable.  As their availability has increased China?s population becomes targeted because of the immense amount of spending power.  The previously mentioned World of Warcraft, has over six million users worldwide, at least 1.4 million of which are Asian (Woodcock, 2006).  Sony, also a large contributor in the online gaming community, is also one of the 7 largest media companies and as such drives their markets based on profit margins as they do in all their business (McChesney, 2001).   This big business is easily able to spread their product globally.  The ability to sell games and subscriptions to billions of people is impossible to ignore and creates a sort of feeding frenzy trying to gain dominance in one more global market.

            The immersion of these markets grows more each year and should continue on this trend.  Both their growth in internet users and the profits they are capable of, make them an irresistible target for the gaming industry intent on users interacting globally.  Much like any other forms of globalization this is good for those wishing to interact with new countries, and should provide interesting dynamics in the future.

Chen, W., Boase, J., & Wellman, B. (2002). The global villagers: Comparing Internet users and uses around the world. In B. Wellman & C. Haythornthwaite (Eds.), The Internet in everyday life Oxford: Blackwell.

McChesney, R. W. (2001). Global Media, neoliberalism, and imperialism. Monthly

Review 52(10). http://www.monthlyreview.org/301rwm.htm.

Miyata, K., Boase, J., Wellman, B., & Ikeda, K. (2005) The mobile-izing Japanese: Connecting to the Internet by PC and Webphone in Yamanashi [part 1] [part 2]. In M. Ito, D. Okabe, & M. Matsuda, (Eds.), Personal, Portable, Pedestrian: Mobile phones in japanese life (pp. 143-164). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Woodcock, Bruce, S. (2006). Asian Market Peak Concurrent Users. Retrieved May 31, 2007, from MMOCHART.COM Web site: http://www.mmogchart.com/

Wresch, W. (1996a). Information rich, information poor. In Disconnected: Haves and

Have-Nots in the Information Age (chap. 1).  Retrieved May 27, 2007, from

http://www.lib.ncsu.edu:2083/Details.aspx

Posted at 11:56AM Jun 01, 2007 by SPEIDEL, DAVID in General  |  Comments[6]

Essay #2 Claire de Lespinois WSF and Access

               Alter-globalization is a social movement that supports globalization nationally, but is seeking to find alternative means to do it. As mentioned in my first essay, I discussed the largest alter-globalization group the World Social Forum. The WSF is a virtual community where people can meet to discuss world topics of their concern. It is open to anyone who wishes to access the space. While the Internet seems to be an efficient way of connecting people globally, this is not always the case. Unfortunately not everyone around the world has access to the Internet. This can cause problems, especially for social movements such as the WSF that heavily rely on the Internet s their primary means of communication. If the Internet is made available to more areas, such as rural ones, then the WSF could have more of an impact around the world. This would give a voice to those who are now forced to remain silent.
             In 2007 60,000 people gathered in Kenya, Africa at the WSF?s sixth world meeting. There they discussed important world issues under the theme, ?People?s Struggles, People?s Alternatives: Another World is Possible.? (Solomon, 2007, paragraph 1). Going along with this WSF theme, if another world is created (Internet access for those who currently do not have it) then another world will in fact be possible. As stated by McChesney ?the current era seems less the result of uncontrollable forces and more as the newest stage of class struggle under capitalism? (2001, paragraph 4). This is proven true when it comes to those who have the Internet and those who do not. Efforts are currently being made to provide Internet to those in rural areas who do not have it. As of right now it costs more for those in rural areas to connect to the Internet, than those who live in urban cities (Hudson, 2006, p.66).There are many policies under debate, seeking to solve this issue. If more people can connect to the Internet, then more people will be able to contribute to the WSF. If more people are connected to the WSF, then more issues will be heard.
             The WSF relies on ?alternative models for people-centered and self-reliant progress.? (WSF India, 2007). One alternative model to providing people in rural areas Internet access would be the community access telecenters as described by Hudson. These centers would address the digital division by providing communities? access to the Internet. (Hudson 2001 p. 94). While it would not be available to people?s households, it would provide a common place where people could go and get on line. This would be a positive step for the WSF, allowing more voices to be heard, especially that of those in need. This is just one of the many suggestions out there for getting people connected.
             In conclusion I think the relationship between the WSF and getting people in rural areas connected to the Internet is significant. In fact, this issue is something that could be discussed at the on line forum and at the next WSF meeting that will take place in 2009. Also, once more people can get connected to the Internet, more issues can be discussed and more support can be offered. Another world is possible.


Resources:

Hudson, H. (2006a). Digital divides: Gaps in connectivity. Chapter 5 in H. Hudson, From rural village to globalvillage: Telecommunications fordevelopment in the information
age, pp. 62-82.

Hudson, H. (2006b). Toward universal access: Strategies for bridging digital divides. Chapter 6 in H. Hudson,From rural village to global village:
Telecommunications for development in the information age, pp. 83-99.

McChesney, Robert W. (2001). ?Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism.? Monthly Review 52(10). Online: http://www.monthlyreview.org/301rwm.htm.

Solomon, Alicia. Out of Africa. The Nation. March 5, 2007.

