March 3, 2010 (Stimulus news; Broadband Plan recs and reaction)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2010

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   Senate takes companies to task for ignoring Internet freedom

CYBERSECURITY
   White House declassifies excerpts from Bush-era cybersecurity report
   Microsoft exec suggests Internet tax to pay for cyber security

THE STIMULUS
   Extension Granted for Round 2 Broadband Stimulus Applications
   23 BTOP Grants Announced
   $4.7 Million BTOP Grant for Nevada

NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN
   Broadband Plan Calls for More Cash
   FCC Chairman Genachowski confident in authority over broadband, despite critics
   The end of analog: Blair Levin on the National Broadband Plan
   FCC finds broadband gap creates meaningful use crisis
   FCC to propose new video archive in national broadband plan
   Congress In No Rush On Shifting Spectrum
   Boucher: No Forced Spectrum Removal
   Isakson Wants Hearings On Broadband; House GOP May Try to Kill Broadband Plan
   Civic Engagement in the 21st Century
   Creating Choices, Flexibility and Real Solutions for America's First Responders
   The Strategy for Increasing Broadband Access in Indian Country

MORE ON THE INTERNET
   Scientists Strive to Map the Shape-Shifting Net
   Independent artisans are crowding onto the Web
   Time Warner Cable COO:We Can Raise Prices For Internet Service

WIRELESS
   In developing nations, women lag behind men in use of cell phones
   US Carriers Are Running Out of Growth Options
   Verizon Sued Over $1.99 Data Charges
   Apple's ITC complaint names HTC phones, 10 other patents

DIGITAL CONTENT
   Boucher Has Online Access Questions For Comcast/NBCU
   Viacom and Hulu Part Ways
   Justices Reinstate Settlement With Writers
   New ACTA leak shows major resistance to US-style DRM rules

HEALTH
California to build HIE with nearly $40 million | NIST to study health IT exchange standards, test methods | Proposed Health IT Certification Programs | Experts cautious about health IT money up for grabs

JOURNALISM
   Hank Paulson on journalists' role in the crash
   Tangled Web
   After Lengthy Hiatus, Health Care Dominates Again

CHILDREN & MEDIA
   Too much media could hurt kids' health: study

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
   Clinton ferrying satellite phones to Chile
   Internet-savvy nation taps tweets

STORIES FROM ABROAD
These headlines is presented in partnership with:

EU Wants Universal Broadband Access | BBC shows defiant vision of a digital future | Local government web use 'disappointing'

MORE ONLINE
Don't Mistake Her Kindness For Weakness | Conyers: Broadcasters' fight against royalties similar to 'involuntary servitude'

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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

SENATE HEARING ON INTERNET FREEDOM
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: John Timmer]
On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Internet freedom that emphasized how challenging it will be to find a way to open up the flow of information in repressive regimes. The consensus at the hearings is that it's in the US government's interests to continue to promote the free flow of information on the Internet, including in states like China and Iran. The challenges that these nations pose came up throughout the testimony, but were best summarized in the testimony of Rebecca MacKinnon a Fellow at Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy. MacKinnon noted that almost every aspect of technology and law that cause problems for the citizens of repressive regimes all have legitimate uses in other contexts. So, for example, although US law allows a safe harbor, it remains illegal here to transfer things like child porn or classified materials over the Internet. In other nations, however, various forms of basic political activity are illegal, and Internet companies may end up acting as censors or informants in order to comply with the laws of other countries. Adding filtering capabilities to network hardware is essential for basic security, but the same technology can be used to enforce censorship. Sanctions and export controls also create problems. Google's Nicole Wang suggested that browser-based encryption could potentially help dissidents communicate securely, but her company cannot allow downloads to nations like Cuba and Iran. And a former Iranian blogger who has lived in the US since his 2004 detention by Iranian security forces pointed out that sanctions prevent US-based companies from hosting material where it's out of reach of Iranian authorities. Clearly, some finer-grained legal frameworks could help in these instances, but they wouldn't be enough to force systematic change in how both US regulators and businesses approach these markets.
benton.org/node/32732 | Ars Technica | New York Times | NTIA | The Hill -- Durbin | The Hill -- Openness Free Trade Condition | The Hill -- Google and China | Bloomberg
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CYBERSECURITY

