Global Media News

Afghanistan: A Call To The Government To Protect Media

Southeastern Afghanistan: The recent closure of radio stations in southeastern Afghanistan has had people calling for the government to intervene. The closure of the local Afghan radio station, Voice of Qalat, has many calling for the country's central government to protect its media freedoms and prevent this from happening again.

Voice of Qalat had been broadcasting from Zabul Provence, freely, when it had been taken down and some of its journalists taken into custody. According to rferl.org, head of NAI Siddiqullah Tawhidi, held a press conference in which he said that the Voice of Qalat had no right to be shut down and expressed his concerns over what has happened.

    "Only a court can shut down a medium," Tawhidi said during the conference. "A local governor,     ministers, the police, and even the president are not allowed to stop the media. We are concerned     about what has been done."

The closure of this station comes after reports on peaceful protests. Station employees after the report were detained and questioned after the report just before the station was shut down.

Now that it has come out in the open, the situation has become a call to stop censoring and stop the closure of more stations as this one has been. The government will be risking a lot if they begin putting harsh restrictions on media. Freedom of speech, press and media have come a long way in Afghanistan and that is why so many are calling for this to stop. It remains to be seen if the radio station will reopen, but many hope it does.

 

Chinese Film vs Chinese Literature: Government Controlled?

        Why are movies banned when the printed version is not? In China this is not unusual. The Chinese government will ban a movie but allow for the book to sell on stores. Why does the government feel that the movie is worse? According to Yu Hua of the New York Times, the reason for this is there are many publishing houses in China so the book has multiple chances to be picked up and published where as all of the movies have to pass through the government for approval before being approved.

        However, television is less closely monitored until it comes to new broadcasts. News broadcasts are the most monitored because this is real information that the Chinese government may not want their citizens to know about. Even though the government has a lot of control over their citizens even down to what movies they can view, believe it or not the control is about economics not politics. According to Hua, "When it comes to censorship in China, the primary factors are often economic, not political.

        Publishing houses that were once government financed have operated as commercial enterprises for years now. Editors are under pressure to make the biggest profit they can. Even if a book carries some political risks, a daring editor will take the gamble if there’s a chance it will be a best seller." The reason the Chinese government does not have as much control over the books that are printed is because each of the printing houses are individually owned and not state owned. Individually owned printing houses do still have certain rules they need to abide by but the government does not see a book before it is printed. The Chinese government is becoming less invasive, however they still have a long way to come for their citizens to have the freedom that we in the United States have.

Afghanistan Media Future Uncertain

During the reign of the taliban, the journalists of Afghanistan could not report freely.  But after September 11,2001, this all changed.  Led by the US goverment, Afghanistan media now can report freely . They have over 75 televisions stations , 175 radio stations and hundreds of print publications and at least a  dozen daily newspapers.

In an article published January 30,2013, in the Huffington Post ,  an Afghan journalist named, Karokhel  helped to launch Pajhwok Afghan News, which is an independent newspaper with backing by USAID.

Karokhel stated, "There is a clear reason for goverment and aid organizations to support Afghan media a burgeoning democratic country not only deserves but needs a functioning and free press."  By supporting Afghan media, the US also helps ensure that its policy positions aren't missing from coverage of and debate over the war and continued presence of troops in the  country. 

Journalists fear that since there isnt a thriving advertising market, if funding is no longer available the media gains maybe reversed.  We are all aware of that just a decade ago there was no independent media in Afghanistan. 

In a report from BBC in 2012 described the role of donors of media in Afghanistan as "greater than in any country at any time."

The situation looks bleak, it has already caused the closing of one newspaper  The Kabul Weekly as a result of financial pressures.  It was praised for its independent streak.   But televison and radio havea better chance of survival.  There is more advertising money in TV and radio.

Afghan journalists say "Iran and Pakistan are looking for opportunities to fund news outlets in Afghanistan presumably to put their own spin on the news."

Should the US and other agencies still provide funding to afghanistan or at least help them to get their business to the point of financially sustainable for the long term?  These are the hopes of the media in afghanistan so they dont have to go back to a loss of freedom of the press and speech in Afghanistan.

The media situation in Afghanistan has come very far.  Last month, Reporters without Borders awarded the afghanistan paper Hasht-e Subh the 2012 press freedom prize  describing the newspaper as "living evidence that freely-reported quality journalism can develop in teh most difficult corners of the planet."

But the question now arises must they go back to media where the taliban once starved people in information or allow Iran  and Pakistan to support the media?  No one can be sure of their intentions.  Lets hope for some other options to this resolve.

 

 

Global Media News Webcast #6: March 7, 2013

Media News from China, Cambodia and South Korea!

