October 2009

TOP NEWS

KNIGHT: ACCESS TO NEWS WILDLY UNEQUAL IN US
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
Saving journalism and achieving digital democracy might seem like a pretty tall order. But that is the task of a high-powered commission that says, in a report being released today, that the country's growing hunger for information is "being met unequally, community by community." The elaborately named Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy raises the specter of two Americas -- one wired, the other not so much. Citing estimates that more than one-third of the country has no broadband connection to the Internet, "that's a hell of a lot of Americans who don't have access to the way we're communicating," says Alberto Ibargüen, president of the Knight Foundation, which commissioned the year-long study with the Aspen Institute. "When an urban kid who wants a job at McDonald's or Wal-Mart has to apply online, if you don't have digital access, you can't apply." Walter Isaacson, president of the Aspen Institute and a former Time managing editor, says the report's focus is "not how do you save dying metropolitan newspapers. There's a wariness to assume that the old institutions should be preserved just for their own sake." He says the challenge is "coming up with a way that people who provide good and relevant information can pay their mortgage and put food on their table." The Knight study is critical of public broadcasting, saying it needs to become "more local, more inclusive and more interactive." To accomplish this, "the government as well as private sector donors should condition their support of public media on its reform." What these operations need to do, Ibargüen said, "is figure out how you include the public in the broadcasting. They really do come out of the tradition of I write, you read."
benton.org/node/28423 | Washington Post | Knight Commission report | B&C
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REALIZING EVERETT PARKER'S DREAM
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Commissioner Michael Copps]
Speaking at the Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture, Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps said he believes that many of the media reform and justice causes for which Everett Parker worked are closer to achievement now than they have ever been. "A window of change and reform has opened for our country," Commissioner Copps said. "[A]fter years of dangerous drift and worse, America is poised at last to move ahead." He identified universal, affordable broadband as "the central infrastructure challenge of this first half of the Twenty-first century" and said that the FCC's charge to write a National Broadband Plan is "truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." But Commissioner Copps did not ignore traditional media policy. "The Internet opens wonderful new opportunities, to be sure-but what we have gained there hasn't yet begun to match what we have already lost because of bad choices that have been made regarding traditional media," he said. "Bad choices by the private sector through, for example, heedless consolidation that saddled companies with unmanageable debt and sacrificed localism and diversity to uniformity and program homogenization. Bad choices by government through, for example, mindless deregulation-particularly on the part of the Commission of which I am a member-gutting most of the public interest protections that under-girded our media landscape for decades. These private and public choices exacted a heavy toll on consumers, on all our citizens and, in the end-as we've come to see-on the companies themselves."
benton.org/node/28416 | Federal Communications Commission
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NATIONAL INFORMATION LITERACY AWARENESS MONTH
[SOURCE: The White House]
President Barack Obama has declared October 2009 as National Information Literacy Awareness Month, calling upon Americans to recognize the important role information plays in our daily lives, and appreciate the need for a greater understanding of its impact. "This month, we dedicate ourselves to increasing information literacy awareness so that all citizens understand its vital importance," the President wrote. "An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help Americans find and evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms." Information literacy refers to the skills necessary to acquire, collate, and evaluate information for any situation. This new type of literacy also requires competency with communication technologies, including computers and mobile devices that can help in our day-to-day decisionmaking. National Information Literacy Awareness Month highlights the need for all Americans to be adept in the skills necessary to effectively navigate the Information Age.
benton.org/node/28397 | White House, The
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COMCAST/NBC