WSF India. Retrieved May 31, 2007 from the world wide web: http://www.wsfindia.org/?q=node/12

Posted at 11:51AM Jun 01, 2007 by DELESPINOIS, CATHERINE in General  |  Comments[5]

Essay 2-Collapse of the Music Industry

Since the 1950s, popular music has been the voice for cultural and social change in the world. It began when TV stations refused to show Elvis from the waist down during his performances. The protest songs of the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s and 70s followed. The 1980s and 90s saw the birth of rap music telling of racism and police corruption. Today, popular music is dominated with disgust of President Bush. But how much of an impact does the music industry really have when it comes to changing the world for the better? As the global media market becomes increasingly concentrated and consolidated, record labels are constantly falling under the control of large media firms. In his article ?Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism?, Robert McChesney (2001) names seven multinational corporations that have a firm grip on the media and information industries across the globe: Disney, AOL-Time Warner, Sony, News Corporation, Viacom, Vivendi, and Bertelsmann. In McChesney?s view, neoliberalism perpetuates existing social inequalities by ?calling for business domination of all social affairs with minimal countervailing force? (2001, 3). This is where I feel the problem lies. Popular music began as the voice of the lower class and those marginalized in their respective societies. How can this still be the case when the aforementioned corporations control ?80-85% of the global music market? (McChesney, 2001, 3) The best examples of the music industry speaking up for those without a voice are benefit and charity concerts. The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 is generally recognized at the first charity/benefit concert. Former Beatle George Harrison, along with Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, put together an amazing ensemble of 70s musicians and played two concerts at Madison Square Garden. The absence of large media firms is quite noticeable. Instead, a group of concerned musicians came together and introduced the world to the poverty and disease issues of the then unknown nation of Bangladesh. Their objective was to simply raise awareness in hopes that people would join their cause. Fast forward to 2005 when large media firms dominate the entertainment and information industries. In the summer of that year, the meeting of the G8 nations (the 8 most ?powerful? nations on the globe) was taking place in Scotland. Representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the US, and UK met to discuss global economic issues. In response to the G8 meeting, musicians and activists around the globe organized a global concert in hopes of convincing the G8 leaders to cancel the 40 billion dollar debt of 18 African nations. This is where things get tricky. The concert, Live 8, consisted of 10 simultaneous concerts around the globe. The locations for the performances happened to be all of the G8 nations, with the exception of South Africa (www.live8live.com). The aforementioned multinational media corporations were given the task of broadcasting this monumental event. According to Dr. Michel Chossudovsky, AOL-Time Warner licensed the broadcasting rights to ABC, which is a division Disney. MTV, VH1, and CMT, networks all operated by Viacom, broadcast the event on cable television. AOL was given the exclusive rights for radio broadcasting, and Britain?s EMI music group was given the rights to produce a DVD of the event (Chossudovsky, 2005, 2). It is also worth noting that the 7 largest media corporations are based in four of the G8 nations (the United States, Japan, France, and Germany) (McChesney, 2001). At the conclusion of the event, the major corporations behind the event made millions of dollars and the African debt and poverty situation has yet to improve. In an Issue of African Business, Tom Nevin (2005) says that President Bush opposed providing aid to these African nations because ? the initiative?s rules of disbursements for grants stipulates that aid goes only to low income countries that meet strict criteria on governance, human rights, and investment in education in health? (Nevin, 2005, 1). This is a prime example of McChesney?s idea that businesses and governments under neoliberalism are completely profit driven while they ignore the interests of the lower class. References Nevin, T. (2005). JUSTICE FOR AFRICA WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM AFRICA SUMMIT. African Business, (311), 19-20. Chossudovsky, M. (2005). Live 8: Corporate Media Bonanza. Retrieved May 30, 2007, from http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s1119.htm McChesney, Robert W. (2001). ?Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism.? Monthly Review 52(10). Online: http://www.monthlyreview.org/301rwm.htm.

Posted at 11:42AM Jun 01, 2007 by FULTON, WILLIAM in General  |  Comments[2]

Essay #2 - Chris Bigelow - $100 Laptops

Is the XO-1 Moving Closer to Universal Access?

          The XO-1 laptop appears to be one possible solution to getting technology in place in developing countries.  This more affordable technology seems as though it will guarantee anyone anywhere the ability to get connected online.  The problem, some argue, is that simply giving people internet service is not enough.  Robert McChesney argues that although some feel that "All people need to do is sit back, shut up and shop, and let markets and technologies work their magical wonders," the end result will not be the democratic exchange of ideas (McChesney, 2001, pp. 1-2).  The OLPC has been working hard to provide everyone with the hardware to get online but the actual infrastructure of networks and connection points must still be provided by someone else.  Who provides these networks and for what price?  Will the huge corporations that control western internet access be the same ones that establish access points in countries that adopt the OLPC's strategy?  These are important questions that need to be answered during the early stages of this project, rather than after its completion.  Initially, the laptops were to be designed with a completely new operating system.  The project designers refused to pay for Windows and declined an offer from Apple Computer to use OS X on the machines for free (Stecklow, 2006).  The idea was to use an open-source system and reduce the branding that comes along with the big names.  However, the Wall Street Journal reports that "Mr. Negroponte [chairman of the project], after meeting with Mr. Gates, now says, 'The machine will run anything, including Windows'" (Stecklow, 2006).

          Heather Hudson also feels that programs such as the XO-1 should be concerned with more than just providing internet service to people.  She makes the distinction between providing service and providing access to the internet.  According to her article, providing access includes providing an infrastructure, a broad range of services beyond just the basics, affordable service, and reliable service (Hudson, 2006, p. 85).  The XO-1 does not promise anything beyond giving people the potential for access to the web.