Global Media News for March 7, 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 Made in China, Cambodia and Vietnam"

• Why Are Chinese Hackers Cracking the Servers of the New York Times?
• How Did the BBC World Service Get Jammed Up in China?
• Chinese Bloggers Protesting Censorship
• Vietnam Puts Bloggers on Trial
• Social Media Showdown: Sina Weibo vs. Tencent's WeChat
• Cambodian Lawyers Gagged by New Censorship Law
• Chinese Censors:  Are the Cuts deeper for Film or Print?
• Blocking Luxury Marketing for Cultural Purity?

Next week on GMN:   Media News from India, Pakistan and South Asia.

Listen to our webcast streaming live in two weeks on Thursday, March 21 @ 11am EST.

Can't listen live? Our next webcast of the season will be posted by 2:00pm, Thursday, March  21, 2013.

Subscribe Now!

 

 

Tech Firms in India Working on Apps to Protect Women

    The recent gang rape and death of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi has sparked a search for technological developments that can be used by women to alert authorities of a threat to their safety, specifically a mobile application. This news comes from India Real Time.

    A trade group that represents Indian technology companies called Nasscom, is having a contest to develop an application to focus on areas such as safety for women.

    This came just a day after the government appointed a panel to recommended the development of a downloadable mobile phone application that can help women in trouble. The app would have a function that would send a distress signal and the location of the phone to the police.

    The Nasscom contest, which is open to software developers, corporates and students, will shortlist the winning applications. These will be shown to Nasscom members, who may or may not choose to take the applications.

    Vikram Talwar, chairman of Nasscom’s forum for business processes outsourcing companies, said that similar tools are already available for use.

    “…this contest will primarily be done within the industry to focus on this issue of women’s safety, people will be recognized for it, and there will be a jury that will look at it. And hopefully we can then share these apps with other parts of the economy,”

Mr. Talwar said at a Nasscom press conference Thursday.

    Women’s safety in India has been an issue in India for a while. I think it is a good initiative for them to have this contest to develop new technology to help protect women. Many companies have adopted policies to help protect woman workers.

Indian Government Unsuccessful in Blocking Social Media

     According to Amit Agarwal's article in Tech Journal, the Indian government is trying to block Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube. The reason they are doing this is because they think these social media websites could spark religious and ethnic tensions.

     The government is asking Service Providers to block the websites. They are also sending direct requests to Twitter and Facebook to permanently remove the content from their servers. The Service Providers have been quick to comply to these government requests. In some cases they are going above and beyond what has been asked of them.

     The problem with the government blocking this content is it keeps reappearing on another website. When something is blocked, people will start searching for it which makes it almost impossible for it to be blocked.

     According to Aparna Ray's article on Global Voices, there are several topics trending on Twitter. Currently #GOIBlocks, #IndiaBlocks, #Emergency2012 are trending on Twitter. Indian Twitter users are very upset with the bans. The government has limited the ban to some online journalists and fake profiles that were created to cause panic.

     Some are asking if this crackdown is censorship of free speech. If they are only blocking pages that are spreading rumors they are well within their rights. I think it is a good thing that they are cracking down on these pages that create mass panic.

     I think India should not censor their social media websites. The websites are so advanced now it is impossible to delete or block something. India's citizens will find whatever content they want so it is useless to even try. The only pages that should be effected are ones that are spreading rumors.

From Hollywood to Bollywood

One day while in Varanasi ,to escape the heat, we decided to go to the multiplex. I love movies and wanted to see a Bollywood film when in India. It was worth it. Indian's take their movie going experience very seriously.

     Indians treat the situation like Americans treat going to a concert. When you by a ticket you have an assigned seat. How much your willing to pay for the movie decides where you will sit. Like the caste system decides your station in life it can decide where you sit in the theater.Those with less money won't get the prime seating. Every section is assigned a server who brings you food and drinks. Basically catering to your needs while you enjoy the movie.

     When I was at the theater my friend accompanying me was from Rajastan and when I explained how in the U.S. we all pay the same price and sit wherever you want, the concept was lost on him. To give you an idea how important movies are to India:

"Fourteen million Indians go to the movies on a daily basis (about 1.4% of the population of 1 billion) and pay the equivalent to the average Indian's day's wages (US $1-3) to see any of the over 800 films churned out by Bollywood each year. That's more than double the number of feature films produced in the United States."An overview of Bollywood

     Recently Bollywood  has began to rival Hollywood in the amount of movies it produces every year. What makes Bollywood films unique? India has a unique culture and their movies reflect that.

   For one public displays of affection in india are taboo, you will never see it happen.  That's left to us wanton westerners.Their movies never have sex in them and more often then not barely any kissing either. Their culture is traditional and conservative and they like their movies to reflect that. The romances in their films have a Disney like innocence to them.

     Western films are often far from reality and very different from our lives. Indians like movies that directly replicate their lives. They like to see things they identify with. Just with a little bit of song and dance thrown in to liven things up.