CYBERSECURITY REPORT
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Tony Romm]
The White House on Tuesday made public excerpts of a previously classified report on cybersecurity prepared by the Bush administration. The report prescribes that the president "establish a front line of defense" and better address emerging cybersecurity threats.It also calls on both White House officials and lawmakers to boost domestic Web security programs, especially with respect to the federal government's classified networks, while expanding cybersecurity research and education programs. The Obama White House decided on Tuesday to declassify the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI), a 2008 report signed by President George W. Bush that has formed the bedrock of the White House's cybersecurity policy. The White House said it chose to declassify the report out of a commitment to transparency. But many are viewing it as an attempt to assuage growing concerns that the federal government is unprepared to handle a cyberattack of unprecedented scale, following the news of two high-profile cyberattacks last month.
benton.org/node/32731 | Hill, The | White House | Howard Schmidt | New York Times
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THE STIMULUS

BTOP/BIP DEADLINE EXTENSION
[SOURCE: Government Technology, AUTHOR: Andy Opsahl]
Applicants who are pursuing broadband stimulus grants intended for building broadband infrastructure received an 11-day extension Tuesday, March 2, for the second and final funding window established by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Rural Utilities Service (RUS), the two agencies disbursing $7.2 billion set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for broadband projects. The deadline for infrastructure grants to the NTIA moved from March 15 to March 26. Applications to the RUS are now due March 29. The deadline for grants intended for public computing center and broadband adoption initiatives is still March 15 for both agencies.
benton.org/node/32730 | Government Technology | App-Rising.com
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23 BTOP GRANTS ANNOUNCED
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced 23 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments to help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, create jobs and improve education and healthcare cross the country. The grants will increase broadband access and adoption in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The grants, totaling more than $160 million, will lay the groundwork to bring high-speed Internet access to millions of households and businesses, and link up thousands of schools, hospitals, libraries, and public safety offices to the information superhighway. [much more at the URL below]
benton.org/node/32717 | National Telecommunications and Information Administration
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BTOP GRANT FOR NEVADA
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke -- joined by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) -- announced a $4.7 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investment to help bridge the technological divide and increase economic opportunities in Clark County, Nevada. The grant will upgrade or open a total of 29 public computer centers in public housing developments and community and senior centers, as well as provide computer skills classes, job training and certification programs, and support community health programs through local partner organizations. The investment will allow the Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League, in partnership with the City of Las Vegas and the Housing Authority of the County of Clark, to expand broadband access for vulnerable populations by replacing approximately 100 computer workstations and adding more than 90 new ones. As a result, the centers will nearly triple the number of users served per week to nearly 5,000, expanding access to interactive and online job search tools, and training in both English and Spanish.
benton.org/node/32716 | National Telecommunications and Information Administration
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NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN

