March 2007

For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org

TEN YEARS AGO...
Fairness and the Airwaves

BROADCASTING
McDowell Calls For Widespread Use of White Spaces
Unruly Start for DTV Rules
Let the IRS Help With DTV

CABLE
Martin: A Record of 'Picking on' Cable
NCTA Says Cable Cap Is Unnecessary

INTERNET/BROADBAND
Internet radio to fight royalty ruling
Access to high-speed Internet is an economic matter
Net Neutrality Debate Remains Contentious

MEDIA & ELECTIONS
Super Primary Day Means Huge TV Ad Costs
In '08 Race, Web Tactics Are Even More Integral
News media and politics: an uneasy union

ADVERTISING
The death of the 30-second TV commercial

JOURNALISM
All the World=92s a Story
A Question of Diversity
Documentaries or propaganda?

QUICKLY -- Radio Deal Could Face Technical=20
Difficulties; Democrats in Congress kick=20
oversight into overdrive; Martin Announces Staff=20
Changes; FCC Waives Fine Against TV Station in=20
Arizona; More video games, fewer books at schools?

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/69TEN YEARS AGO...

FAIRNESS AND THE AIRWAVES
[SOURCE: Washington Post 3/19/1997, AUTHOR: Richard Harwood]
[Commentary] "Will the great multimedia=20
corporations that now dominate broadcasting=20
demonstrate to a skeptical Supreme Court and a=20
skeptical public their ability to use the=20
public's airwaves in a responsible and ethical=20
manner?" asked Harwood in his column. In the case=20
of broadcasting, the Supreme Court historically=20
has rejected that the view that private=20
enterprise and the free market system are best=20
for protecting public debate. Broadcast=20
regulation, the legal scholar Lee Bollinger has=20
written, was "built on two phenomena: a fear of=20
the power of television and radio to control the=20
content of public discussion and a concomitant=20
belief in the inability of the market to control=20
that power." The broad thrust of those terms in=20
the early days was that radio and television=20
station owners must serve in their programming=20
the "public interest, convenience or necessity."=20
In fleshing out that generality, the FCC decreed=20
that broadcasters should not put on the air=20
"indecent" or "obscene" material, that they must=20
abide by a "Fairness Doctrine" requiring them to=20
present issues of public concern in a fair and=20
disinterested manner, and that if they give time=20
to one candidate for public office they must give=20
equal time to any competitors for that office.=20
All that is changing, Harwood wrote, not because=20
of any mandate from the Supreme Court, which=20
still condones government regulation, but because=20
of successful pressures on the FCC to change its=20
rules. The Commission has adapted itself to new=20
definitions of obscenity and indecency to the=20
point where anything goes -- almost. The Fairness=20
Doctrine was abandoned in 1987 with the=20
enthusiastic support of President Reagan, who=20
vetoed congressional efforts to keep it in place.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/11279597.html?dids=3D1...
9597:11279597&FMT=3DABS&FMTS=3DABS:FT&fmac=3D&date=3DMar+19%2C+1997&author=
=3DRichard+Harwood&desc=3DFairness+and+the+Airwaves
(requires registration)

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/14BROADCASTING

MCDOWELL CALLS FOR WIDESPREAD USE OF WHITE SPACES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell Thursday called=20
for "widespread, unlicensed use" of the so-called=20
white spaces between vacant TV channels, but he=20
said broadcasters must be protected from=20
interference. Commissioner McDowell, who was=20
speaking at a Catholic University School of Law=20
Symposium in Washington, did say that it was=20
important for the FCC to ensure that the new=20
equipment "does not cause harmful interference to=20
the current operators in the white spaces," and=20
even gave broadcasters a new term they could use.=20
Suggesting the issue was not black and white,=20
Commissioner McDowell said: "[M]aybe we should=20
start calling them 'gray spaces.'" McDowell made=20
some cable executives day during the speech by=20
arguing that some criticisms of the pace of the=20
U.S.broadband rollout are off the mark, a point=20
National Cable & Telecommunications Association=20
President Kyle McSlarrow made at least twice this=20
past week. McDowell also put in a plug for=20
extending the FCC's December video franchise=20
relief order to incumbents, something McSlarrow has also been pushing for.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6425389?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews

UNRULY START FOR DTV RULES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The new rules of the road for the=20
DTV=ADconverter-box subsidy hadn't been made public=20
for more than a few hours last week before some=20
Democrats and Republicans began sparring over=20
them. The plan, the lawmakers suggested, already=20
has its share of potholes, with only nine months=20
and counting before the coupon program is set to=20
start. Here's some details on the program: 1)=20
Households must request coupons from NTIA between=20
Jan. 1 and March 31, 2009. 2) Consumer coupon=20
requests will be taken via toll-free customer=20
support center, Website, fax and mail. 3) Upon=20
request, a maximum of two coupons will be sent to=20
households via the United States Postal Service=20
and will expire three months after they're=20
mailed. 4) Each coupon will be worth $40 towards=20
the purchase of an eligible converter box from a=20
certified consumer-electronics retailer. Coupons=20
have no cash value and may not be resold. (There=20
is no prohibition on reselling the boxes,=20
however.) 5) Coupons will be electronically=20
trackable and uniquely numbered, similar to gift=20
cards, so that transactions will be verified at=20
point of sale. 6) Only one coupon may be redeemed per converter box.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6425817.html?display=3DNews

LET THE IRS HELP WITH DTV
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] About 17% of the population -- more=20
than 18.8 million households -- receive broadcast=20
television over-the-air, not via cable or=20
satellite. Many of them are elderly, poor or=20
poorly educated. When the National Association of=20
Broadcasters last month studied consumer=20
awareness of digital issues, not one of the 800=20
over-the-air viewers represented in the survey=20
could even guess when the digital transition was=20
happening. And 57% of them said that they had=20
=93seen, read or heard nothing=94 about the digital=20
transition. The government is plotting a puny $5=20
million publicity campaign to alert consumers. TV=20
groups including the NAB will mount a more=20
substantial campaign this fall. Even so, the=20
transition isn't simple to understand, especially=20
for older folks. B&C offers this plan: let people=20
opt in to the DTV coupon plan by checking a box on their tax returns.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6425809.html?display=3DOpinion

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/8CABLE

MARTIN: A RECORD OF 'PICKING ON' CABLE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The cable industry can be certain of one thing as=20
the Bush administration enters its final laps:=20
Kevin Martin has been a huge pain in the coax.=20
After two years in office, the chairman of the=20
Federal Communications Commission has amassed a=20
strikingly large and varied record of hostility=20
toward the cable industry, the leading provider=20
of pay television and high-speed Internet access=20
in the U.S. Time after time, cable operators have=20
come up losers in regulatory battles worth=20
hundreds of millions of dollars. For those=20
setbacks, cable can thank Martin. The record=20
includes Martin's ongoing attempts to force cable=20
operators to carry digital TV-station programming=20
whether they want to or not; to cap Comcast's=20
growth at 30% of pay TV subscribers nationally;=20
and to exaggerate cable rate increases by failing=20
to adjust the data for inflation or the addition=20
of more channels for the money.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6425788.html?display=3DTop+Stories

NCTA SAYS CABLE CAP IS UNNECESSARY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The National Cable & Telecommunications=20
Association told the FCC Friday it wasn't=20
surprised the Commission hasn't been able to come=20
up with a new horizontal ownership cap in six=20
years, and the association advised the FCC not to=20
start now. A letter filed Friday with the FCC was=20
in response to reports the commission was=20
considering reconstituting a 30% cap on one=20
company's pay subscribers . The cap was=20
previously thrown out by a court for lack of=20
justification. In the letter, NCTA argued that a=20
new cap was an impossible target to hit, and an=20
unnecessary one given growing marketplace competition.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6425758.html?display=3DBreaki...
News

