Communications-Related Headlines for June 30, 2003
A service of the Benton Foundation (http://www.benton.org)
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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
New Media Landscape Unnerves Black Press
Will Children Lose Out in Media Mergers?
21ST CENTURY SKILLS
Microsoft Supports Leading Education Organizations to Help Schools
Assess 21st Century Skills
INTERNET
Bloggers Gain Libel Protection
Providers Dropping Prices for Speedy Internet Access
Microsoft's New Push in Washington
MEDIA OWNERHSIP
NEW MEDIA LANDSCAPE UNNERVES BLACK PRESS
The Black Press of America recently held its annual convention in Baltimore,
with about 400 black publishers, editors, writers and sales representatives
present. Their concerns included consolidation of media power, economic
hard times, and other issues threatening the minority press. "It is more
imperative today than ever before that the black press continue to exist,"
said Janis Ware, a publisher of the Atlanta Voice. Robert Bogle, president
of the Philadelphia Tribune, said that black newspapers are providing the
only real challenge to the assault on affirmative action. Newspaper
executives noted other pressing issues for the black community, including
the achievement gap, the disproportionate rate of incarceration, and racial
profiling. They said readers are looking for positive stories, a break from
mainstream headlines about black drug addicts and criminals. "The need for
the black press is as great today as it was yesterday," Bogle said. "Our
nation is still divided by race. No one can tell our story better than we
can. You have to live it. You have to be a part of it to understand it."
SOURCE: Boston Globe; AUTHOR: The Baltimore Sun
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/180/business/New_media_landscape_unner...
black_press+.shtml
WILL CHILDREN LOSE OUT IN MEDIA MERGERS?
[Commentary] A recent analysis of the Los Angeles media market conducted by
Children Now found that the number of broadcast TV programs for children
dropped sharply after independent local stations were acquired in media
mergers. Children's programming declined by about half, and there was less
original and more re-packaged programming. The study covered an era of
heavy consolidation, from 1998-2002. With the FCC ruling to loosen media
ownership regulations, children's advocates fear more consolidation and a
continued decline in the amount and quality of children's programming. FCC
Commissioner Michael Copps, in a dissent to the June vote, argued that the
FCC should have studied the issue of whether deregulation might lead to more
inappropriate programming. "When programming decisions are made on Wall
Street or Madison Avenue, rather than closer to the community, do indecency
and excessive violence grow more pervasive?" Copps wrote, encouraging
exploration of the question before voting on whether to allow more
consolidation.
SOURCE: Connect for Kids; AUTHOR: Norris Dickard
http://www.connectforkids.org/benton_topics1544/benton_topics_show.htm?d...
d=180109
21ST CENTURY SKILLS
MICROSOFT SUPPORTS LEADING EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP SCHOOLS ASSESS
21ST CENTURY SKILLS
Today at the National Education Computing Conference (NECC) 2003, Microsoft
Corp. announced its collaboration with the International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills
initiative. Microsoft and ISTE will be offering a free online formative
technology learning assessment tool, available in pilot programs starting in
2004. Microsoft and the Kent School District in Kent, Wash., are supporting
the Partnership by helping it create a road map and practical tools that
educators can use to assess and document their schools' readiness and
progression for preparing students in a new learning paradigm. In the
information age, employers value skills such as problem solving, effective
communication, decision-making, and continual learning. "Schools have a big
challenge in keeping pace with the technologically advanced, multifaceted,
multitasking world that today's students are entering, and we are committed
to doing our part to make 21st century skills a reality," said Sherri
Bealkowski, general manager of the Education Solutions Group at Microsoft.
SOURCE: Stock World; AUTHOR: PR Newswire
http://www.stockworld.de/msg/568824.html
INTERNET
BLOGGERS GAIN LIBEL PROTECTION
With a ruling last week, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
shielded Webloggers, e-mail list administrators and Website operators from
libel claims for information they republish, effectively differentiating
such publishers from "one-way" print media outlets. The court based its
decision on the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which provides that "no
provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the
publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information
content provider." In subsequent court challenges to the CDA the courts have
confirmed that commercial ISPs are protected under the law, and this recent
ruling extends that protection to non-commercial publishers. This particular
case involved an individual message that was reposted to an e-mail list,
causing financial damages to Ellen Betzel, the subject of the message. The
Ninth Circuit remanded the matter to the lower court to determine wheter the
list administrator had reasonable belief that the original message was
intended for republishing, which will add detail to the case's precedent.
SOURCE: Wired; AUTHOR: Xeni Jardin
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,59424,00.html
PROVIDERS DROPPING PRICES FOR SPEEDY INTERNET ACCESS
Increased demand, lower operation costs and additional competition have
caused a steady downward trend in broadband Internet service prices in
recent months. DSL provider SBC Communications has extended its special
$29.95 monthly rate period through August, and companies such as AOL have
also cut their fees. DSL providers may be forced to cut prices even further,
since cable modems still dominate the broadband industry and recent pricing
discounts have done little to cut into cable's market share.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: Jim Hopkins
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-06-29-dsl_x.htm
MICROSOFT'S NEW PUSH IN WASHINGTON
[Commentary] Despite its history of advocating laissez faire government
policies, Microsoft lobbyists have been busy asking the federal government
for what amounts to competitive advantage through regulation. The company
advocates strict regulations to ensure "Net neutrality" - the concept that
cable operators providing broadband Internet access should be prohibited
from favoring certain Websites or blocking access to others. Curiously
enough, Microsoft has been unwilling to publicly defend its position on the
topic even though it has met frequently with Bush Administration officials
and the FCC. The author also notes that Microsoft has made significant
investments in the cable industry, a fact that has prompted observers to
question the software giant's motives. One lobbyist suggested that Microsoft
"gain[s] a market advantage when there's a specter of regulation hanging
over a competitor. The best case scenario for them is that ... they get the
regulation." The company is unlikely to get what it wants, however - several
senior officials at the FCC and NTIA have suggested that the cable industry
has not exhibited behaviors that would require regulation.
SOURCE: CNET News; AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh
See also:
FCC Official: No Need to Regulate ISPs
http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-1022008.html?tag=cd_mh
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