BROADBAND PLAN CALLS FOR MORE CASH
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Amy Schatz]
The National Broadband Plan that the Federal Communications Commission will release later this month will propose up to $25 billion in new federal spending for high-speed Internet lines and a wireless network for police and firefighters as part of a broader plan that appears to be a win for wireless companies. The plan will also offer a variety of ideas for expanding Americans' access to affordable Internet over the next decade. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has been slowly releasing details about the plan, which will be released in mid-March, and last week suggested that Congress spend $12 billion to $16 billion for the wireless Internet network for police and firefighters. Whether Congress will agree to that much spending at a time of heightened concern over federal deficits is unclear. But the FCC proposal will represent a detailed outline of the Obama administration's ambitions for expanding Internet service to all Americans. It would allocate significantly more airwaves for wireless broadband services, including a block of airwaves set aside for use by police and firefighters. Executives from both AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. posted statements on their blogs Tuesday applauding Chairman Genachowski's efforts.
benton.org/node/32737 | Wall Street Journal
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GENACHOWSKI CONFIDENT IN FCC'S AUTHORITY
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
Internet service providers are stepping up their campaign to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from regulating them like telephone companies and questioning the limits of the agency's power over the Internet. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in an interview Tuesday at The Washington Post that he's confident of the agency's authority, and that his focus is on moving ahead with the Obama administration's campaign to bring high-speed Internet to all American homes. The FCC will present a national broadband plan to Congress in two weeks. Genachowski said he plans to recommend unleashing 500 megahertz of spectrum for the next generation of smartphones, tablet computers and other portable devices that connect people wirelessly to the Web. But he wouldn't answer whether the FCC is considering a move, urged by some public interest groups, to reclassify broadband service providers -- the companies that provide access to the Web -- so they more clearly fall under the agency's jurisdiction.
benton.org/node/32736 | Washington Post
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THE END OF ANALOG
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Levin]
A Q&A with the Federal Communications Commission's Blair Levin -- Executive Director, Omnibus Broadband Initiative. Asked what two things he hopes most that Congress takes on from the National Broadband Plan, he answered: 1) "Congress understands the importance of moving our country from essentially an analog platform to a digital one" and 2) Congress embraces the notion that, while broadband is not a solution to health care, improve education, improve energy savings, improve public safety, jobs training and job searching, improve government performance and civic engagement, it has to be part of the solution to all of these problems. The plan, he said, will make recommendations, a significant number of recommendations to the Commission, Congress, the executive branch, and others. One of the things we learned from the international studies is that, for plans to succeed, you need a long term, sustained interest at the highest level of the governments in making the plan succeed. Hopefully, we have run a process that has created interest in it -- that people will feel that they have an obligation to keep going with it. If we do, the plan has a good chance of success. If we don't, if there isn't that sustained interested, then we won't. And that goes to the point that the plan is both a noun and a verb. Everyone will see the noun on March 16th. But the verb, the process moving forward -- if you look at other countries, you see that they had a plan and then they course corrected, when the markets changed, when certain assumptions weren't fulfilled.
benton.org/node/32729 | Ars Technica
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FCC FINDS BROADBAND GAP CREATES MEANINGFUL USE CRISIS
[SOURCE: GovernemntHealthIT, AUTHOR: Brian Robinson]
Many healthcare providers in the U.S.lack sufficient broadband Internet connections to meet health IT meaningful use criteria, according to the Federal Communications Commission, which is proposing new funding and regulations to help close the gap. As many as 3,600 small practices lack even basic broadband services, an FCC survey discovered. Many thousands of other locations face price disparities of as much as $45,000 a year for the same services, and that is often much larger in rural areas. And the safety net providers that service the most underserved of citizens have even greater hurdles to overcome. The FCC survey found that one-in-three of Indian Health Services sites have no access to commercial broadband. Of those that do, over 90 percent rely on connections that limit the use of such things as video consultations and electronic health records. To counter this, the FCC is proposing an array of recommendations as a part of its upcoming National Broadband Plan.
benton.org/node/32728 | GovernemntHealthIT
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FCC TO PROPOSE NEW VIDEO ARCHIVE
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: Aliya Sternstein]
A proposal in the draft of the government's imminent broadband plan would create a YouTube-like online archive called Video.gov to preserve agencies' Web content and possibly information provided by the media, an official with the Federal Communications Commission said on Monday. The planned national digital archives for the 21st century would expand upon the government's Data.gov Web site, a warehouse of downloadable federal statistics, and be maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration, the Library of Congress and other agencies, said Eugene Huang, FCC's director of government performance and civic engagement for the national broadband plan. The plan's other proposals include establishing a secure Defense Department system that military members overseas could use to vote online and making legal documents available on the Web for free. Currently, the Web site for retrieving federal court records, Public Access to Court Electronic Records, charges users a fee for searching and viewing documents. "Although Data.gov applies to the executive branch, we believe that similar [initiatives] should apply to the legislative and judiciary," Huang said.
benton.org/node/32727 | nextgov
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CONGRESS IN NO RUSH ON SHIFTING SPECTRUM
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
Policymakers want to conduct a full inventory of spectrum use before making any judgments about reallocating spectrum, according to key Democratic and Republican congressional staffers speaking Tuesday (Mar 2) at the National Association of Broadcaster's State Leadership Conference in Washington. But passage of a bill authorizing that inventory is a priority, they said. "We want to survey the spectrum that's out there. The bill is a good first way to guage the spectrum that's out there and how it's being used and how we can be more efficient," said Jessica Roscenworcel, a telecommunications adviser to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). "It's a scarce resource and there's a lot of interested parties that would like to have access to it. But obviously broadcasters bring a lot of value to the spectrum they use today. It's important to inventory it first before we make any rash decisions.'' The ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), also supports the inventory, staffer Brian Hendricks told the broadcasters. "It does make sense that before we jump to reallocating spectrum to figure out what our spectrum holdings are and what particular bands of spectrum are being used to generally get a better picture of how spectrum is being used in the United States," says Amy Levine, who represents the House Commerce Committee and advises Rep Rick Boucher( D-VA), chairman of the Communications Subcommittee.