GE APPEARS READY TO SELL NBC UNIVERSAL
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Meg James, Ben Fritz]
After years of telling investors it was happy in the entertainment business, General Electric's hand is being forced by the French telecommunications company Vivendi. Vivendi owns 20% of NBC Universal and must decide in the next two months whether it wants to sell its stake for at least $4 billion, or hold on to its interest. If Vivendi decides it wants out, GE -- whose financial services businesses have been hit hard in the collapse of the capital and real estate markets -- would have to come up with a mountain of cash or find a new investor. Enter Comcast. The family-run public company, which owns several cable networks, has been eager to become a bigger player in the industry. Owning movies, television shows and networks would help Comcast fill its cable pipelines, video-on-demand services and emerging Internet video business. Unlike the $54 billion Comcast would have had to shell out to snare Disney, combining with NBC Universal would come comparatively cheap. The move could result in sweeping changes at NBC's television networks, film studio and theme parks in Los Angeles and Florida. Inside NBC, executives have spent the last six weeks putting together five-year forecasts of their business units for what they thought was going to be a public offering of Vivendi's 20% stake. Most had no idea that at the company's headquarters in midtown Manhattan top executives were negotiating a deal that could give Comcast control of the network and studio. According to people familiar with the situation, GE would lend the joint venture $12 billion, money that would be used to pay Vivendi about $6 billion for its stake. The remaining $6 billion would go to GE as compensation for its equity in NBC Universal and the other entertainment assets. The joint venture would be a private company.
benton.org/node/28422 | Los Angeles Times
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COMCAST MOVE SIGNAL FEARS ABOUT INTERNET
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: ]
Brian Roberts built Comcast Corp. into the world's largest cable company by being a visionary who has kept the company on the vanguard of phone, broadband and television technology. But his strategies indicate he's still worried that the Internet could one day become one of the leading forms of television distribution. That is one reason why he is determined to buy more cable channels and other content -- a strategy that has moved him from his failed effort to take over Walt Disney Co. in 2004 to his current interest in buying a piece of General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal. Traditional cable-TV subscriptions accounted for more than half of Comcast's $17.7 billion of revenue in the first half of this year. Satellite companies and, more recently, phone companies have chipped away in recent years at its subscriber base, which now totals 24 million households. But the Internet in some ways poses an even bigger threat: free content. An increasing amount of programs, including shows like "The Office" and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," are being offered free of charge on Web sites owned by networks and cable channels. While most households still pay for TV, the idea of millions of cable subscribers canceling their service, is chilling. Industry executives have described it as "the cable bypass." Owning the programs and the channels is one way to block this from happening.
benton.org/node/28421 | Wall Street Journal | NYTimes | WSJ | USAToday
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NBC HAS BEEN SOMETHING OF AN ODD FIT WITH ITS PARENT
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Paul Glader, Jeffrey McCracken]
NBC was always something of an odd fit inside a company known for aircraft engines, power turbines and light bulbs, but General Electric Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt and his predecessor, Jack Welch, defended the arrangement. GE had successes in the 1980s and 1990s, followed by struggles this decade as NBC fell in the ratings while the Internet eroded the audience, and the profits, of traditional media. GE's 2004 acquisition of Universal Studios from Vivendi SA significantly expanded the entertainment unit, but didn't resolve underlying problems. The Vivendi deal also set the stage for the current drama, because Vivendi retained a 20% stake in NBC Universal that it has an annual option to either sell to GE or take public. Vivendi's consideration of that option sent GE in search of new partners, or a buyer for the unit. Profits at NBC Universal were flat from 2005 through 2008. They fell 43% to $930 million in the first six months of this year. One person involved in the deal said some GE executives recently concluded that "a TV network had no business inside a company like GE." This person says the deal being discussed will include mechanisms for GE to eventually sell its entire NBC stake.
benton.org/node/28420 | Wall Street Journal
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INTERNET/BROADBAND

