DIGITAL DIVIDE
It Takes a World Wide Web to Raise a Village (NYT)
ONLINE JOURNALISM & PUBLISHING
Giving Online Audiences News They Want (NYT)
A News Service Caters To Nonprofits (NYT)
Cloak, Dagger and Mouse: A Columnist Defects to the Web (NYT)
A Forum for Media Feedback and Back Talk (NYT)
Banking Big on e-Literacy (WP)
Internet Lets Authors Control Literary Fate (USA)
Author Learns E-Mail Can Sell Or Sink A Book (WSJ)
ADVERTISING
Hidden Political Bias Taints Public Service Ads (USA)
Ad Council Is Not Political (USA)
Media Forecast: Good Times Will Keep Rolling (USA)
JOBS
Verizon Workers Form Picket Lines As Talks Continue (NYT)
DIGITAL TV
Digital TV Era Still Remains Out of Reach (NYT)
OWNERSHIP
Survey of Minority Broadcast Owners (NTIA)
INTERNATIONAL
Iranian Leader Bars Reformers' Press Bill (NYT)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
IT TAKES A WORLD WIDE WEB TO RAISE A VILLAGE
Issue: Digital Divide
Bernard Krisher, a 69-year-old former journalist, is trying to bring the
Internet to one of the poorest regions in Asia. Krisher's nonprofit group,
American Assistance for Cambodia, has been working to create a permanent
Internet connection in the village of Robib. The link is being provided to the
village by Shin Satellite in neighboring Thailand. Mr. Krisher hopes that
the project will support the creation of a woven-silk industry in the
village. If the villagers are successful in selling the scarves and table
runners they manufacture, Krisher estimates it would be possible to generate
as much as $2,000 a month in revenue. "We're trying to show that the
Internet can really help a single village," said Mr. Krisher, whose
nonprofit group is based in Tokyo, where he lives. "If this is copied
elsewhere around the world it might help eliminate the digital divide." The
plan not only brings a boost to the local economy, it also fosters
tradition: a number of the Robib villagers are being trained in the once
traditional, but now atrophied, weaving skills of the region. Other
benefits: a local hotel will process the credit card payments; a group of
doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston will answer villagers'
health-related questions;
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: John Markoff]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/07bern.html)
ONLINE JOURNALISM & PUBLISHING
GIVING ONLINE AUDIENCES NEWS THEY WANT
Issue: Online Journalism
A handful of new Web sites offer users television-style news reports in
digestible bits that can be put together into personalized newscasts.
Viewers will click on video reports they want to see, when they want to see
them. Computerized news services will learn users' viewing habits and offer
them news bits tailored to their tastes. Advertisers will aim at viewers
based on their supposed news preferences. The sites include FeedRoom.com,
Yahoo, Zatso.com and Jagfn.com for financial news. "If you want to watch
good news, you'll watch good news; if you like to watch crime news, you'll
watch crime news," said Jonathan Klein, who was executive vice president of
CBS News from 1995 to 1998 and is now an investor in FeedRoom. "It's putting
the clicker in the viewer's hand and saying, 'You decide.'" It remains to be
seen if this style of newscast can replace the traditional TV newscast
offered by the networks and local TV stations. "The business model might do
a very good job of supporting narrow content for things like sports or
business or health," said John V. Pavlik, executive director of Columbia
University's Center for New Media. "But I'm not so confident that the
business model will support public affairs journalism. Who, exactly, is
going to be the sponsor for that type of news?"
[SOURCE: New York Times (C14), AUTHOR: Jim Rutenberg]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/07tube.html)
A NEWS SERVICE CATERS TO NONPROFITS
Issue: Online Journalism/Nonprofits
AScribe (www.ascribe.org) is an Internet-based distributor of news releases
for universities, nonprofit organizations and foundations that aims to make
"public interest" announcements more accessible and affordable. Some 250
colleges, universities and other organizations have signed up for the
service, paying $10 to $20 a release depending on the subscription plan.