benton.org/node/32723 | TVNewsCheck
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NO FORCED SPECTRUM REMOVAL
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
Speaking at the National Association of Broadcaster's State Leadership Conference, House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) said, "Spectrum should not be taken away from broadcasters. Instead, he said, broadcasters should be given an option to voluntarily surrender their spectrum for FCC auction and then receive some form of compensation for it. Chairman Boucher said the FCC's earlier proposal that would have forced broadcasters to turn over their spectrum to the FCC for broadband wireless use was ``not constructive." The FCC, he added, is "on the right track" now that it is suggesting that broadcasters voluntarily sell their spectrum. Chairman Boucher later told reporters: "In the end it should be the broadcasters' choice as to whether or not to surrender spectrum; it should not be a decision imposed by the government." As for whether broadcasters should get a share of the proceeds from an FCC auction, he said: "Obviously if the spectrum is surrendered, broadcasters' ability to earn the commercial returns will also be limited. It is only reasonable to expect that as a part of a negotiation, compensation be considered, and that they be compensated for that reduction in commercial return."
benton.org/node/32722 | TVNewsCheck
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GOP RESPONSE TO BROADBAND PLAN
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
Speaking at the National Association of Broadcaster's State Leadership Conference, Sen Johnny Isakson (R-GA) said Tuesday that he will insist that the Senate Commerce Committee hold extensive hearings on the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan when it is released later this month. "We've got to get this right it's too critical. It's too important for the long term interest of broadband, long term interest of broadcasters, long term interest of the cable industry, and the long term interest of the American people.'' House Republicans might respond the FCC's plan with bills designed to "prevent" the agency from adopting some of the regulatory rulemakings it proposes, said Neil Fried, chief counsel for Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
benton.org/node/32721 | TVNewsCheck | CongressDaily
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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Eugene Huang]
Speaking at MIT Monday (Mar 1), Eugene Huang -- the Government Operations Director of the FCC's National Broadband Task Force -- said that after much data collection, his team came to a somewhat obvious conclusion: civic engagement is the lifeblood of our democracy. What does broadband have to do with civic engagement? We came to the conclusion that broadband has the potential to transform civic engagement in two principal ways. First, broadband can strengthen the reach and relevance of mediated and unmediated information in our society. A healthy democracy requires an informed citizenry, and broadband can change the way that people engage this information. This is true for mediated information, such as public media. This is also true for unmediated information, such as the data the government provides citizens. Second, broadband can enable citizens to engage in their democracy ­ through a variety of broadband-enabled tools that will make our democracy more participatory and more representative. Broadband-enabled technologies have already revolutionized the way citizens interact with each other in the private sector. Companies such as YouTube enable the distribution of "user-generated content" over the Internet. YouTube now supports more than 120 million viewers watching more than 10 billion videos monthly. And more than 80% of U.S. adults who are online use social media at least once a month, and half of them participate in social networks such as Facebook. Today, 26% of Americans are involved in a civic or political group, and more than half of them use digital tools to communicate with other group members.
Given this context, our proposed recommendations fall into 5 areas. Open and Transparent Government, Public Media, Increasing Civic Engagement Through Broadband-enabled Tools, Innovation, Digital Democracy.
benton.org/node/32720 | Federal Communications Commission
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CHOICES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Jamie Barnett]
Last week, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and Barnett rolled out highlights of the public safety goals and recommendations of the FCC's National Broadband Plan. A major set of recommendations is related to the creation of a nationwide interoperable wireless broadband network for public safety. The following are highlights of the Plan's recommendations:
Creates a nationwide interoperable wireless broadband network for public safety. The network will be interoperable across America: in the big cities, the suburbs and to the rural counties;
Maps out a path forward to build out a network for public safety in a cost-efficient way, hand-in-hand with commercial entities.
Gives public safety choices, flexibility and control on how they would like to deploy and operate their 700 MHz broadband networks in coordination with commercial entities;
Expands and enhances public safety's access to the entire swath of the commercial 700 MHz band of spectrum, totaling 80 MHz. (Note: this provides a quantum leap in resiliency. If one network fails, public safety has at least one back up and maybe more!).
Enables public safety to obtain priority access service on commercial spectrum at reasonable cost when spectrum is needed most. (Note: this isn't your dad's priority access, but a dynamic broadband priority access).
Provides opportunities for roaming on commercial spectrum at reasonable rates for public safety, creating options for accessing additional spectrum.
Ensures public safety's access to cutting-edge technology, including devices, at consumer electronic prices.
benton.org/node/32719 | Federal Communications Commission
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THE STRATEGY FOR INCREASING BROADBAND ACCESS IN INDIAN COUNTRY
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski]
Increased access to broadband in Indian Country could create jobs and economic growth, and the National Broadband Plan now being developed by the Federal Communications Commission will make many recommendations to speed the process, said Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski. "Broadband has the potential to help Tribal communities advance farther, faster, than any new technology in our lifetime," said Chairman Genachowski in a speech before a conference of the National Congress of American Indians. "We have to develop a meaningful plan to create jobs and economic growth in Indian Country, to unleash new waves of innovation and investment, and to improve education, health care, energy efficiency, public safety, and self-governance in Tribal lands." Working recommendations in the National Broadband Plan include:
Creating a separate Tribal Broadband Fund to support sustainable deployment and adoption programs in Indian Country
Improve data-gathering on tribal lands
Help Tribal communities acquire technical broadband skills and expertise by expanding the FCC's Indian Telecommunications Initiative
Allow Tribal representatives to participate in the FCC University training programs at no cost
benton.org/node/32718 | Federal Communications Commission | Chairman Genachowski
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WIRELESS