EXPERTS: ICANN STILL NEEDS HILL OVERSIGHT
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
Intellectual property lobbyist Steven Metalitz urged lawmakers at a Capitol Hill briefing to monitor the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and weigh in "if something goes wrong with the plumbing." The pact between the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and ICANN, which replaces a multiyear contract that expired Wednesday, requires a vetting of concerns about a plan to bring to market potentially hundreds of new domain names. The NTIA-ICANN accord sets up a review panel to ensure the continuance of a public database of Web site owners that is regularly used by law enforcement. Brenden Kuerbis of Syracuse University's Internet Governance Project warned the agreement contains design flaws. The review panels that it creates could add "another layer of politics and second guessing ... on what is already a messy and pretty diffuse process," he said. He also warned the "top-down" appointment of experts to serve on the panels could short-circuit ICANN's bottom-up governance mandate.
benton.org/node/28415 | CongressDaily | IDG News Service
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HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTE TO REGULATE INTERNET
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Art Brodsky]
The most amazing thing happened. House Republicans on the Commerce Committee voted to regulate the Internet. Really. So did Democrats, but many of them don't find that as abhorrent as the Republicans say they find it. After all their talk about how the government should stay out for fear of hurting technology, innovation, yada, yada, the Committee passed a bill put requirements on peer-to-peer (P2P) software passed by voice vote with enthusiastic endorsement from even the most dedicated opponents of making sure the Internet functions free of discriminatory control by the telephone and cable companies.
benton.org/node/28414 | Public Knowledge
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BYPASSING OWN TASK FORCE, PAWLENTY GOES WITH CONNECTED NATION
[SOURCE: Minnesota Independent, AUTHOR: Andy Birkey]
As Minnesota develops a plan to increase high-speed broadband to rural areas, advocates complain that the organization chosen to map the state's broadband access — and the process Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration used to make the selection — lack sufficient transparency. Commissioners of the Minnesota Departments of Commerce and Employment and Economic Development have recommended Connected Nation as the state's vendor for broadband mapping. The commissioners arrived at their decision in July, but without seeking the input of the Ultra High Speed Broadband Task Force, whose members Pawlenty appointed. "The Governor signed off and [Connected Nation] is off to the races," wrote task force member Mike O'Connor. "I'm pretty cranky about this process. Nice n' cozy. Nice n' closed. Nice bypass of the Task Force. No public input at all as far as I can see," he said.
benton.org/node/28413 | Minnesota Independent
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DOES BROADBAND NEED ITS OWN "NUTRITION LABEL?"
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
The government requires disclosure labels on everything from new cars to refrigerators to pre-packaged food. The New America Foundation says that broadband needs its own labels, and it has already mocked up a sample.
benton.org/node/28412 | Ars Technica | New America Foundation
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BROADBAND ACCESS IS VITAL FOR ALL TO HAVE
[SOURCE: Oakland Tribune, AUTHOR: Craig Settles]
[Commentary] National policy makers and local advocates must address the broadband needs of local businesses. In economically troubled times, small businesses are crucial to job growth and recovery. They collectively hire the most people and profitable small businesses shore up the tax base. For small business owners and entrepreneurs in rural communities, broadband is a game changer. This technology enables them to expand beyond their local neighborhoods to access new customers around the globe. Broadband increases local opportunities as well, bringing profit-generating improvements to business operations, such as inventory management and marketing communications that can allow the smallest firms to compete with the largest. These businesses must have broadband to compete for talent on the same basis as companies in the tech corridors near Washington, Boston or San Francisco.
benton.org/node/28411 | Oakland Tribune
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CYBERSECURITY/EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH
[SOURCE: The White House]
President Barack Obama proclaimed October 2009 as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, calling upon Americans to recognize the importance of cybersecurity and to observe this month with appropriate activities, events, and trainings to enhance our national security and resilience. Cyber attacks and their viral ability to infect networks, devices, and software must be the concern of all Americans. The Administration is committed to treating our digital infrastructure as a strategic national asset. Protecting this infrastructure is a national security priority, and in the process, we will ensure that these networks are comprehensive, trustworthy, and resilient.
benton.org/node/28410 | White House, The | Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan
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HOUSE TO LAUNCH CYBERSECURITY REVIEW
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Chris Strohm]
House lawmakers are ramping up their oversight of the multibillion-dollar effort to protect government computer networks amid concerns that the Obama administration has put its cybersecurity agenda on the back burner. House Intelligence Technical and Tactical Intelligence Subcommittee Chairman C.A. (Dutch) Ruppersberger (D-MD) said he is launching a series of strategy and budget meetings with officials from federal agencies and private companies who deal with cybersecurity. He said he plans to produce a comprehensive report with recommendations.
benton.org/node/28409 | CongressDaily
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HILL DEMANDS FEMA QUICKLY UPGRADE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: Aliya Sternstein]
House lawmakers demanded on Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency move quickly to upgrade the nation's Cold War-era public warning system so presidential alerts will reach Americans through modern communications, including cell phones. Rep Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, asked Mark Goldstein, director of physical infrastructure at the Government Accountability Office, what if the president had to send out a message today, who would and who would not receive it? "There's no assurance that the message would get very far," Goldstein alleged. "There's been limited testing of the system." A lack of concrete goals and deadlines have delayed installation of a comprehensive system, called the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), that will interface with Web-based and cellular devices, according to lawmakers and GAO.
benton.org/node/28406 | nextgov
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TELEPHONY