"Let's say it's about passionate love, about romance, which is missing in Hollywood. It is strong on technology but a lot of feelings are gone. People want to cry, they want to laugh in this world. They are searching for these moments. Bollywood is filling these gaps."BBC.com

      That's right almost every Bollywood film has a dance number. Regardless of genre there will be a song. They often have nothing to do with the plot but people love it anyway. Indians do enjoy celebrations. Hinduism has countless festivals and ceremonies. Maybe the need to dance and sing in film comes from the constant parties in their day to day lives. This is something that has not really caught on in the states but with movies like "Les Miserables" gaining popularity we might see a change in this.

"What does this mean for Bollywood films? The more people who start to enjoy movie musicals based on Broadway plays the better. Once they've exhausted all the newer stage to screen productions, they just might go looking for something else, as long as it includes song and dance. Where better to look than Bollywood?"  yahoo.voices

    If you get the chance check out a Bollywood film. Its a great look at Indian culture and tells you alot about the psyche of the country. They are a people who deal with a lot of strife day to day but like every song in their movies they see a silver lining to the issue. Its a resilience that echos in their films and in their history. I promise you wont be disappointed by the expeirence.

Pakistani Media News Sources . . .

Use the links on the  BBC Pakistan Profile page to find Pakistani news media.

Check out the South Asian Media Monitor on the home page of SouthAsianMedia.net

Explore the updates at the Pakistan Press Foundation to find a good  PAK media topic.    The PPF  describes itself as "An Independent Media Research, Documentation and Training Center."

Here are some stories to choose from:

• Huma Yusef, "Pakistan’s Media Police," IHT, February 8, 2013.
• "Media associations condemn killing of journalists," Pakistan Today, February 28, 2013.
• M Bilal Lakhani, "Pakistan’s next media revolution," Express Tribune, February 4, 2013
• Sehrish Wasif and Maha Mussadaq, "International Media Summit: ‘Pakistani journalists work under extreme pressure in difficult circumstances'," Express, Tribune, February 3, 2013.
• Nadia Mushtaq Abbasi, "Social media and politics," Pakistan Today, February 10, 2013.
• "Pakistan remains most dangerous country for journalists: Report," Express Tribune, December 31, 2012.
• South Asia Media Commission Report: "Deadliest Place to  Be a Journalist," December 2012.
• "Govt Plans to Restart YouTube," Dawn, February 27, 2013.
• Annie Zaman, "Pakistan: The “Access Is My Right” Campaign,"Global Voices,February 21, 2013.
• Rafay Mahmood, "Lift the ban on YouTube, cry artists," Express Tribune, February 6, 2013.
Sher Khan, "Lollywood woes: Man with censor’s scissors outlines new agenda," Express Tribune, February 5, 2013.
• "Foreign dramas threaten Pakistani cultural values," Daily Times, February 4, 2013.

China's Luxury Ad Ban Shifts Ads from Television to Internet

The market for luxury goods in China has been growing for years and the government has enacted multiple bans on advertising for those goods in an effort to reduce corruption and promote a certain kind of values for its people.

The recent ban on radio and television advertisements for luxury goods has had an interesting result. Instead of reducing their sales, as was the goal of the campaign, the ban has simply caused a shift in advertising from radio and television to the internet. According to Jing Daily, the shift to the internet has happened more quickly because of the bans:

"China’s relatively young luxury consumer — far younger than their counterpart in the West – has, by and large, turned to mobile devices for luxury news and e-commerce, getting product information and brand updates in bite-sized pieces via social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat."

The people who rely on radio and television advertisements do not make up a large percentage of the luxury goods customers.

WeChat is going to be the very important for luxury goods marketing in China: "In the year ahead, premium brands will expand strongly into mobile marketing and e-commerce, and for many of them, WeChat is already a must-have."

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Beijing's efforts to squeeze luxury adverts off television may push some big marketing budgets online." The luxury brands know that they have customers in China who are ready to buy - if they can't reach them through television or radio, they will move to the next logical place: the internet.

Indian Media News Sources . . .

Looking for media news from India?

Use the media links  listed on the BBC Indian Media Profile page to look for  media news from Indian news sources.

Here are some media news stories to choose from:

• Reporters Without Borders, "News media and Internet totally censored in Kashmir," February 12, 2013.
• Times of India, "Chidambaram to use social media to defend 2013-14 Budget," March 4, 2013.
• Swasti Chatterjee, "Flash mob on Om Shanti Om songs in Japan," TNN, March 4, 2013.
• Amrita Mulchandani, "There’s nothing real about reality shows: Ragini Khanna," TNN, March 3, 2013. 
• Indiantelevision.com, "Future of reality TV is bright; genre is manipulated and not scripted," February 16, 2013.
• Indiantelevision.com, "Generation C powers YouTube's growth in India, " February 12, 2013.
• Samanth Subramanian, "Censorship and sensibility in India," The National,  February 6, 2013 
• Maitreyee, "Pragaash band member quits J&K, seeks refuge in Bangalore," OneIndia, February 6, 2013.
• Aabha Hanjura, "Music omnipresent in Kashmir, Pragaash must continue" NDTV, February 7, 2013.