DIGITAL DIVIDE
Digital Divide Is Not Some Fairy Tale
World Telecommunication Development Conference Adopts Action Plan
Online Lifeline For Children
INTERNET
Librarian Testifies on Web Filtering
ICANN Seeks Suggestions on Restructuring Process
OWNERSHIP
Why Are Civil Rights Groups Neglecting Media Policy?
Using Tariffs To Discourage Movie Production Outside U.S.
DIGITAL DIVIDE
DIGITAL DIVIDE IS NOT SOME FAIRY TALE
[Commentary] Don Wycliff, public editor of the Chicago Tribune comments =
on
Robert Samuelson's recent Newsweek column, "Debunking the digital =
divide".
Samuelson stated that the digital divide is "spontaneously =
shrinking-and
with it, the exaggerated popular notions of the harm it did." Wycliff =
points
out that it has not been spontaneity, but instead federal investment of
around $8.2 billion through the E-rate program that has helped to =
narrow the
divide. The National Center for Education Statistics has reported that =
the
percentage of schools with at least one Internet connection has =
increased
33% since 1996. In the same period there has been a 63% increase in =
the
number of public classrooms with Internet access. The importance of =
these
figures, says Wycliff, is that "according to the Bureau of the Census,
roughly half of 10-17-year olds from homes with incomes under
$15,000-poverty households-use computers only at school. If they don't =
get
exposure to the technology there, they simply don't get it." Samuelson
supports his claim that there has been little economic harm to those =
who
lack access to technology with studies from Harvard, UC Berkeley and =
the
University of Michigan. While acknowledging the quality of the =
researchers,
Wycliff wonders, "what if those economists are measuring the wrong =
things?
What if they're measuring things not because they're important, but =
because
they're measurable?"=20
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune, AUTHOR: Don Wycliff]
(http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0203280121mar28.colum=
n?co
ll=3Dchi%2Dnews%2Dcol)
WORLD TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ADOPTS ACTION PLAN
The ITU's third World Telecommunication Development Conference drew to =
a
close on March 27, 2002 having adopted a common vision and strategy for
achieving balanced telecommunication development, setting goals and
objectives. The multi-pronged Istanbul Action Plan adopted by the =
Conference
is said to have all the elements needed to make it possible to =
fast-track
ITU's objectives fo bridging the digital divide in all its dimensions. =
Based
on six programs, the Plan seeks to empower all stakeholders in telecom
development to enable them to bring services for the benefit of all =
through
capacity building, regulation, technology and ICT solutions, human =
resource
development, and financing schemes. In his closing remarks, Mr. =
Hamadoun
Tour=E9, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau said =
the
commitment made at Istanbul marked the beginning of a new era. "If we =
all
commit ourselves to the conclusions of this Conference, the low
teledensities in least and developing countries can be tripled or even
quadrupled before our next World Telecommunication Conference, Internet
penetration will reach at least 25 percent of the population and every
school will be wired or unwired, making information accessible to every
child in the world."
[SOURCE: ITU Press Release, AUTHOR: Staff]
(http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2002/11.html)
online lifeLINE for children
In the UK, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to =
Children
(NSPCC) has launched a pilot website to provide one-to-one real-time
counseling to children. Aimed at children aged between 12 and 16,
There4me.com offers information, advice and games as well as the =
counseling
service. NSPCC currently runs a telephone counseling service, =
Childline,
which will be complemented by the website. Childline chief executive =
Carole
Easton says, "Children are often more comfortable with technology than
adults and we have found that they would be interested in an e-mail =
service,
especially for those that might not be able or do not want to use the
telephone." It could also be a better way of reaching boys, who are =
more
reluctant than girls to use the telephone service. The website is =
available
at (http://www.there4me.com). Further information about the website and
about NSPCC may be found at
(http://www.nspcc.org.uk/html/homepage/home.htm).