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/15INTERNET/BROADBAND

INTERNET RADIO TO FIGHT ROYALTY RULING
[SOURCE: CNN|Money 3/15, AUTHOR: Jeff Cox]
After nearly two years of legal wrangling, the=20
Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), an oversight body=20
created by Congress to settle royalty disputes in=20
the music business, issued a new, higher fee=20
structure for Web music broadcasts on March 5=20
that Web radio executives see as crippling. Web=20
radio began fighting back against the new royalty=20
fees. On Friday, National Public Radio officials=20
will filed a petition for reconsideration with=20
the CRB. If that fails, NPR has vowed to bring=20
whatever legal challenges necessary to overturn=20
the decision. NPR spokeswoman Andi Sporkin called=20
the ruling a "stunning, damaging decision for=20
public radio" that would cost stations 20 to 30=20
times what they are paying now in royalties.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/14/technology/radio_streaming/index.htm
* A Fee Per Song Can Ruin Us, Internet Radio Companies Say
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/19/technology/19webcast.html

ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET IS AN ECONOMIC MATTER
[SOURCE: Gazatte.Net, AUTHOR: Art Brodsky, Public Knowledge]
[Commentary] The big telephone and cable=20
companies have a secret. The leadership of the=20
Maryland House of Delegates is perfectly willing=20
to let them keep it, taking the side of the two=20
companies which in recent days each raised their=20
rates while supposedly competing against each=20
other, rather than help consumers by taking an=20
action to help spur competition in Maryland=20
broadband services. There is no dispute that the=20
Internet has become as valuable to most people as=20
electricity or telephone service. By any measure,=20
access to the Internet opens up a whole range of=20
new opportunities, from students doing homework,=20
to entrepreneurs developing new products to=20
people who work from home. But not everyone=92s=20
Internet access is equal any more. Some places=20
have been outfitted with the newest and fastest=20
optical fiber from Verizon, to go along with=20
Comcast=92s Internet service. But other=20
neighborhoods around the state have to make do=20
with the old dial-up service, which was fine 15=20
years ago, but doesn't work well today with=20
newer, more complicated Web sites offering video=20
and music and other features. If you want to see=20
the future of the Maryland economy, you need to=20
know where, when and how broadband is growing.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/031607/policol200109_32327.shtml

NET NEUTRALITY DEBATE REMAINS CONTENTIOUS
[SOURCE: InformationWeek, AUTHOR: KC Jones]
Net neutrality is so contentious that many people=20
debating it cannot even agree on a definition.=20
Traditional allies and foes have rearranged=20
themselves to form strange new alliances and=20
divisions. Even the founders of the Internet and=20
the World Wide Web -- including some who worked=20
alongside each other -- are at odds over how to=20
move forward. Here's a guide to the players.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=3D198001557

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/67MEDIA & ELECTIONS

SUPER PRIMARY DAY MEANS HUGE TV AD COSTS
[SOURCE: ABCNews3/15, AUTHOR: Tahman Bradley]
With a number of big states poised to follow in=20
California's footsteps, moving their presidential=20
primaries and caucuses to Feb. 5, campaign=20
strategists may be forced to completely=20
reconsider how they use television advertising to=20
win voters. A full-saturation television ad blitz=20
in the last weeks of the nomination fight in=20
early states Iowa, New Hampshire and South=20
Carolina can range between $200,000 to $400,000 a=20
week. And to be even somewhat competitive in=20
those early states, a campaign usually needs to=20
spend $50,000 to $60,000, according to Evan=20
Tracey the chief operating officer of TNS Media=20
Intelligence/CMAG, a advertising research agency.=20
But in California, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida=20
and Texas, states with some of the most expensive=20
media markets, presidential campaigns could spend=20
10 times as much -- or $2 million to $4 million a=20
week. Besides cutting costs, campaigns will=20
likely have to make tough decisions about which=20
states they want to spend advertising dollars in=20
and what other options they have beyond buying local television.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3D2955246&page=3D1