          Additionally, the laptops are to be distributed by governments to their people.  This gives power to the governments of each country to decide exactly where and how much access is granted.  William Wresch cites an example from China's history when the government banned the sale and manufacture of satellite dishes because "Too many comrades were using the dishes to bring in 'decadent' news and entertainment shows. Decadent information might lead to decadent ideas and then to decadent actions. So the government stepped in and satellite access ended" (Wresch, 1996, p. 13).  It is likely that conservative governments will prevent, or at least limit, the access that can be gained using the XO-1.  So far, Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Thailand, and Uruguay are the only governments that have committed to purchasing these laptops from the OLPC (Nystedt, 2007).  

          In light of these difficulties in the communication process, the introduction of the XO-1 is a step in the right direction, but to be truly effective, the OLPC should seriously consider ways to address the other barriers to universal internet access worldwide.  Perhaps some requirements should be established that governments must meet in order to adopt this program, or maybe there is a better way to distribute these laptops.  At the very least, the OLPC should spend some time thinking about these issues.

Works Cited:

Stecklow, Steve. (2006). The $100 Laptop Moves Closer to Reality. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 31,
     2007, from http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113193305149696140-442o71jo_IlBrLpyUeeOdsqDs7E_20061113.html

Nystedt, Dan. (2007). One million OLPC laptop orders confirmed. IDG News Service, 2/15/07. Retrieved May 31,
     2007, from http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2987/070215olpc

Wresch, William (1996). Information rich, information poor. In W. Wresch, Disconnected: Haves and Have-Nots in
     the Information Age. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press.

Hudson, H. (2006). Toward universal access: Strategies for bridging digital divides. Chapter 6 in H. Hudson, From
     rural village to global village: Telecommunications for development in the information age, pp. 83-99.
     Electronic reserve: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/eresdocs/files2/b7029.pdf

McChesney, Robert W. (2001). "Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism." Monthly Review 52(10). Online:
     http://www.monthlyreview.org/301rwm.htm.

Posted at 11:33AM Jun 01, 2007 by BIGELOW, CHRISTOPHER in General  |  Comments[2]

Essay #2-Keitris Weathersbe-The New York Times: Its Local and Global Markets

 

        Local residents of New York City have relied on the New York Times as one of their central forms of receiving news since 1851.   With early historical focus on news coverage of interest to local residents, the New York Times has more recently broadened its national and international news and features coverage.  The historical relations of the New York Times, New York City and the rest of the world can be supported with a point made by Robert W. McChesney.  McChesney points out that ?whereas previously media systems were primarily national, in the past few years a global commercial-media market has emerged.  To grasp media today and in the future, one must start with understanding the global system and then factor in differences at the national and local levels? (McChesney, 2001, p. 2).  The latter point is extremely relevant when referring to the New York Times, its local readers in New York City, and its attempt to globalize.  The differences at the national and local levels varies; from how the way local readers receive news from the Times differs from that of national readers, how the Times online plays a role in how quickly news from the Times is received across the globe, and so on.  In the article, Toward Universal Access:  Strategies for Bridging Digital Divide, Hudson discusses the significance of the Internet, as it relates to access.  Internet access is something to consider to discussing the New York Times is its availability in non-print forms across the globe.

The Times, as has globalization, has increased its circle of influence, which raises the question as to how local readers in New York City are adapting to these changes.  Is there still a generous amount of energy spent on covering local news as with national or international news?  Because of the New York Times? attempt to globalize, is there a concern about biases?  The New York Times has often been accused of creating stories or limiting coverage of topics to please certain corporations.  Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky discuss in Manufacturing Consent how the Times relations with ?corporate conglomerates? lead to possible bias.  According to the two authors, these biases occur ?by selection of topics, by distribution of concerns, by emphasis and framing of issues, by filtering of information, by bounding of debate within certain limits. They determine, they select, they shape, they control, they restrict?in order to serve the interests of dominant, elite groups in the society? (Herman, Chomsky, 1988, p.2).  The issue with these biases is adequate and fair coverage of news will not reach all readers.  Bias that occurs through framing issues, selecting topics, and filtering information could possible result in lack of information being evenly distributed to readers.  For example, if the New York Times decides to run an article on the War in Iraq, including interviews and personal accounts from service men and women from New York City; where is the bias?  The New York Times can be viewed in a historical context as a local newspaper, based in New York City, and evolving into a national and international publication in recent history.  However, to explain the earlier example, some national and international readers may still be concerned with the Times repeatedly choosing to focus on New York City servicemen for their coverage of the War in Iraq.  To conclude this example, a bias is present if the Times decided to routinely cover only New York City service men and women, and exclude the other possible topics available in other parts of the United States or the globe.  To avoid bias, the Times has covered the ?reach of war,? the British influence and how Britain has been affected by the War in Iraq, for example (Cave, 2007, p. 1).  This particular piece may have appealed to British readers of the New York Times.

 

References

1.  Cave, Damien.  (2007).  Search for Britons Continues in Baghdad.  The New York Times.  Retrieved on May, 31, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/worldspecial/index.html

2.  Herman Edward, Noam Chomsky.  (1988).  Manufacturing Consent.

3.  Hudson, H. (2006). Toward universal access: Strategies for bridging digital divides. Chapter 6 in H. Hudson, From rural village to global village: Telecommunications for development in the information age, pp. 83-99.