Releases are e-mailed to AScribe where they are copy edited and then sent to
news organizations and Web sites through several means, including The
Associated Press and Dow Jones Interactive. AScribe is currently looking for
venture capital.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C4), AUTHOR: Matt Richtel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/07spam.html)
CLOAK, DAGGER AND MOUSE: A COLUMNIST DEFECTS TO THE WEB
Issue: Online Journalism
A look at the recent career turns of Hugo Dixon, former columnist at The
Financial Times now running his own Web site -- BreakingViews.com -- and
writing for The Wall Street Journal's European edition. Dow Jones, The
Journal's parent company, took a 7 percent stake in BreakingViews.com, which
offers quick financial commentary online about breaking-news subjects. But
Mr. Dixon is coming under scrutiny because of an accusation being privately
levied by some of his former colleagues: Mr. Dixon may have a conflict of
interest because his company is being partly financed by people and
companies that he and his team of journalists are supposed to be writing
commentary about.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Andrew Ross Sorkin]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/uk-columnist.html)
A FORUM FOR MEDIA FEEDBACK AND BACK TALK
Issue: Online Journalism
A look at MediaNews.org, a sort of online hangout for journalists run by
reporter Jim Romenesko. The site published an article by Eugene Kennedy
recently, defending Mike Barnicle, the Boston Globe columnist who resigned
under duress after accusations he plagiarized a comedian's jokes and that he
had inadequately verified a story about terminally ill children.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C14), AUTHOR: Felicity Barringer]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/07spat.html)
BANKING BIG ON E-LITERACY
Issue: E-publishing
The world of book publishing continues to change: the publishing houses are
producing more e-books, Stephen King & Scott Turow are self-publishing,
Microsoft this week releases its new Reader software. But where are the
readers? Until now, best-selling e-books have had pitiable sales -- selling
around 1,000 copies apiece. But the publishers believe that it is only a
matter of time before an experiment becomes a trend. "We're convinced that
this business is for real," says Jack Romanos, head of Simon & Schuster.
"We're not sure when. It may be sooner, it may be later." There are still
many items to be sorted out, cost for example. Barnes & Noble's online
bookstore offers some titles for free. Other publishers have alternated
pricing e-books both below and above their hardcopy companions. And then
there remains the unanswered question of how relevant the publishing houses
will be in the future. While the publishing houses count on their
established reputations to convey a level of quality to readers and feel
that their marketing clout is invaluable, Stephen King last week announced
that his $1-per-download novel, "The Plant", had exceeded his payment
expectations and so will continue self-publishing.
[[SOURCE: Washington Post (C01), AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46563-2000Aug6.html)
INTERNET LETS AUTHORS CONTROL LITERARY FATE
Issue: E-publishing
[Op-ED] While Stephen King's recent Internet-only novella, "The Plant", may
not be a blockbuster, it still proves an important point: author's are no
long dependant on publishers to sell books. Mark Mathabane, author of Kaffir
Boy and Miriam's Song, discovered that he could reissued his out-of-print
books and now sell them via the Net even if publisher deemed them no longer
profitable. Mathabane also turned to the Internet to publish his first
novel, "Ubuntu", himself. "Writers can no longer afford to be indifferent to
the Net and how it can help them strive for financial and artistic
independence," writes Mathabane.
[SOURCE: USAToday (15A), AUTHOR: Mark Mathabane (Author of Kaffir Boy)]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000807/2525425s.htm)
AUTHOR LEARNS E-MAIL CAN SELL OR SINK A BOOK
Issue: Publishing
Sending spam, or junk e-mail, is, at best, a New Economy blunder. But, as
Jonathan
Tropper found out, it's a mortal sin when it comes to selling a book. When
first-time novelist Tropper appeared at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble
to read from his debut work in March, over 200 people showed up. He had
reached them through personal e-mails. Four months later, instead of
counting sales, Mr. Tropper is counting the things he would have done
differently to avoid an expensive lesson in the pitfalls of Internet
marketing. After the reading, Mr. Trooper hired an online marketing company,
which unleashed a torrent of e-mail promoting his book to influential people
and chat groups in the Web's sprawling book and publishing communities. In
stark contrast to his e-mail campaign, the new one touched off a remarkably
potent backlash. Web purists scrawled angry replies on Amazon's review page
instructing people not to buy the book. "Please do not support an author
that would send unsolicited mail to advertise his book," one e-mail
recipient wrote. It didn't take long for Amazon to remove the offending
messages but the damage was done. Sales collapsed. Simon Lipskar, Mr.