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: Staff]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1899000/1899187.stm)
INTERNET
LIBRARIAN TESTIFIES ON WEB FILTERING
A librarian testified Thursday that libraries can fulfill a federal law
requiring the use of Internet filtering software without infringing on =
their
patron's First Amendment rights. David Biek, main library manager of =
the
Tacoma Washington, Public Library testified that filters have "made it
possible for us to continue to deliver services effectively, including =
the
Internet." He also stated that in a survey of his library patrons they =
found
that 95 percent of the Websites were blocked correctly and staff could
override the filter if a Website had been blocked incorrectly. The =
Tacoma
library has also established policies that allow patrons to view a =
text-only
version of any blocked Web site. The American Civil Liberties Union is
arguing the case on behalf of the American Library Association and a =
group
of libraries and patrons. The government has stated that if libraries =
do not
want to use filtering software requirement they can simply turn down =
federal
subsidies. =20
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/2955397.htm)
ICANN SEEKS SUGGESTIONS ON RESTRUCTURING PROCESS
At a meeting earlier this month, ICANN voted to begin restructuring =
itself,
abandoning plans to establish a global mechanism that would allow =
ordinary
Internet users to directly elect ICANN leaders. Instead, in a highly
controversial move, ICANN president Stuart Lynn proposed that world
governments, rather than Internet users, take the ICANN reins. While =
many
are convinced that Lynn's proposal is a "done deal," Lynn insists that =
the
proposal was meant only as a template and that public input would be =
asked
for during the restructuring process. To that end, ICANN's "evolution =
and
reform" committee has opened an online comment period. Center for =
Democracy
and Technology (CDT) Policy Analyst Rob Courtney applauded the =
committee's
request for suggestions.=20
[SOURCE: Newsbytes, AUTHOR: David McGuire]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/15906-1.html)
OWNERSHIP
WHY ARE CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS NEGLECTING MEDIA POLICY?
[Op-Ed] Seeta Pe=F1a Gangadharan thinks that those who celebrate the =
diversity
of this year's Oscar recipients, particularly civil rights groups, need =
to
be more focused on the larger battle against media consolidation. =
Recent
deregulatory decisions that foreshadow increasing media consolidation =
will
likely perpetuate the gross underrepresentation of minorities in all =
ranks
of the business. Consumer advocates charge that decisions made by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Congress and the federal =
courts
pave the way for more media mergers throughout the United States. "Yet,
while opponents of media consolidation predict a dismal future of
multi-platform monoculture," writes Gangadharan, "organizations that =
have
long fought for racial equality have been uncommonly quiet about the =
matter
of media deregulation." She concludes that: "Unless civil rights
organizations assume a leadership role in policy debates on =
deregulation of
the media industry, the cycle can only get worse."
[SOURCE: Media Channel, AUTHOR: Seeta Pe=F1a Gangadharan]
(http://www.mediachannel.org/views/oped/diversity.shtml)
USING TARIFFS TO DISCOURAGE MOVIE PRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE US
In its latest move to keep movie jobs in the US, the Film and =
Television
Action Committee is drafting a petition to the Commerce Department =
seeking a
countervailing duty on movies produced in Canada. For quite some time,
Canada has proven to be an attractive production location for Hollywood
studios. The attractions include a cheap dollar, skilled film crews, =
and
locations on the same time zone as New York and Los Angeles. The =
biggest
incentive, however, is in the form of generous subsidies offered by the
Canadian government (national and provincial) to attract foreign =
filmmakers.
Elizabeth McDonald, the chief executive of the Canadian Film and TV
Association, said that movies were not products, like steel, on which
America could impose import duties. Jack Valenti, the chief executive =
of the
Motion Picture Association of America sides with Canada, saying, "I am
standing alongside a good many of my colleagues to oppose attempts by =
others
in Hollywood to impose countervailing duties on Canada. I support the =
right
of a producer to film his production in whatever locale he chooses. =
Many
industry associations and guilds have pointed out that the US film =
industry
would be better served by incentives similar to those offered by =
Canada,
Australia and other countries.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Bernard Simon]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/29/business/worldbusiness/29TRAD.html)
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