4.   McChesney, R. W. (2001). Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism. Monthly Review, 52(10).

5.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times

 

 

 

 

Posted at 11:01AM Jun 01, 2007 by WEATHERSBE, KEITRIS in General  |  Comments[1]

Essay #2 - Christina Kellmann - Americanization of Foreign Advertising

    Global advertising is becoming more popular and more widespread, thanks to an increase in corporations reaching their grasp around the world. McChesney?s article does the best explaining why globalization has affected advertising as much as it has, but Hudson?s chapter on universal access and service also raise interesting thinking points about the topic. Other case studies about global advertising also contribute to the basic message that advertising is becoming global through worldwide corporate ownership and the internet.
    Globalization has begun to take over in the recent past. McChesney (2001) said, ??previously media systems were primarily national, in the past few years a global commercial-media market has emerged? (p. 2). This being said, it is easy to understand why the idea of Americanization is showing itself through advertisements in foreign countries. For example, we think of Times Square as a center for major advertisements. The same thing can be said for big cities across the world. Major advertisements are everywhere, and they are getting larger and more widespread. Stephen Freitas (2006) found, ?The rapid and sustained consolidation of media properties over the last decade, particularly within the outdoor segment, is leading toward simplified buying for advertisers across multi-media platforms.? Outdoor advertising is huge in big cities like Tokyo, where downtown looks like Times Square. Advertising is everywhere. A picture of a Japanese subway car shows ads all taking up nearly the entire wall and ceiling space in the car. It is a mix of Japanese characters and English. Another picture shows a Japanese woman reading a newspaper with English on the front and Japanese on the back. These two pictures show just how prevalent Americanization is. McChesney (2001) said, ?The dominant media firms increasingly view themselves as global entities? (p. 3). With this thought process, it is easy to see why putting an advertisement in a Japanese subway car is just as important to American corporations as putting up a billboard in New York City.
    Hudson (2006) discusses the importance of universal access to telecommunications. Universal access allows all people to have the opportunity to connect to the internet if they want to. It is a right to information. While the right to internet access is not guaranteed, it is growing (Hudson). Internet advertising has become a booming industry. According to the CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Greg Stuart, (2006), ?The steady growth of online advertising is a clear indication that marketers continue to believe in the opportunities and effectiveness that this medium delivers in reaching and engaging their consumers.? The internet is seen as a new tool for advertisement. ?Internet advertising revenues reached a new record of $3.9 billion for the first quarter of 2006. The 2006 first quarter revenues represent a 38 percent increase over Q1 2005 at $2.8 billion? (IAB, 2006). That increase shows a definite rise in interest of corporations and firms who use the internet to target specific audiences. This is important when it comes to advertising in foreign countries because different cultures may not view advertisements in the same way. Bulmer and Buchanan-Oliver (2006) point out, ?An advertising message should be processed differently by receivers reared in different cultures, which is at odds with the assumptions implicit in the advertising literature? (p. 57). This reinforces the fact that advertising to specific audiences using the internet is necessary for some cultures. Something must also be said for the ease in which global advertising is made possible by the internet. Using this telecommunication tool, advertisements can reach around the globe without any kind of manpower. While a billboard advertising Coca-Cola in downtown Tokyo requires actual labor and travel, an online advertisement by the same brand on a Japanese web site requires a programmer and a digital designer. The ease and specificity that the internet brings to advertising is phenomenal, and Hudson?s ideas about universal access show how important the internet is in globalization.
    Two of the most important factors of global advertising are worldwide corporations and the internet. It only makes sense that a huge, global corporation would be able to advertise everywhere, and that a tool like the internet would make advertisement even easier. These two things combined help speed up the rate of globalization through advertising.

 

 

Works Cited:

 

Bulmer, S. and Buchanan-Oliver, M. (2006). Advertising across cultures: Interpretations of visually complex advertising. Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising 28(1), pp. 57-71.

 

Freitas, S. (2006). The globalization of outdoor advertising. The Sideroad. Retrieved May 31, 2007 from http://www.sideroad.com/marketing/globalization-outdoor-advertising.html

 

Hudson, H. (2006). Toward universal access: Strategies for bridging digital divides. Chapter 6 in H. Hudson, From rural village to global village: Telecommunications for development in the information age, pp. 83-99.

 

Interactive Advertising Bureau. (2006). Internet advertising revenues close to $4 billion for Q1 2006. New York, N.Y. Retrieved May 31, 2007 from http://www.iab.net/news/pr_2006_05_30.asp

 

McChesney, R. W. (2001). ?Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism.? Monthly Review 52(10).

 

Image from http://www.iran-daily.com/1385/2682/html/061740.jpg

 

Image from www.joystiq.com/media/2006/09/tokyo_subway_adverts_all_over.jpg

 

 

 

 

Posted at 10:05AM Jun 01, 2007 by KELLMANN, CHRISTINA in General  |  Comments[2]

Essay #2 - Will Long - Cubans' Voice in America

Essay #2 ? Will Long ? Cubans? Voice in America

Under Fidel Castro, the Communist Party of Cuba effectively controls the lives of Cuba?s citizens, violating rights and silencing opposition (Montaner, 2007, p. 63). Each year many Cubans try to escape their homeland to coasts of South Florida.  As of 2000, Miami-Dade County was home to an estimated 650,000 Cuban-Americans (Boswell, 2000). Cubans, along with others from Latin America and the Caribbean, have created a market in Miami, much like Hispanic markets in Spanish-speaking hot spots across the United States, that media powers can not ignore. Five major media corporations have come to control most of the images seen on television or on film, the music heard on the radio or on CDs, and the words read in magazines, books and newspapers in the United States. (Stop Big Media, 2007). Many are concerned that without government intervention, these media companies, referred to as ?big media,? are ignoring diversity and neglecting local news.  While in the past Spanish-language media has been concentrated in the areas of large Hispanic populations, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, big media are now showing interest in one of the nation?s fastest growing media markets.