WOMEN LAG IN CELL PHONE USE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
The mobile phone has been critical to helping solve poverty and promote development around the world. But in many developing nations, this hand-held technological revolution has left behind a large segment of the population: women. That was among several findings in a first-of-its-kind study of mobile technology by the GSM Development Fund and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. The study showed that mobile phone ownership in low- and middle-income countries has skyrocketed in recent years but that a woman was 21 percent less likely to own a cell phone than a man. That means the mobile banking, health and educational text messaging programs being created by the State Department and development organizations will reach far fewer women than men. The number of women not using mobile phones is about 300 million, according to Vital Wave Consulting, a research and consulting group that conducted the study released last month.
benton.org/node/32725 | Washington Post | read the report
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US CARRIERS RUNNING OUT OF GROWTH OPTIONS
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Stacey Higginbotham]
It's hard to grow in a saturated market, but despite 89 percent cell phone penetration in the U.S., AT&T managed to pull out some impressive revenue growth over the past three years, not because it has the iPhone but because it's been buying other companies. The companies which operate in saturated Western Europe markets are a glimpse of the future for AT&T and even Verizon as U.S. companies run out of acquisition targets. The carriers hope that machine-to-machine communications will save them, but they're still searching for the right business model as well as compelling applications.
benton.org/node/32712 | GigaOm
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VERIZON SUED FOR DATA CHARGES
[SOURCE: Wireless Week, AUTHOR: Maisie Ramsay]
Verizon Wireless has been slapped with a class-action lawsuit over $1.99 data fees alleged to have been improperly charged to non-smartphone customers. The suit comes less than three months after the FCC asked Verizon to respond to accusations that it was charging $1.99 to customers who inadvertently accessed its mobile Internet service. The lawsuit, filed by Goldman Scarlato & Karon in a New Jersey federal court, claims Verizon charged its non-smartphone customers $1.99 for data service that these customers never used. The suit aims to reimburse people and businesses for the charges.
benton.org/node/32701 | Wireless Week
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APPLE SUIT
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Chris Foresman]
Apple filed a federal lawsuit against HTC Tuesday claiming infringement of 10 of Apple's patents related to smartphone technology. Apple said that HTC violated 20 of its patents, and the remaining 10 are covered under a parallel complaint with the ITC. That complaint also names essentially every current HTC product as infringing devices. The complaint, unlike the federal lawsuit, specifically calls out HTC smartphones by name. Devices suspected of infringement include the Nexus One, Touch Pro and Pro2, Touch Diamond, Tilt II, Pure, Imagio, Dream (aka T-mobile G1), myTouch 3G, Hero, HD2, and Droid Eris. Several of the devices run Google's Android operating system, though the rest run a version of Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. Neither of the complaints specifically target either Google or Microsoft, however.
benton.org/node/32714 | Ars Technica | GigaOm
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DIGITAL CONTENT