AT&T SLAMS GOOGLE VOICE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
When AT&T complained last week to federal regulators that Google was breaking telecom laws, the phone giant may have opened a bigger debate about the Federal Communications Commission's traditional approach to the industry, analysts and legal experts say. In a nutshell, AT&T argued in a letter to the FCC last week that Google Voice--a service that, among other things, connects regular old phone calls--was blocking some of those calls to rural areas. That practice, which Google admits to, violates call-blocking laws for traditional phone service operators, known in telecom-speak as "common carriers." Google argued that its service isn't a telecommunications service but an Internet application that isn't subject to the call-blocking telephone rules. That's where things get messy and interesting. As regulators shift their focus from telephone regulation to policies for the Web (net neutrality, a national broadband plan), there may be a move to rethink the buckets of technology definitions used during the pre-Internet age.
benton.org/node/28405 | Washington Post
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SPEAKEASY GIVES NOTICE IT WILL BLOCK CALLS
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]
[Commentary] Google is always a trend setter. Sadly, in this case, the trend is the refusal to complete calls to certain free conference call or free porn sites. Now Speakeasy has decided to do the same. Unless the Federal Communications Commission acts quickly, I expect other voice over Internet providers to follow this trend. What could the FCC do? 1) Issue a Declaratory Ruling & Order similar to the one issued in June 2007 prohibiting self-help by regular carriers. The Ruling should: (a) Declare that any VOIP provider or other service that assists users in making calls to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) that refuses to complete calls to any PSTN number is not eligible for protection under Madison River. If you want to be an application, then you don't get interconnection. No privileges without the accompanying responsibilities. and, (b) Declare that any VOIP provider that elects to block must meet the same explicit notice standards as Speakeasy. 2) The FCC needs to finally settle the regulatory status of VOIP providers and, in particular, figure out the status of Google Voice. If Google is smart, they will frame the issue by filing a Petition for Decl. Ruling along the lines they would like to see. If AT&T were smart, they'd file something real instead of that ridiculous letter they filed last week. But even if no one files anything (and I have enough to do this week, thank you very much), the FCC can and should investigate on its own authority and figure out what the heck Google Voice actually is so we can stop being distracted by this question.
benton.org/node/28404 | Public Knowledge
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WIRELESS

EXECUTIVE ORDER PROVIDES FEDERAL LEADERSHIP ON REDUCING TEXT MESSAGING WHILE DRIVING
[SOURCE: The White House]
President Barack Obama has signed an Executive Order banning Federal employees from text messaging or using other electronic equipment while driving. The move was made, in part, to demonstrate Federal leadership in improving safety on our roads and highways. Agencies will be required to outline specific steps to implement the ban, including disciplinary actions for employees caught texting while driving. The order directs agencies to evaluate existing driving safety education and awareness programs and consider expanding these efforts in coordination with a stricter texting policy. The General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management will assist the Transportation Department in guiding the order's implementation and enforcement in agencies.
benton.org/node/28403 | White House, The | nextgov
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WHY DO RURAL TELCOS IGNORE WIRELESS?
[SOURCE: xchange, AUTHOR: Tara Seals]
Rural telcos haven't been on the forefront of rolling out a 3G-based quad play, but they can't afford to stay that way if rural America is to keep up. Fittingly, wireless and broadband were key themes at National Telecommunications Cooperative Association's (NTCA) fall event. held Sept. 13-16 in New York. Steve Collier of Milsoft Technologies keynoted the event, centering in on the fact that the world will eventually be an entirely wireless one. He said simply that rural telcos have no choice to adjust to that reality. Meanwhile Jonathan Adelstein, the Rural Utilities Service Administrator, noted that the broadband wireless and wireline are linchpins to transforming rural communities into economic powerhouses. "Broadband is today's rural platform by which we can raise the standard of living for every American, just as electricity was a century ago," he noted. However, as national carriers bring more wireless broadband to more densely populated areas in the form of 3G, WiMAX and eventually LTE, rural America has largely been left out. 2G speeds are the norm from wireless operators, and this is where RLECs have the potential to come in. Only 12 percent of rural youth receive wireless service from their local telephone company, with the majority (76 percent) receiving service from a national carrier. Thus, it's clear RLECs could take market share by bundling a higher-speed, data-friendly wireless service with their home broadband service.
benton.org/node/28402 | xchange
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MOBILE INTERNET USAGE UP
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: Mike Shields]
Mobile Internet usage is growing exponentially—undoubtedly boosted in large part by smartphones like the iPhone. However, despite the hype surrounding the segment, just a quarter of wireless subscribers logged onto the Web via their mobile devices in July. According to a new report issued by Nielsen, there were 56.9 million mobile Web users in July of this year. That represents a healthy 34 percent spike in audience versus the 42.5 million mobile Web visitors tracked last year. However, per a separate Nielsen report issued in January—there are close to 225 million total mobile subscribers in the U.S.; therefore, mobile Internet penetration is roughly 25 percent, still trailing PC Web usage and lagging far behind mainstream media like TV.
benton.org/node/28401 | MediaWeek
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SMARTPHONE USERS HATE THE GAME, NOT THE PLAYER
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Mark Walsh]
A new consumer survey of smartphones confirms what many iPhone owners will readily tell you -- that they love the device but hate the wireless service it's paired with. Based on a 100-point scale, the iPhone was rated highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 83, followed by the Palm Pre and T-Mobile G1, both at 77, according to the study by market research firm CFI Group. Rounding out the top five were the BlackBerry (73) and Palm Treo (70). Phones running on the Symbian and Windows Mobile operating systems were grouped in an "others" category, each with a score of 66. Among carriers powering smartphones, AT&T rated the lowest, earning a score of 69 from iPhone users, and 73 from all other customers.
benton.org/node/28399 | MediaPost | InfoWorld
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WI-FI'S NEXT FRONTIER: CONNECTING DEVICES
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Sarah Reedy]
Kelly Davis-Felner, marketing director for the Wi-Fi Alliance, said the organization is launching a certification program for device-to-device connectivity via Wi-Fi that will officially kick off next summer. Similar to Bluetooth 3.0, device-to-device Wi-Fi enables quick connections between devices. This could include transferring content from a TV set-top box to its display or a proprietary implementation that lets two gamers share a video game between their Wi-Fi-enabled PlayStation consoles. It would also enable wirelessly sharing pictures from a cell phone or even sending a mobile image to display on a projector or a document from a laptop to a printer. Another use case comes from human interface devices, including mice, headphones and displays. Enterprise functionality is also being built in, Davis-Felner said.
benton.org/node/28398 | TelephonyOnline
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