           

           Cubans have been under the fist of Fidel Castro since he led the revolution overthrowing Fulgencio Batista in 1959.  The government controls the country with overwhelming efficiency. The country?s free education system emphasizes political and ideological views of the government (Gasperini, 2000).  The government has also severely limited the access to education of information from outside the country.  Cell phones require government permits. Private connections to the Internet are illegal, ?forcing most people into internet cafes where software monitors their every click,? and prices are usually too costly for the average Cuban (Pain, 2006).  While the newspapers of Cuba are not controlled by the government, the papers are published by a variety of political groups, all of which have ties to the communist party. Radio and television are also state-run in Cuba. All the information Cubans receive comes from one source, the government-not the people-to keep control; as Wresch puts it ?decadent information might lead to decadent ideas and then to decadent actions.? (1996, p.13). When Cubans make the trek to the Miami, they arrive to the United States, the media capital of the world, believing they will have the chance to share their voices.

           

             But Cubans that are living in the United States face a media system that is very different, yet peculiarly similar.  As the Hispanic population grows, big media are beginning to realize a potential profit. In 2001, General Electric, owner of NBC, bought Telemundo, the second-place Spanish-language television network, for $2 billion (Ballve, 2004, p. 23). This deal brought controversy and fears that it ?could erode Telemundo's links to the Latino community? because GE is an American corporation (Ballve, 2004, p. 23).  Two years later Univision, the United States? largest Spanish-language television network and Telemundo?s main competitor, bought the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation, the nation?s largest Spanish-Language radio network.  This allowed Univision Communication Inc. to control more than 70 percent of the national advertising money spent on Hispanic media (Gregor, 2003, p. 62).  The Univision empire also boasts Univision Music Group (Univision records and Fonovisa records), Telefutura television network, Galavision cable network and Univision online, ?the most visited Spanish-language Internet destination in the United States.? (Univision Online, 2007).  Cubans who come to Miami may find in expressing their voices, their options may be as limited as they are in Cuba. Univision and newly acquired HBC are mostly controlled by non-Hispanics and ?that may be the most regrettable thing about the deal for some Hispanic viewers and listeners --that the words may be in Spanish, but authentic Hispanic voices may eventually be drowned out altogether by those of non-Hispanic owners?

Although they escaped the censorship of information and of their own voice in Cuba, Cuban-Americans may be facing the similar problems in the United States.  As effective as the Cuban government is at blocking access to information, McChesney noted George Orwell when he wrote ?censorship in free societies is infinitely more sophisticated and thorough than in dictatorships, because ?unpopular ideas can be silenced, and inconvenient facts kept dark, without any need for an official ban?? (2001, ¶ 26).

Sources:

Ballve, M. (2004). The Battle for Latino Media. NACLA Report on the Americas, 37(4).

Boswell, T. D. (2000). A Demographic Profile of Cuban Americans. Miami, FL: Cuban

American National Council, Inc.

Gasperini, L. (2000). The Cuban Education System: Lessons and Dilemmas. Country Studies, 1(5).

Gregor, A. (2003). What's Spanish for 'Big Media'? Columbia Journalsim Review, 42(3).

McChesney, R. W. (2001). Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism. Monthly Review, 52(10).

Montaner, C. A. (2007). Cuba Libre. Foreign Policy, 158, 63.

Stop Big Media.. (n.d.). What's at Stake. Retrieved May 31, 2007, from

http://www.stopbigmedia.com/=learn

Univision Communication Inc. (2007). Univision Online. Retrieved May 31, 2007, from

            http://www.univision.net/corp/en/uol.jsp

Wresch, W. (1996). Disconnected: Haves and Have-Nots in the Information Age. New

Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Posted at 09:18AM Jun 01, 2007 by William Long in General  |  Comments[2]

