Global Media News

Global Media News Webcast #5: February 28, 2013

Media News from Japan, North Korea and South Korea!

Global Media News for February 28, 2013

Global Media News is a weekly webcast covering media news from around the world.  GMN is a production of  Media Studies students from the SUNY College @ Old Westbury. 

This week on Global Media News:   "Media News from Russia, Hungary and Poland"

• Google Tourism?  Eric Schmidt's Visit to North Korea
• Internet Access & Censorship in North Korea
• K-Pop Takes Over the Planet
• Korean Soaps:  Who's Watching K-Drama?
• Japanese Media Coverage of the Fukushima Disaster
• Media War:  Japan and China's Naval Battle

Next week on GMN:   Media News from China and South East Asia.

Listen to our webcast streaming live next Thursday @ 11am EST.

Can't listen live? Our next webcast of the season will be posted by 2:00pm, Thursday, March  7, 2013.

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Korean Pop becoming a world wide music sensation

Korean Pop aka K-Pop is blowing up the music scene, branching out from Korea to all over the world. It consist of upbeat tempos using drum machines and unique vocals. PSY, The Wonder Girls, and the Girls Generation are some of the notable K-Pop musicians. Korean Hip-Hop has also been on the rise since the late 1990's but hasn't able to gain as much popularity as K-Pop.

A famous Hong Kong native is looking to start his own K-Pop band, the one and only Jackie Chan. Famous for his acting career, this movie star is taking his talents to the music industry and forming his own band. The band will be called "DoubleJC," no other details are confirmed yet at this point. Being a big Jackie Chan fan, I will surely follow his band, and listen to the music they make. I think its great that he has branched out from acting in movies, to now producing music. He sure is an idol to the people ofKorea.

I think it is a great that a new style of music is gaining worldwide recognition. I personally am a huge fan of all music, so to hear something new like this is great. I never heard of K-Pop before i saw the video of PSY's "Gangnam Style," but I have listened to some other songs on YouTube and they are very catchy. K-Pop is in fact so popular that it has its own chart on the Billboard for K-Pop Hot 100 Songs. Through the use of other social networks other K-Pop artists can post music for fans too listen ,to help gain more recognition. 

Philippines Supreme Court Restrains Cyberlaw

   
     A new Internet law in the Philippines can now lead to imprisonment for social networking activities like sharing Facebook and Twitter post. The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 set punishments for computer-related crimes. The law is set to address cybersex, identity theft, online fraud, and child pornography.

    In relation to defamation by writing, printed, or video media, the Cybercrime Prevention Act can result in imprisonment of an offender. Harry S. Roque, president of Media Defense South East Asia, says the law applies to libel online activities of individuals commenting sites like Facebook and Twitter. Writers of the libelous comments could be prosecuted.

     “Foul words against our police officers can be used as evidence now to file a case against you in a court of law,” a post by the Philippine National Police on its official Facebook page. Police officials apologized for the comment and the post and account has been later deleted. 

    Fifteen petitions, which have been signed by hundreds of individuals and organizations, have been signed opposing the new law. The Cybercrime law was passed in early October. A week later The Supreme Court suspended the law for 120 days, which is effective immediately.

     "We commend the Supreme Court for deciding unanimously on this one. Although there will be deliberations, the next step would be to strike down this law altogether," said Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch.

Foreigners allowed mobile internet use in North Korea

    Foreigners in North Korea will soon be allowed to use the mobile internet on their cell phones, Ipads and other mobile devices.  The mobile Internet service will be offered by provider Koryolink.  However, North Korean citizens will still not have access to the mobile Internet. 

    This story comes from FOX News.  This announcement comes weeks after North Korea began allowing foreigners to bring their own cell phones into the country, but only to be used use with Koryolink SIM cards.  This new policy reverses a longstanding rule requiring most visitors to relinquish their phones at customs and leaving many without easy means of communication with the outside world. 

    North Koreans, however will remained to be governed by a separate set of telecommunication rules than that of foreigners.  Though North Korea is equipped for broadband Internet, only a small, approved segment of the population has access to the World Wide Web.  Foreigners will be allowed to purchase monthly mobile Internet data plans for use with a USB modem or on mobile devices using their SIM cards starting next week. Prices have not been announced yet. 

    I think this shows that North Korea is becoming more open to the outside world.  Hopefully in the near future North Korean citizens will be given more freedoms such as internet access. 

Fascination with Korean tv Drama

It feels like it was just yesterday when I was channel surfing one night and stumbled on an Asian show with sub-titles. It seemed interesting, so I continued to watch it. A few days later I found myself at 11pm watching the same show. Like a bait to a fish I was hooked. I loved the story line, the music, and I loved the culture.