WHITE HOUSE VS FOX NEWS: OLYMPICS
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune, AUTHOR: Mark Silva]
In the ongoing struggle between the White House and the FOX News Channel, the Obama administration's direct rebuttal of what FOX's Glenn Beck and a guest have had to say this week about the administration's hand in Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games may seem like a footnote. But it's emblematic of something bigger: An administration's refusal to play ball with a widely watched cable news network which it views as slanted is escalating to an administration's willingness to challenge commentators on the network for fast and loose foot-play with the facts - or, more specifically in this case, Glenn Beck's carelessness.
benton.org/node/28393 | Chicago Tribune
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THE WIZARD OF BECK
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: David Brooks]
[Commentary] A story of remarkable volume and utter weakness. It is the story of media mavens who claim to represent a hidden majority but who in fact represent a mere niche — even in the Republican Party. It is a story as old as "The Wizard of Oz," of grand illusions and small men behind the curtain. But, of course, we shouldn't be surprised by this story. Over the past few years the talk jocks have demonstrated their real-world weakness time and again. But this is not merely a story of weakness. It is a story of resilience. For no matter how often their hollowness is exposed, the jocks still reweave the myth of their own power. They still ride the airwaves claiming to speak for millions. They still confuse listeners with voters. And they are aided in this endeavor by their enablers. They are enabled by cynical Democrats, who love to claim that Rush Limbaugh controls the GOP. They are enabled by lazy pundits who find it easier to argue with showmen than with people whose opinions are based on knowledge. They are enabled by the slightly educated snobs who believe that Glenn Beck really is the voice of Middle America.
benton.org/node/28419 | New York Times
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HONDURAS: CENSORED RADIO QUADRUPLES LISTENERS ONLINE
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Sara Miller Llana]
The Honduran interim government shut down radio and TV stations that support ousted President Manuel Zelaya, but the Internet helps them evade the ban. Radio Globo director David Romero says the station has over 400,000 listeners online, four times its regular following. "It is frustrating the government," he says, laughing. "They can´t stop us."
benton.org/node/28418 | Christian Science Monitor, The
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ADMIN AND NEW MEDIA
[SOURCE: The White House]
Departments across the Administration continue to try to leverage social media tools to help make government more open and transparent. The Department of Justice announced the launch of the new Justice.gov and new profiles on Twitter, YouTube , MySpace and Facebook. Secretary Salazar from the Department of Interior launched new profiles on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and even a Flickr page that offers photos from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service and other bureaus. On Facebook, you can now become a fan of Education Secretary Duncan. You can now follow Transportation Secretary LaHood and Commerce Secretary Locke on Twitter.
benton.org/node/28396 | White House, The
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HEALTH IT