Essay #2- Julia Tew- AI, ICT and Women in Afghanistan

    Wresch?s compares a case-specific set of inequalities between the information rich and the information poor in Namibia (Wresch 1996a, p. 3).  Even a cursory evaluation of the circumstances indicates that these inequalities and struggles cannot be resolved solely through increased access to information and communication technologies.  Indeed, for individuals like Negumbo, while such technologies may offer promises of future quality of life improvement, other more pressing issues of surviving life exist as well.  According to Amnesty International (AI), many Afghani women share similar struggles.  While they occupy one of the most information-poor positions in the international community, their communication poverty cannot be fully attributed to a lack of access, nor can it be completely cured through increased infrastructure or service.  Important cultural and political customs create a social structure that places this large and important segment of the population at a tangible disadvantage.  Under such oppressive circumstances, as described in AI?s published research, changes in projects and policies, such as those described in Hudson?s (2006) work will be inconsequential for the short-term life improvement of Afghani women.  
    According to AI, Afghani women suffer atrocities such as rape, torture, abduction and persecution, often at the hands of state and police officials (Women in Afghanistan, 1995).  Despite the ability to create new policy or enforce existing policy to protect women, the execution of such law is rare.  Any move to limit ruling agencies? and class? control over the society is reluctant at best, non-existent at worst (Women in Afghanistan, 1995, p. 20).  But despite the hierarchal power structures within Afghanistan, in the international community even these ruling elites hold little power when compared with their Western counterparts.
    As McChesney describes, the globalization of media has resulted in a select set of key players who control the vast majority of the world?s mass media (McChesney 2001).  While local elites rule Afghanistan with an iron hand, their power cannot extend beyond their own borders.  In the new international society, information is king, and these Middle Eastern powers are left out of the royal court.  AI then uses its situated positioning to within the Western world to advocate for its broadly international agenda.
    Since the organization is based primarily in Westernized states, it has access to both advanced communication technologies and a tech savvy audience.  As a result, it has been able to take personal stories of international trauma and abuse and diffuse them to a global population through the use of electronic messages, websites, and widely disbursed press releases (Amnesty International, 2007, p. About AI).  In fostering a strong, positive reputation among the media and technological elites, AI is able to transmit messages of the information poor to the more influential members of the international community, thus hopefully, prompting policy change, spurred on by pressure from foreign governments?.
    This plan of action does not directly focus on supplying its beneficiaries, such as the oppressed and terrorized Afghani women, with access to information technology, but its own use of the technology is intended to create global awareness of the more urgent needs.  By seeking policy that allows equal opportunity for women to create healthy and safe lives, the agenda is easily extended to include policy that will build upon the basic rights, such as safety and freedom from torture, to include provisions likely to lead to increased information technology access and utilization.  Issues such as education or the ability to form women?s organizations later translate into populations that are aware, interested and capable of employing advanced communication technology.  A recent study of ICT use and expansion in developing countries made this important link.  In Ethiopia, for example, the development of high-level technology education programs has created a gateway for increased ?expertise/awareness? of ICT? (Gebretsadik, 2005, p. 1).  Such opportunities for education and networking could similarly be provided to marginalized segments of Afghani society, and but such changes cannot occur until basic human rights policy can be established and implemented.  



Amnesty International. (1995). Women in Afghanistan: A human rights catastrophe.
Retrieved May 31, 2007, from
www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/mideast/cuvlm/women.html

Amnesty International. (2007). About Amnesty International. Retrieved May 31, 2007,
from http://web.amnesty.org/pages/aboutai-index-eng

Gebretsadik, A. (2005, March).  Computer communications in developing countries.
Global Communications Newsletter.  Retrieved May 31, 2007, from
ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/35/30467/01404596.pdf

Hudson, H. (2006). Digital divides: Gaps in connectivity. In From rural village to
global village: Telecommunications for development in the information age (chap.
5, 6).

McChesney, R. W. (2001). Global Media, neoliberalism, and imperialism. Monthly
Review 52(10). http://www.monthlyreview.org/301rwm.htm.

Wresch, W. (1996a). Information rich, information poor. In Disconnected: Haves and
Have-Nots in the Information Age (chap. 1).  Retrieved May 27, 2007, from
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu:2083/Details.aspx

Posted at 09:00AM Jun 01, 2007 by TEW, JULIA in General  |  Comments[3]

Essay #1, Pat Bedics, Apple Makes Strides in Japan

                                          Apple Makes Strides in Japan

    Apple markets itself as an entity, rather than one single product, to international markets.  Without the spread of commercial media, McChesney makes the statement that ?economic and cultural globalization arguably would be impossible? (2001, p1).  Thinking globally is not a current trend among big business anymore, but a staple.  Agreeing with this point is Gerald Levin of AOL-Time Warner by declaring, ?We do not want to be viewed as an American company.  We think globally? (McChesney, 2001, p3).  It is almost thought of as a bad thing to want to sell domestically.  This is the mindset that is a must in order to bring great success into the big company?s pockets.  No company wants to be thought of as limited or restrained to the country in which they emerged, that would be thought of as suicide nowadays.  There are multiple markets to be explored from businesses, and that requires thinking internationally from the beginning.
    Although Apple has accomplished a lot outside of the U.S. in its existence, it was just recently that they took a giant leap to help them notch another dominant location in their quest for profit.  Apple opened its ?first retail outlet outside the U.S.? in Japan just 4 years ago (Media Asia, 2003).  This has proven to be a wise investment and expansion for Apple, as the store has seen over 20 million people come in the store in its short existence already (Media Asia, 2003).  Aside from just sticking the store in Japan, and completely walking away from it leaving all their products to sell and explain themselves to the Japanese, Apple is bringing not only systems but also education about them.  They instituted in upwards of 400 classes and workshops to take place in the Japan store to be a way in which the consumers can educate themselves on the product (Media Asia, 2003). 
    In a mission statement provided by the people at Apple they make it evident that they are, in fact, looking to reach potential buyers all over the world.  They state:
    ?Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to
    students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world
    through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings? (Rauckhorst,
    J. & Weil, C., 2003).
It is the final addition to the list of people they are looking to reach, by expanding their demographic to include international consumers.  The spread of Apple in Tokyo, Japan, which has been classified as a top place to shop throughout the globe (Rauckhorst, J. & Weil, C., 2003), would not really be the equivalent of the service and access that is missing in other countries.  Tokyo is an incredibly sophisticated city within a highly developed country, and just because this is the first Apple store outside of the U.S. border does not mean they are attempting to help out Tokyo by spreading their products.  There is still the break in universal systems and universal access that Hudson discusses, that are not being mended in Apple?s expansion (Hudson, 2006). 
    Apple?s move to Japan is in efforts to establish a counterforce in the East, to their Western market that has prospered since the 1970s.  This is just another specific instance of big companies realizing the moves they need to make to not only stay on top of the market they are currently in, but also to continue to get their foot in the door of new ones.