This was in 2004 when I lived in Philadelphia, nine years later back in New York City I find myself more in-depth with  the Korea culture and their language. I can tell if someone is speaking Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. I know how to say thank you, hello, good-bye, and how are you. If someone is speaking Korean I can even catch words and phrases and know their meaning. I can attribute all of this to my watching of Kdramas.

I never thought this would be a phenomenon, until four years ago when my niece who also lives in Philadelphia was watching a Kdrama via online. I wasn't really surprised my niece was fascinated with Kdrama, because as a child she was engrossed in Japanese anime movies, and tv shows. She even took Japanese as a second language in grade school. She actually got into the kdrama because her other aunt would watch it and she fell in love with the culture.

I was shocked never knew it was online, I never imagined or thought to google it. My niece told me all the platforms that were available to watch not only Kdramas, but dramas from China, Japan, and Taiwan. The site is Drama Style, Viki(similar to hulu), Drama Fever, and there were more. On these sites there were also movies, and American movies as well. It was great.

Kdrama can be watched by all ages. The dramas are very PG. There are also all types of dramas such as a family drama, an action drama, a teen drama, and historical dramas. Unlike American dramas where sex is displayed all the time, in Kdramas kissing is like having sex.

According to PR Newswire, Tom Larsen, President, YA Entertainment.

"The 'Korean Wave' and high quality K-dramas have captivated US audiences, including a growing viewership turned off by the sex, gore, and violence that drives today's American entertainment industry."

Could it be Americans want to watch something that has a happy ending. Even if it fake and very unrealistic. Are Americans over the raunchiness and over the top sex craze on tv. Maybe. This past year we have lost iconic daytime soap operas that's been on for years on tv. One by one we are losing what made American soap a hot thing to watch.

The best thing about a Kdrama is (drumroll please) they end. A storyline ends and I can watch another. Most of the shows can run about 16-20 episodes and is about an 30-45 minutes per episode. Others can be 50 episodes, but those are usally the long dragging ones that needed to end around episode 30. Historical dramas can be around 150 episodes depending on the storyline.

I love watching my Kdramas and the fact that I am able to pick up and watch it whenever I am  available is great.

 

 

 

Facebook Shifts Japanese Market, surpassing Former Giant 'Mixi'

Social media giant Facebook, has reached over 15 million users in Japan and is ready to surpass a long time favorite, Mixi in the process.  Mixi, a social network which lets users interact anonymously through a board chat has lost popularity within the Japanese culture.

“One trait those sites have in common is crucial to Japan’s fiercely private Internet users. The Japanese sites let members mask their identities, in distinct contrast to the real-name, oversharing hypothetical user on which Facebook’s business model is based.”

For some time Mixi dominated the Japanese social media world, holding 80% of the countries social media market.  A drastic change might have occurred when Japan was introduced to Facebook. Facebook brought a new coming to social media in Japan that the Japanese were never accustom too before. Profile photos and real user names were some of the perks the Japanese were sold on when switching social media giants.

Kenji Shinozaki, a 19-year-old hair stylist from Shizuoka states: 

"We wanted a bit more freedom and openness and Facebook offered that,"

Facebook also saw a rise in users after the Earthquake that struck Japan in 2011.  Using real users names and profiles, the Japanese trusted information being bounced back and forth through the social media giant.

"People were looking for accurate information they could trust. Real-name systems like Facebook are much more suited to this," says Kametsu.

China Blocks Radio Broadcasts from the BBC News?

On Monday February twenty fifth 2013 the China blocked the shortwave broadcast in english  that was coming from BBC News. This not the first time China has tried to limit the information that was coming into the country from the outside world.  

BBC News quoted their director of global news Peter Horrocks

"The BBC strongly condemns this action which is designed to disrupt audience's free access to news and information."

BBC News are on of the leaders in world information. China is doing an injustice to their people by with holding information form their people. 

According to ABC News:

"The jamming of broadcasts in China is being timed to cause maximum disruption." "In the past jamming frequencies was also a tactic used by communist nations to block BBC broadcasts during the Cold War."

For China to start using old tactics to keep outside information from reaching the citizens really shows the extant that they are will to go control the media within the country. The out sourced information is only to benefit the people of China not put down the Chinese government.  

China Bans Ads for Luxury Goods

In early February 2013, Chinese lawmakers placed a ban on television and radio advertising for luxury goods. According to Reuters (via Business Insider), the ban is "part of a push by the government to crack down on extravagance and waste."

