Global Media News

Global Media News from Brazil & Venezuela!

 Global Media News Webcast on Brazil and Venezuela 

This week on Global Media News we are discussing the Brazilian media with a short excursion to Venezuela.

• An Introduction to the Brazilian Media
• Brazilian Newspapers:  How many Brazilians read the papers?
• Censorship in Brazil:  Too much or not enough?
• Social Media in Brazil
• Media under Chavez:  What has been the effect of the new amendments to the media laws?

This is our final webcast of the semester.  

Look for Global Media News this September when we return with our Digital Revolution edition of the Global Media News show.  

We will be bringing you the latest news about how the digital media revolution is transforming the media around the world.

Thanks for listening.

Bin Ladin's Burial Video: Should it be released?

The discussion has already started as to whether or not the footage of Osama Bin Ladin's burial should be released. Two pentagon officials say that the video will probably be publicly released soon. According to Robert Burns, national security writer for AP, photos of the body that were taken prior to its disposal in the Arabian Sea may also be released. However, the White House has not officially made a decision as of yet. National security adviser John Brennan said on NBC,

"The Obama administration is also weighing whether to release video footage of the raid on bin Laden's compound that was captured by Navy SEALs whose helmets were equipped with cameras"

The debate has been whether or not it's safe for the country to release the photographs and video. Some Muslim clerics including radical preacher Bakri Mohammedclaim that Americans want to humiliate Muslims through this burial. The United States government claims that be burial was performed in accordance with the laws of Islam. Obama said that if the materials were released, they would be released very carefully in order to prevent an attempt at retaliation by Muslim extremists. However, many feel like the footage shouldn't be released at all.

 

Censorship forces Brazilian Reporter to quit job

    Many journalists are becoming targets. With countries not liking to be confronted with arguments or being questioned about the news that is reported to the public journalists are forced to be censored. Another issue with censorship occurred in Brazil with a few journalists.

    According to Censorship in America there has been a controversy with individuals writing for the newspaper called “A Tarde”.  Recent reports were first made controversial when an individual by the name of Aguirre Peixoto, a journalist for A Tarde paper was fired for stating his opinion in a paper. Also a reporter by the name of Emanuella Sombra recently resigned after “disagreeing with edits that were made to her interview”.  Sombra was interviewing the singer known as Ivete Sangalo. According to Emanuella Sombra, “an important part of her article was edited out against her will”.  Sombra stated that she didn’t want some lines attached to the story because of the changes that the editor in chief had made. Sombra’s request was simply ignored, and that brought the motivation for Sombra to resign. Sombra had this to say:

"To publish a cover story interview with eight inside pages of questions and answers, which, in the eyes of the reader, does not touch on two of the most relevant topics involving the singer (at least the last three months) is an anti-journalism practice which in four years in the profession, I am not accustomed to".

    The newspaper’s journalists went on strike recently to signify the layoff. Aguirre Peixoto was later rehired after the strike had settled down

    In my opinion i believe that more journalists not only in Brazil but around the world should take a stand against censorship. Although journalists might worry about them not having a job or being punished. If enough journalists protest on this issue this can spark a change around the world.

Bin Laden's End, Brings New Beginning's

    It was a bittersweet day for some, for others a victorious day for the United States of America, and one leap for safety around the world. It all started on September 11th 2001, on the orders of Osama Bin Laden, that al-Qaida fly two planes into the World Trade Centers. It was the worst attack on US soil, and the government brought fourth changes in order to see to it that it would be the last. Thousands were killed and their families were left to pick up the pieces.

     Some of the drastic actions taken was war with Iraq, this was in hopes of finding the man who was held responsible for such a horrific event, 9/11. It is now present day, May 2, 2011 and Osama bin laden is said to have been found, killed and “laid to rest”.

    According to the BBC “Bin Laden was shot dead at a compound near Islamabad…” in Pakistan. It has said that not only was he shot twice but a man believed to be his son was killed in the gun fire as well, also a woman used as a shield was killed.

    Later bin Laden’s body was taken out to sea aboard a aircraft carrier, after a Muslim funeral and was let into the water with weights. The BBC claims this is so there would be n final resting place, or place where people could make a shrine in his name.

    The news of Bin Laden’s death has spread far and wide in such a small period of time. For instance one man didn’t even know he was twitting on Osama’s death until after it became official,

 “Sohaib Athar, or @reallyvirtual, had been transformed within a couple of hours from an obscure IT guy in Pakistan to an eyewitness to history. According to new figures from Twitter, he is among a global population of 200 million users. Such is the power of this network that it has become the key resource for older media trying to stay ahead of events - a journalist who does not use Twitter is now like one who abjures the mobile phone.”

    Athar had no idea he was twitting about the helicopters that were hovering to obtain Osama, he only found this out later. Athar is just one of the 200 million users to show how important this social media is. On day you’re following a celebrity for styling tips and the next your reading about an event that has changed history.

    One might go a step further and think, would twitter have changed the outcome of September 11th? One may never know but it is certain that social media outlets such as the internet, twitter, phone and text messages have helped spread the news faster than outlets such as television and radio.

    On Presidents Obama’s address to the nation, he announced that on Sunday night, May 1st, 2011 Osama bin Laden had been killed. Bin Laden’s death brings a ten year hunt for the leader of Al Qaeda to an end. President Obama stated that “On nights like this one…we can say that justice has been done.’’ According to the New York Times.