     REFERENCES
Hudson, H. (2006).  Toward universal access: Strategies for bridging digital divides.
    Chapter 6 in H. Hudson, From rural village to global village: Telecommunications
    For the development in the information age, pp. 83-89.

McChesney, R.W. (2001).  Global media, neoliberalism and imperialism, Monthly
    Review, 52(10).

Rauckhorst, J., & Weil, C. (2003).  Apple?s first retail store opens in tokyo this saturday.
    Retrieved May 31, 2007, from www.apple.com/pr/library/2003/nov/27ginza.html

(2003).  Hands-on feel at Apple?s new five-level japan store, Media Asia, p12.

Posted at 08:56AM Jun 01, 2007 by BEDICS, PATRICK in General  |  Comments[1]

Essay#2 - J. Preston - Rural Schools Need Technology.

    We live in a world of swiftly growing technological advances, and increasingly large shift of communicational and educational practices.   Due to the recent heightened awareness of globalization, we sometimes get caught up in the notion that we must distribute our technological assets across the globe evenly in order to achieve a more level worldwide playing field.  When we ponder this subject from this "global" point of view, it is easy to overlook that the distribution of communication technology is not sitting on a level playing field here in the United States.  As shocking as it seems, many of our rural schools lack basic communication technologies such as the Internet.  "The term digital divide was coined in the 1990's to describe the gap between ICT (haves) and (have nots) (i.e., those with and without access to telecommunications and Internet services)" (Hudson, 2006 pg 63).   More than one-fourth of U.S. public schools students attend school in rural areas, and nearly one-fifth, approximately 88 million students, attend school in the smallest communities with fewer than 2,5000 residents according to "Why Rural Matters," the third of a series of reports by the Rural Schools and Community Trust (ESchoolsNews, 2005, pg1).  When we compare educational issues such as poverty, socio-economical barriers, graduations rates, and test scores between urban and rural communities, it is conclusive that rural areas have a notable disadvantage.  Rural schools in the United States require technological advancements in order to level the educational playing field.
    Distance learning is one solution to help overcome the barriers that rural schools face, and to help them achieve despite their geographical limitations.  Distance learning via the Internet has proven to be effective at ensuring that rural schools are able to provide rich curriculum for students without having to uproot them into other communities.  Rural school systems across the nation are implementing distant education to provide more opportunities for their students.  The RSCT suggest that distant education works best when cluster of smaller, less funded schools, pool their resources in efforts to support staff, improve funding, and create more academic choices for ambitious students (electronic-schools, 2001, pg 2).
    The Internet is increasingly becoming a part of our media and telecommunication systems ( McChesney, 2001 p1). Without the internet, schools in rural areas have no starting point at which to begin implementing programs that will help place them on a more level playing field.  Therefore, it is imperative that new technological resources, such as the Internet, be distributed throughout all urban schools in the United States.
Rural schools in the United States require technological advancements in order to level the educational playing field. 
    Rural education faces the greatest challenge in predominantly urban states, where the needs of students in smaller, more remote systems are often overshadowed by the attention commanded by their urban counterparts.  We often speak or hear about the newly imposed no child left behind policy, but I believe that in order to successfully achieve this concept, we should redirect out attention to a no school left behind policy.





ESchools News (2005, pg1) www.eschoolsnews.com Shared technology fortifies ed.

Electronic-school (2001, pg 2) www.electronic-school.com The World We Live In: Rural and urban board members alike recognize technologies importance today.

Hudson, H. (2006a). Digital divides: Gaps in connectivity. Chapter 5 in H. Hudson, From rural village to global village: Telecommunication for development in the information age, pp. 62-82.

McChesney, Robert W. (2001). ? Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism.? Monthly Review, pp 1-18.

Posted at 08:40AM Jun 01, 2007 by PRESTON, JASON in General  |  Comments[2]

Essay 2: Danielle Tibbetts MDGs, ICTs and the Fight Against HIV/AIDS

            As explained earlier the MDGs ( Millennium Development Goals) were created by the United Nations in 2000 to accomplish certain worldwide standards of living throughout the world. These goals could feasibly be achieved with help from various Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) set up. As stated by Hudson various international organizations were established to intercede in the "digital divide" created by the ICTs; in reference to developed nations compared to underdeveloped and developing nations, such as the countries of Sub Sahara Africa (p. 67). Many of these international groups' main focuses were concerns expressed in the MDGs such as reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, which could be strengthened through involvement of ICTs in developing countries' health care systems. One of the many organizations set up was the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which has sustained and assisted various telemedicine projects in multiple areas of the world and especially in Sub Saharan African countries (Hudson, 2006, p.69).

            One of these national projects backed by the ITU was, Africa: Articulating the effort to bridge the digital divide to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa (www.itu.int, 2007).  This project's main goal was to make ICT access, especially the internet, accessible to all in HIV/AIDS areas, in accordance with the already involved grassroots organizations. With the two combined, efforts of the local groups could be multiplied, such as providing HIV/AIDS awareness information and education, getting access to the healthcare needed and treatment available and fostering "social inclusion" that many HIV/AIDS patients loose when living with the virus. This program connecting ICT to local factions also provided help with "orphan and vulnerable children" assistance, and getting pregnant women involved with national programs to prevent mother to child transmission (www.itu.int, 2007). The ITU website explained some of the many ways ICTs can be used in the fight against HIV awareness, care and transmission. ICTs can be used to monitor and manage the virus, create systems of generic drug dispersal, provide continuous online and e-learning classes to keep care givers and facilities up-to-date, and provide a world wide support system through virtual HIV support communities for those suffering with the virus (UN ICT Task Force, 2004, p.24).