BOUCHER HAS QUESTIONS FOR COMCAST/NBC
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Rick Boucher (D-VA), chairman of the House Communications Subcommittee, says he has some follow-up questions for the heads of Comcast and NBCU about access to online content, which he suggests should be the same for consumers after the proposed joint venture as before. "I think there are some clear foundation points," he said. "There should be no less access by the viewing public to content after this combination than there is today." He also said that he believed that "over-the-top" content providers and TV viewers "should be assured that they can go to the web and obtain whatever programming they want. Whatever is offered should be available to them and should not be blocked in any way."
benton.org/node/32735 | Broadcasting&Cable
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VIACOM AND HULU SPLIT
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Brian Stelter]
In the first major fracture between television show owners and the wildly popular Hulu.com, Viacom will remove "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," "The Colbert Report" and other Comedy Central programs from the video site next week. The companies said Tuesday evening that they were parting amicably, but Viacom's decision is a serious loss for Hulu. This week "The Daily Show" is listed as the third-most-watched show on the site, behind "Lost" and "Family Guy." The decision also highlights the large gulf between the expectations of consumers -- who demand a wealth of free and easily accessible content on the Internet -- and the media companies, who are seeking a more profitable business model online.
benton.org/node/32734 | New York Times
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JUDGE REINSTATES SETTLEMENT WITH WRITERS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Adam Liptak]
The Supreme Court on Tuesday resurrected a possible settlement in a class-action lawsuit brought by freelance writers who said that newspapers and magazines had committed copyright infringement by making their contributions available on electronic databases. The proposed settlement was prompted by a 2001 decision from the Supreme Court in favor of six freelance authors claiming copyright infringement in The New York Times Company v. Tasini. After the Tasini decision, many freelance works were removed from online databases. Most publishers now require freelance writers to sign contracts granting both print and online rights. After the decision, the authors, publishers and database companies who were parties to several class-action lawsuits negotiated a global settlement that would pay the plaintiffs up to $18 million. The publishers in the suit included Reed Elsevier, The New York Times Company, the Thomson Reuters Corporation, Dow Jones & Company, now owned by the News Corporation, and Knight Ridder, which the McClatchy Company bought in 2006.
benton.org/node/32733 | New York Times
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ACTA LEAK
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
The leaks keep coming for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). A new leak from Europe has revealed the inner workings of the negotiating process through a 40+ page document showing each country's positions on key provisions of the treaty. While most of the negotiating is quite technical, what stands out most sharply is the international resistance to the US-drafted proposals on DRM "anticircumvention" rules. Here's a look at some of the key differences among parties.
benton.org/node/32715 | Ars Technica
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JOURNALISM