HIT IMPROVES RURAL HEALTH CARE
[SOURCE: Department of Health and Human Services, AUTHOR: Press release]
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a report on how health information technology can improve health care for Americans living in rural communities. The report examines how the Columbia Basin Health Association in Othello (WA) uses health information technology to improve health care quality and patient safety as well as promote care coordination and continuity. Columbia Basin Health Association (CBHA) provides 25,000 patients with access to a variety of medical, dental, prescription, and other services. CBHA was also one of the first health centers in the United States to fully transition from paper-based charts to an electronic health record (EHR) system. In response to the growing prevalence of diabetes in rural communities, CBHA used their EHR system to better track 1,302 diabetic patients. CBHA monitored whether patients received recommended exams and then provided feedback to health care providers on their performance. In January 2008, only 31 percent of patients at CBHA had received a foot exam and only 37 percent had received an eye exam during the previous year. By June 2008, 86 percent of patients had received a foot exam and 63 percent had received an eye exam over the previous year. Since CBHA's implementation of EHRs, the community health center has consistently ranked above the 95th percentile nationally in total medical and dental team productivity. Approximately 65 million Americans live in communities with shortages of primary care providers and nearly 50 million of those Americans live in rural areas. Health information technology, and specifically EHRs, can improve care for patients and assist in clinical decision making and the use of evidence-based guidelines. Electronic health records can also decrease administrative hassle, increasing workplace satisfaction and productivity.
benton.org/node/28395 | Department of Health and Human Services | GovernmentHealthIT | Government Technology
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"MEANINGFUL USE" UPDATE
[SOURCE: Department of Health and Human Services, AUTHOR: David Blumenthal]
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is charged with coordinating nationwide efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information. ONC is working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through an open and transparent process, on efforts to officially designate what constitutes "meaningful use." CMS is expected to publish a formal definition of meaningful use, for the purposes of receiving the Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments, by December 31, 2009. At that time, the public will be able to comment on the definition, and such comments will be considered in reaching any final definition of the term. By focusing on "meaningful use," we recognize that better health care does not come solely from the adoption of technology itself, but through the exchange and use of health information to best inform clinical decisions at the point of care. Meaningful use of EHRs, we anticipate, will also enable providers to reduce the amount of time spent on duplicative paperwork and gain more time to spend with their patients throughout the day. It will lead us toward improvements and sustainability of our health care system that can only be attained with the help of a reliable and secure nationwide electronic health information system. The concept of meaningful use is simple and inspiring, but we recognize that it becomes significantly more complex at a policy and regulatory level. As a result, we expect that any formal definition of "meaningful use" must include specific activities health care providers need to undertake to qualify for incentives from the federal government. Ultimately, we believe "meaningful use" should embody the goals of a transformed health system. Meaningful use, in the long-term, is when EHRs are used by health care providers to improve patient care, safety, and quality.
benton.org/node/28394 | Department of Health and Human Services
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JOURNALISM

WHITE HOUSE TOUGHENS ITS STANCE ON JOURNALIST SHIELD LAW
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Walter Pincus]
The Obama administration has given Congress a draft of a proposed shield law that toughens its position on controversial national security sections, according to administration sources. The proposed law is designed to protect journalists from having to disclose their confidential sources. Although some media sources called the draft a step backward that might kill the legislation, a White House official said Thursday that he expects negotiations to continue. "It does not represent a fixed point," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he had not been authorized to speak publicly. Media representatives who have reviewed the draft provided to them and Congress this week said the language came as a surprise, given President Obama's campaign pledge to support shield legislation. "People are very disappointed . . . and baffled," said Paul J. Boyle, senior vice president of the Newspaper Association of America, which is among the organizations promoting the legislation. He said many of his colleagues in the media are concerned that the administration's shift "may represent an effort to kill the legislation."
benton.org/node/28424 | Washington Post
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Analysis

October 2009

Oct 2, 2009 (Knight Commission; Everett Parker)

White House Toughens Its Stance on Journalist Shield Law

Knight: Access to News Wildly Unequal in US

GE appears ready to hand over control of NBC Universal to Comcast

Comcast Move Signal Fears About Internet Shift

NBC Has Been Something of an Odd Fit With Its Parent

The Wizard of Beck