IN '08 RACE, WEB TACTICS ARE EVEN MORE INTEGRAL
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Amy Schatz]
As the role of the Internet expands -- and=20
diversifies -- in the 2008 cycle, all campaigns=20
are trying to develop Web strategies, but often=20
with different short-term goals. Web is about=20
buzz as much as it is a tool. An ability to=20
convey early online success of some kind has an=20
importance all its own. With at least 13=20
candidates actively in the running so far, and=20
the New Hampshire primary still 10 months away,=20
it is a way for campaigns now to show concrete=20
momentum and garner crucial early attention. "You=20
had the money primary. The endorsement primary.=20
Now, you have a Web 2.0 primary going on=20
concurrently with the traditional money and=20
consultant chase and stuff like that," says=20
Howard Mortman, a former MSNBC producer, blogger=20
and now head of the public-affairs practice at=20
New Media Strategies, an Arlington, Va., Internet=20
market-research firm. Some analysts say such=20
attention is overblown. After all, Mr. Dean,=20
after cleaning up the informal netroots primary,=20
didn't win a single physical primary or caucus.=20
"There ain't no winning or losing except on=20
Election Day," says Phil Noble, a political=20
consultant who specializes in Internet strategy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117426203668540945.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
e_one
(requires subscription)

NEWS MEDIA AND POLITICS: AN UNEASY UNION
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: James Rainey]
Some of America's most prominent political=20
journalists are, quite literally, wedded to the=20
2008 presidential race: Their spouses work for=20
one of the candidates. Relationships that cross=20
the media-political divide raise ethical=20
questions for the journalists and their=20
employers. Should the potential conflict of=20
interest merely be disclosed to readers or=20
viewers? Or should the journalists be shifted to=20
new assignments to lessen the appearance their=20
motives might be divided? Heading into the=20
presidential election year, the answers to those=20
questions have been markedly different for at=20
least four journalists. Journalism critics say=20
the public's skepticism toward the media has been=20
heightened by recent events, particularly the=20
Libby trial, which revealed a cozy relationship=20
between Washington journalists and their sources.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-prezmedia19mar19...
6694249.story?coll=3Dla-news-a_section
(requires registration)

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/68ADVERTISING

THE DEATH OF THE 30-SECOND TV COMMERCIAL
[SOURCE: CNN|Money 3/14, AUTHOR: Paul R. La Monica]
It has already revolutionized the music business=20
with its iPod device and iTunes music store. Now=20
will Apple help kill the television's industry=20
historic reliance on the 30-second TV commercial=20
to help pay the bills? Apple is expected to begin=20
shipping its new Apple TV device sometime this=20
week. The product, in theory, should make=20
advertisers nervous since it will allow consumers=20
to easily transmit TV shows purchased on iTunes=20
(which do not include commercials) from the=20
iTunes library on their computer to their TV set=20
for viewing there. "There's no question that one=20
of the problems with the traditional 30-second TV=20
ad is digital video recorders. The whole market=20
is under threat from TiVo-like functions. And=20
it's going to get easier to avoid commercials=20
with Apple TV," said Tim Wilson, a general=20
partner with Partech International, a venture=20
capital firm that is looking to invest more=20
heavily in online video and other forms of new media.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/13/news/companies/tv_commercials/index.htm?...
tion=3Dmoney_technology