PAULSON ON JOURNALISTS' ROLE IN CRASH
[SOURCE: The Economist, AUTHOR: ]
"Those people who know me well know I'm pretty direct," Hank Paulson told a room full of journalists in New York on March 1st, as he analyzed the performance of news organizations during the economic crisis. The former treasury secretary, addressing a meeting of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, was certainly direct in highlighting several examples of failures by the media, though he also handed out plenty of praise for, as he put it, professionals doing a tough job in difficult circumstances. The first failure, he said, was a tendency to run inaccurate or half-baked stories because of the pressure to deliver scoops. One example of these "premature stories with unexpected consequences" was a report in December 2008 that the government was planning to use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to provide low-cost mortgages to reduce foreclosures. According to Mr Paulson, this misrepresented as policy an idea that was still being considered as one option among many and was quickly rejected. "I can think of no industry more competitive than the press," he said—and as a former investment banker he should recognize competition when he sees it. The second failure was poor or sensationalist "word choice". When Mr Paulson was looking to make investments in troubled banks, reporters were quick to use the N-word -- nationalization -- even though the sort of investments the Treasury was looking to make were designed to ensure that there was no "government role in decision making" at the banks, which is what Mr Paulson means by nationalization. Calling the investments nationalization "didn't help educate readers but sparked a (negative) market reaction," he argued. What could be done to improve the performance of the news media? First, hold reporters to account for the accuracy of what they write. People will sometimes make mistakes, but they should be held to account when they keep getting things wrong—"from the most junior reporter to the biggest star." Also, news organizations "shouldn't punish people if they get scooped", since that provides too great an incentive to publish prematurely.
benton.org/node/32702 | Economist, The
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CHILDREN & MEDIA

TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND
[SOURCE: CBC, AUTHOR: ]
Children and teens spend about as much time with media as they do sleeping, and the overexposure could take a toll on their health, a new U.S. study suggests. The study, reported in Monday's issue of the journal Pediatrics, showed Americans aged eight to 18 spend more than seven hours per day on average consuming both old media such as TV, movies and magazines as well as new media including Internet, social networking sites, video and computer games and cell phones. Dr. Victor Strasburger of the University of New Mexico reviewed studies on the combined effects of all the media consumption.
The study found exposure to the media can make children more prone to:
Violence -- the impact of media violence on real-life aggressive behavior is 0.31 times higher, compared with 0.39 times for the link between smoking and lung cancer.
Early and unprotected sexual activity, particularly if exposed to pornography.
Alcohol and tobacco consumption, with exposure to smoking in movies in Grades 5 to 8 predicting the likelihood of starting smoking within eight years.
Obesity, with possible culprits including the marketing of junk food and fast food and the tendency to eat while watching media.
Heavy television-viewing -- that is, two to three hours a day in early childhood has been linked with attention-deficit disorder during the early school years, though experts disagree about the nature of the connection.
benton.org/node/32707 | CBC
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