JOURNALISM
Managing the News (NYT)
OWNERSHIP
Appellate Court Eases Limitations for Media Giants (NYT)
Americans Facing Greater Loss of Independent Local Media Outlets,
Study Reveals (CDD)
Internet Concerns Drop Plans to Merge on FTC's Opposition (NYT)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
High Court To Hear Case On Copyright (WP)
JOURNALISM
MANAGING THE NEWS
Issue: Journalism
[Editorial] The war against global terrorism has spread from the military
arena to the realm of news and information. A new Pentagon office plans to
use a mix of truthful news and fabricated stories to help sway foreign
public opinion. The New York Times argues that the Office of Strategic
Influence plans to plant false stories in the foreign press would undermine
rather than reinforce the government's broader efforts to build
international support. While the paper recognizes the need to spread
America's message abroad through foreign language radio broadcasts and the
overseas libraries, it suggests that "The value of the new White House
effort will be directly proportional to the reputation it earns for telling
the truth."
[SOURCE: New York Times]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/opinion/_20WED2.html)
(requires registration)
OWNERSHIP
APPELLATE COURT EASES LIMITATIONS FOR MEDIA GIANTS
Issue: Ownership
A federal appeals court struck down a regulation that restricted cable
operators from owning television stations. The court also ruled that the
government reconsider limits on the number of stations owned by a television
network. A victory for the large television networks and cable operators,
the ruling could allow companies such as AOL Time Warner and Viacom to
pursue a new wave of megamergers. Consumer groups and smaller broadcast
owners expressed alarm at the ruling, fearing it will limit diversity in
media ownership and result in higher consumer prices for video programming.
The decision is one of a series of actions taken by the courts and FCC in
the last year that have eliminated decades-old ownership restrictions
created to control expansion of the largest television, cable and telephone
companies.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/business/media/20BROA.html?pagewanted=pri
nt)
AMERICANS FACING GREATER LOSS OF INDEPENDENT LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS, STUDY
REVEALS
Issue: Ownership
A coalition of consumer and media advocacy organizations, including
Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, Media Access Project,
Center for Digital Democracy, and the Civil Rights Forum, filed a response
to a recent federal ruling that relaxes regulations on newspaper broadcast
cross-ownership. The 140-page filing explains how joint ownership of local
newspapers and broadcast television outlets violates the constitutional
requirement that "the widest possible dissemination of information from
diverse and antagonistic sources is essential to the welfare of the people."
Along with concerns that the ruling would trigger new mergers thus reducing
the number of independent media owners, the filing also presented evidence
of declining journalistic standards in markets with cross-ownership.
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/crossownerfiling.html)
INTERNET CONCERNS DROP PLANS TO MERGE ON F.T.C'S OPPOSITION ISSUE
Issue: Merger
Responding to government pressure, NetRatings and Jupiter Media Metrix, the
two largest companies that measure Internet audiences will not pursue a
merger. Yesterday the Federal Trade Commission informed the two companies
that it would oppose the merger on the grounds that it would result in the
combined company owning a huge majority of the Internet ratings market. The
FTC has also blocked an agreement between the two companies that would loan
the cash-strapped Jupiter money before the merger closed.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Saul Hansell]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/technology/20JUPI.html?pagewanted=print)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
HIGH COURT TO HEAR CASE ON COPYRIGHT
Issue: Intellectual Property
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of a 1998 law
that extended existing copyrights from 50 years after the death of the
creator to 70 years. The decision could affect content availability on the
Internet and cost movie studios, record companies, and publishers billions
of dollars. Many highly valuable copyrights including Walt Disney's Mickey
Mouse would have expired had the law not been changed. Motion picture and
recording industries support the law and the right of Congress to set and
extend copyright terms. A coalition of small publishers and businesses
specializing in distribution of works with expired copyrights argue that
Congress is undermining the vision of the framers of the Constitution who
believed copyrights should only last for a limited time.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/15241-1.html)
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