            Another example of an ICT website being used within the local communities of various African countries is AuntieStella.org. This website was created by the various supporting organizations of the MDGs in conjunction with the fight against HIV/AIDS, and the effort to close the "digital divide" in developing countries. The website is geared to African teenagers and provides them with a virtual forum in which they can speak their mind about relationships, love, sex and at the same time, read other African teens letters dealing with exactly the same problems they are facing. The website provides online, as well as off-line activities that can help them, and as the site states, "The letters, and Auntie Stella's replies, deal with all kinds of personal, emotional, and social issues that affect young women and men's lives and sexual health and their relationships with partners, family, peers and society"(auntiestella.org, 2007).

            As shown above there are a variety of collaborations between ICTs and local grassroots organizations in Sub Sahara Africa to combat the various epidemics listed in the MDGs. Still southern and eastern African countries have much to be done before they can say they are no longer stranded on the losing side of the digital divide. World Bank studies show that African Internet usage is 1 out of every 200 people, and this statistic is off because the survey includes South Africa which has a much higher user rate. The world average is 1 out of 15 people, and the US average is 1 out of every 2 people (Bloome, 2002, p. 3-4). As Hudson stated in her article,"The average cost of using a local dial-up Internet account (in Africa) for 20 hours a month is about $68 dollars...which is about 10 times greater than the average African income"(p.85). As you can see the access to internet is there but the actual ability to enjoy individual service is not. As Hudson explained many other factors come into play when there is talk of universal access and service such as Infrastructure, range of services, affordability and reliability (p. 85), and until these issues are resolve the divide that separates the "Information Rich and Information Poor" will still be there ( Wresch, 1996, p.1).

 

Cites

      

1)      AuntieStella: Teenagers talk about sex, life and relationships. http://www.auntiestella.org/

       2)       Bloome, Anthony. (2002). Fighting the insidious killer: African teenager battle HIV/AIDS through  ICT. Development Outreach, 2002, Vol. 4, No. 1. p. 1-4. http://www.worldbank.org/afr/findings/english/find226.pdf

       3)  Hudson, H. (2006a). Digital divides: Gaps in connectivity. Chapter 5 in H.Hudson, From rural village to global village: Telecommunications for development in the information age, pp. 62-82.

       4)  Hudson, H. (2006b). Toward universal access: Strategies for bridging digital divides. Chapter 6 in H. Hudson, From rural village to global village:Telecommunications for development in the information age, pp. 83-99.

       5)  International Telecommunication Union. Under Project and Initiatives. http://www.itu.int/net/ITU-D/index.aspx

       6)  UN ICT Task Force (in Support of the Science, Technology & Innovation Task Force of the UN Millennium Project). (2004). Mainstreaming Information & Communication Technologies for the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. 2004. Berlin, 18-20 November.www.apdip.net/documents/mdg/analysis/unict18112004.pdf

        7) Wresch, William (1996a). Information rich, information poor. In Wresch, Disconnected: Haves and Havenots in the Information Age, Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. p.1.

Posted at 06:33AM Jun 01, 2007 by TIBBETTS, DANIELLE in General  |  Comments[2]

Essay 2 - Allison Cuculich - Overcoming Obstacles in the Music Market

                                     Overcoming Obstacles in the Music Market

    Just as entrepreneurs attempt to introduce a successful commercial company that breaks the mold of the ?new kid on the block? to wrestle the established powerhouses to the ground, musicians are fighting for recognition in not only their native country but further expanding into foreign territories.  In this same respect, we are noticing the failure of both venture capitalists and musicians alike to achieve their goals.  This is not contributable to the lack of effort, but more so due to the closed market that has been assembled in virtually every facet of communication today (McChesney, 2001, p. 12). 
    Luckily for the musicians, however, there is a flexibility that exists in the strategies and approaches the industry can and will take to bridge the gap in other countries because it is not the most money driven of electronic media (McChesney, 2001, p. 16).  This fact plays a vital role in the way that music is streamed across continents in hopes of striking listeners in the way they set out to.  It is the elasticity of methods that can be taken in the endeavor to reach further audiences, that allows for the music industry to bounce back from profit losses that occur from the options that did not work out (McChesney, 2001, p. 16).  McChesney notes that the Internet is emerging as one of the big players in media (2001, p. 11), which is one of the routes that the music industry is currently taking advantage of.
    A specific example of how the musicians themselves are attempting to get their music out there is through MySpace.  This user community is open to all countries and is not specific to the United States.  In an interview with Forbes.com the co-owner of MySpace Chris DeWolfe mentioned why he and his partner Tom Anderson saw opening up the site to bands as that, they understood the way the music business tended to work and using their site to directly speak to potential fans would create a chance for up-and-coming bands to potentially flourish (Pace, 2006, ¶ 8).  While the Internet is providing a ground for musicians to display their music and connect with fans, there are still problems within this mode of transporting music across the world.  Until the Internet successfully battles off the big corporations, it too is next on the list to become another piece in their gigantic media ownership collage. 
    The best alternative is for smaller bands and musical artists to gain the helping hand that we see mainstream music receiving (Black, 2007, ¶ 7).  Although the In