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/24JOURNALISM

ALL THE WORLD'S A STORY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: David Carr]
A new experiment wants to broaden the network of=20
journalism's sources to include readers and their=20
sources. Assignment Zero=20
(zero.newassignment.net/), a collaboration=20
between Wired magazine and NewAssignment.Net, the=20
experimental journalism site established by Jay=20
Rosen, a professor of journalism at New York=20
University, intends to use not only the wisdom of=20
the crowd, but their combined reporting efforts=20
-- an approach that has come to be called=20
=93crowdsourcing.=94 The idea is to apply to=20
journalism the same open-source model of=20
Web-enabled collaboration that produced the=20
operating system Linux, the Web browser Mozilla=20
and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. =93Can large=20
groups of widely scattered people, working=20
together voluntarily on the net, report on=20
something happening in their world right now, and=20
by dividing the work wisely tell the story more=20
completely, while hitting high standards in=20
truth, accuracy and free expression?=94 Professor=20
Rosen asked last week on Wired.com. That may not=20
seem like much of a revolution at a time when=20
millions are staring at user-generated video on=20
YouTube, but journalism is generally left in the hands of professionals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/19/business/media/19carr.html
(requires registration)

A QUESTION OF DIVERSITY
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
Fifteen percent of stories on the network evening=20
news in each of the last two years were reported=20
by minorities, an all-time high that is more than=20
double the level of 1990. CBS's Byron Pitts led=20
the 2006 field with 76 stories, followed by ABC's=20
Pierre Thomas, NBC's Jim Maceda, and CBS's=20
Randall Pinkston and Joie Chen, says a study by=20
the Center for Media and Public Affairs. Women=20
reported 28 percent of the pieces, just under the=20
high-water mark of 29 percent set in 2002. ABC's=20
Martha Raddatz was the most frequent female face,=20
with 137 stories; CBS anchor Katie Couric had=20
103, and NBC's Andrea Mitchell, 85. Couric nearly=20
lapped the field with reported or narrated=20
pieces, even though the survey includes only four=20
months of her "CBS Evening News" tenure.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/18/AR200703...
1722_2.html
(requires registration)
* Gender and Minority Representation in Network News
http://www.cmpa.com/documents/07.03.19.Diversity.pdf

DOCUMENTARIES OR PROPAGANDA?
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Meghan Daum]
Documentaries are hot -- and cheap to make. Al=20
Gore (and friends) accepted the Oscar for "An=20
Inconvenient Truth," which waltzed into the=20
winner's circle as a box office phenomenon and=20
obvious shoo-in, even though it wasn't much more=20
than a riveting PowerPoint presentation with good=20
lighting. Recently, there have been rumblings=20
from the scientific community about Gore's grasp=20
of the details. Few doubt his premise, yet=20
scientists (on both sides of the debate) have=20
suggested that some of his arguments -- such as=20
suggesting a direct cause-effect between global=20
warming and hurricanes -- were exaggerated for=20
the purposes of getting people's attention. But=20
who can blame him? Now that the documentary game=20
is taking on many of the high-stakes qualities of=20
Hollywood, it seems that only the sexiest (or=20
most alarmist) will survive. Yet the pleasures of=20
documentaries come from the triumph of grit and=20
substance over flashy theatrics. And though it's=20
naive to assume that any form of documentation=20
other than, say, the phone book, is purely=20
objective, the best nonfiction filmmakers have=20
had a stake in letting their subjects speak for=20
themselves and allowing viewers to draw their own=20
conclusions -- even when they weren't sure what those conclusions were.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-daum19mar19,1,631...
0.column?coll=3Dla-news-comment
(requires registration)

QUICKLY

RADIO DEAL COULD FACE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Charles Babington]
Not all forecasts of the XM Sirius merger are=20
rosy. There's regulatory hurdles, as we all know,=20
but even past that, it will be hard for the=20
combined company to deliver the benefits=20
executives are promising. Instead of offering a=20
one-price, all-or-nothing lineup for $12.95 a=20
month -- as both companies do now -- they would=20
offer smaller packages at a lower price and=20
bigger packages at a higher price, company=20
executives said. And shareholders would benefit,=20
they said, because a merger would result in=20
savings by eliminating duplications in=20
programming, marketing and other operations. But=20
both XM and Sirius have huge fixed costs, mainly=20
in multiyear, multimillion-dollar contracts for=20
big-name talent and sports events. On top of=20
that, industry experts say, both firms are=20
straining their systems' transmission capacities=20
even before they try to add each other's content.=20
XM and Sirius typically drop channels when adding=20
new ones, suggesting a filled-to-the-top=20
transmitting system. For example, Sirius recently=20
dropped C-SPAN Radio, a charter channel, because=20
C-SPAN objected to being bumped off the network=20
when Sirius wanted to air sports events.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/18/AR200703...
1147.html
(requires registration)

DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS KICK OVERSIGHT INTO OVERDRIVE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Richard Simon & Noam Levey]
Less than three months since they took control of=20
Capitol Hill, Democrats in both chambers, as=20
promised, have cranked the powerful congressional=20
oversight machinery into overdrive. Last=20
Wednesday for example, the entire Federal=20
Communications Commission was summoned for the=20
first time in three years before a House=20
committee, where its members were grilled for=20
five hours and told to expect to be "frequent=20
guests." "The Democrats' most powerful weapons=20
aren't legislative bills, but subpoenas and=20
hearings," said John J. Pitney Jr., a former=20
Republican staffer who is a professor of politics=20
at Claremont McKenna College.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-probes19mar19,1,...
0696.story?coll=3Dla-news-a_section&ctrack=3D1&cset=3Dtrue
(requires registration)

MARTIN ANNOUNCES STAFF CHANGES
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
Chairman Kevin Martin named Michelle Carey his=20
Legal Advisor for Media Issues and Ian Dillner=20
his Legal Advisor for Wireline Issues. In=20
addition, Chairman Martin announced two acting=20
advisors. Erika Olsen will be his Acting Wireless=20
Advisor and Nick Alexander will be his Acting=20
Wireline Advisor during Ian Dillner's transition=20
to the Chairman's Office. Michelle Carey has been=20
Chairman Martin's Legal Advisor for Wireline=20
Issues since April 2005, after serving as Deputy=20
Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau since=20
September 2004. Prior to that, she was Chief of=20
the Competition Policy Division for nearly five=20
years and also supervised numerous adjudicatory=20
proceedings. Ms. Carey served as Deputy Chief and=20
staff attorney in both the Policy and Enforcement=20
Divisions of the former Common Carrier=20
Bureau. Before joining the Commission, Ms. Carey=20
clerked for the Honorable Hart T. Mankin of the=20
U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals. Ian Dillner is=20
currently Legal Advisor to FCC Commissioner=20
Deborah Taylor Tate, after serving as Acting=20
Legal Advisor to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin on=20
Wireline Issues. Previously, Mr. Dillner served=20
as a legal advisor to the Chief of the Wireline=20
Competition Bureau and as a Senior Attorney in=20
the Competition Policy Division of the Wireline Competition Bureau.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-271590A1.doc

FCC WAIVES FINE AGAINST TV STATION IN ARIZONA
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The FCC reduced, then waived, a $10,000 fine=20
against KCFG TV Flagstaff, Arizona (parent KM TV)=20
for failing to keep adequate records on=20
commercial limits in kids TV programming. The=20
station successfully argued that it had a history=20
of compliance with FCC rules and that it could not afford to pay the fine.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6425600.html?display=3DBreaki...
News

MORE VIDEO GAMES, FEWER BOOKS AT SCHOOL?
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Debra Sherman]
Of all of the proposals aimed at improving=20
America's failing schools, there's one idea kids=20
will really like: More video games and fewer=20
books. At least a number of educators hope so,=20
arguing that children would get more excited=20
about school and that video games can present=20
real-life problems to solve. Nobody is talking=20
about putting violent video games such as "Doom"=20
or "Mortal Kombat" into classrooms, particularly=20
given concerns they may encourage aggressive=20
behavior. Instead, educators such as Indiana=20
University associate professor Sasha Barab are=20
developing alternative video games that can teach as well as entertain.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1642567920070316
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Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
news summary service provided by the Benton=20
Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday=20
through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
important industry developments, policy issues,=20
and other related news events. While the=20
summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
informal tone does not always represent the tone=20
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled=20
by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
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