According to Xinhua, the official press agency of China, a spokesman for the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) said:

"As important cultural and ideological strongholds, radio and television channels should fully exert their role of educating the people, carrying forward good Chinese traditions and civilized lifestyles, and taking the lead to implement the requirements of central authorities."

The Chinese government is using a ban on certain advertisements as a way to control its people and limit their access to information.

This ban has already had a negative impact on the Chinese economy. According to China Daily, the sales of luxury goods within China hit a five-year low between January 20 and February 20, 2013. It's also been suggested by the blog Tech in Asia that the ban on radio and television advertising might have a positive impact on internet ads, but these has not yet been concrete evidence to prove that is the case.

Hong Kong suicide rate influenced by the media!

    Hong Kong, a major city in China has been reporting on suicides as if suicide is a daily occurrence. You can look at a newspaper and see a suicide story on the front cover and while watching the news they give a in-depth look into what "really" happened.

    According to South China Morning Post, media reports could have an impact on the suicide rate. Suicide is a difficult topic to report on because no one but the individual knows what actually happened. Journalist know some of the facts but do not know everything.

    Fu King-wa stated “Reporting on suicide should be based on fact not imagination. The mass media have a habit of filling in many of the ‘unknowns’ in suicide stories themselves,” The story shouldn't be how they committed suicide because that not educating anyone to not commit suicide.

    Newspaper in Hong Kong for some reason seem to always report on suicide. They also make these stories front page news!

    A Hong Kong tabloid magazine reported on a women who committed suicide by inhaling helium. To make matters worse they developed an video animation to show how she killed herself. This is letting people "how to" commit suicide, not how to prevent it.

    What is even more shocking is that these articles do not offer support for anyone considering suicide. There is no help line number offered or tips to bettering your life. All these newspapers are doing is promoting suicide.They also seem to be reporting on suicide cases that involve individuals 25 and under. Very rarely do you see a story about someone 60 and over.

    Tracey Dedman of The Samaritans has found that Hong Kong has been misusing words while reporting on suicide. Such words are; successful and unsuccessful suicides. These words make suicides seem like something people are good or bad at. The Samaritan published their own set of guidelines when reporting about suicides.

According to Alastair Sharp of the South China Morning Post; "Hong Kong held its first "Suicide Survivors Day" conference last month, sponsored by the Samaritans, as part of a series of events in more than 20 countries." Why would they need have a day for the survivors of people who committed suicide if the suicide rate decrease. With that, the media has to rethink their strategy when reporting about suicides.

North Korea Not Gaining Any Friends on Twitter

    As we all know North Korea has a nuclear weapon problem that they don’t know what to do about. Many Americans are afraid they may use it against us. The idea that an enemy has access to dangerous weapons of mass destruction is unfortunately a common fear here in the States. We have had our fair share of issues with weapons of mass destruction.                                                                                       

Is Kim Jong-un preparing to use them against us? Well if he is he won’t have the backing from his friend China. North Korea and China have had good relations, they may be North Korea’s only ally. However recently twitter has been buzzing with negative sentiment for the communist regime. The general public doesn’t seem to agree with how the country is handling things especially when it comes to the issues they are having with the US.

China has a direct interest in America’s well being. They have had a huge hand in keeping us financially afloat during our economic hard times. During the recession America has borrowed a fair share of money from China. It would not be in their best interest to see any more hardships come upon us. It would most defiantly have a huge effect on their economy if we were to engage in any sort of conflict with the country.

    Or maybe China is just worried about themselves and rightfully so. Citizens posted many concerns about how their cities would be effected if they were using border towns as testing sites. China’s version of Twitter, the largest microblog site in the country, Sina Weibo, had nothing good to say about North Korea when it came to the handling of their nuclear weapons.

One blogger named “@Bianju fanxin wrote that after China carried out nuclear tests in Lop Nor, former Central Asian testing site, there was radio active fallout in cities. With this explosion near the China-North Korea border ,”how many Chinese cities will receive radiation?” as stated in The New York Times

Another disgruntled blogger wrote “Kim Jong-un slapped China on the face by having a nuclear test right at our back door, during the Chinese New Year.” said @Lui WeiWei “China has spent so much money every year to raise this ungrateful wolf” taken from The New Republic

    North Korea has a lot to consider if they want to keep China as a friend.  Theatening the safety of the United States will cause major problems for them around the world. However China's issues remain more prevelant due to their proximity to North Korea.  For now the people have spoken and they don’t seem to be backing down over the safety and well being for their own people.