Tropper's literary agent, thinks his client may never be able to sell another
book and his career may have been cut short.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Matthew Rose]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB965606587560231826.htm)
ADVERTISING
HIDDEN POLITICAL BIAS TAINTS PUBLIC SERVICE ADS
Issue: Advertising
[Editorial] The Advertising Council, which is best known for its public
service ads
advocating recycling and forest-fire prevention, has a goal to advocate
non-controversial, non-partisan good works. However, a recent campaign to
promote workplace-giving programs that fund Earth Share, an environmental
umbrella group, has raised concerns about the Council's adherence to its own
standards. USAToday reports that several of Earth Share's 44 members violate
the council's own political-neutrality standards. One member, the Sierra
Club, run ads in California attacking the Republican presidential candidate,
Gov. George W. Bush. The editorial concludes: "If the Ad Council and its
sponsors want to keep their credibility, they need to keep their distance
from charitable groups with high-minded goals but clear political agendas."
[SOURCE: USAToday (13A), AUTHOR: USAToday Editorial Staff]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000807/2525470s.htm)
See Also:
AD COUNCIL IS NOT POLITICAL
[Op-Ed] In the Ad Council's 58-year history as the nation's leading provider
of PSAs, it "has never conducted itself politically, but entirely in the
spirit of improving American life," writes Ad Council President Peggy
Conlon. She explains that in order for a proposed campaign to be considered,
it must live up to a set of more than 10 criteria, including being
non-commercial, non-denominational, non-partisan politically and not
designed to influence legislation. Conlon claims that Earth Share, the
campaign sponsor mentioned by USA TODAY, meets all of the Council's campaign
criteria. "While issues of environmental policy sometimes come into play in
the political arena," writes Conlon, "the environment itself is a concern
all Americans share, regardless of political affiliation."
[SOURCE: USAToday (13A), AUTHOR: Peggy Conlon (President of the Ad Council)]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000807/2525478s.htm)
MEDIA FORECAST: GOOD TIMES WILL KEEP ROLLING
Issue: Media
In four years, the average person by then will spend more than 10 hours a
day and $792 a year to stay informed and entertained, according to a
recently released report, The 2000 Veronis Suhler Communications Industry
Forecast. "Communications spending, from advertisers and end users, is
growing faster than any other industry in the U.S. economy," says James
Rutherfurd, executive vice president of merchant bank Veronis Suhler. Among
the study's predictions for 2004: the Internet will be in 67 million homes,
a 66 percent increase over 1999; newspaper revenue will see a 33 percent
increase in revenue; and cable will be the No. 1 business in the
communications industry.
[SOURCE: USAToday (2B), AUTHOR: David Lieberman]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000807/2525451s.htm)
JOBS
VERIZON WORKERS FORM PICKET LINES AS TALKS CONTINUE
Issue: Jobs
80,000 workers have struck against Verizon Communications over issues
including outsourcing of work and unionization of employees in the wireless
business. hardly affecting routine services, the labor dispute at Verizon,
the nation's largest local and wireless telephone company, disrupted
operator-assisted services, repairs and installations for 25 million
residential and business customers from Maine to Virginia. At stake is the
role of organized labor in rapidly growing high-technology industries. "This
could open the door for unions to move not only into wireless but into other
high-tech parts of the economy as well," said Paul Osterman, professor of
management at M.I.T. Verizon is a newly-formed company combining Bell
Atlantic, GTE and Vodafone AirTouch.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/080700verizon-talks.html)
See Also
VERIZON, UNION REPRESENTATIVES CONTINUE TALKS AS STRIKE BEGINS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: Deborah Solomon & Yochi Dreazen]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB96559517850859237.htm)
DIGITAL TV
DIGITAL TV ERA STILL REMAINS OUT OF REACH
Issue: Digital TV
"Everything will be different," Reed E. Hundt said in 1996 when, as chairman
of the Federal Communications Commission, he was about to approve the rules
that set the transition from analog to digital television in motion. "The
change is so extreme that many people have not grasped it." But four years
later -- two years after digital TV sets started being sold -- few Americans
realize the transition is taking place or buying DTVs. How long will the
broadcasters be willing to spend money transmitting digital signals if there
are no viewers? How long will the government allow television stations to
tie up two channels -- one analog, the other digital -- at a cost of many
billions of dollars? The government is eager to auction off the analog
channels, and is already counting the auction proceeds -- billions of
dollars -- in future budget projections. There appears to be a growing
consensus that the present transition plan is not working. Congress appears
uninterested in intervening and the Federal Communications Commission's
processes are to drawn out for quick action. 230,000 DTVs have been sold and
they currently list for $2,500 (compared to $6,000 when introduced). 260
million TV sets will have to be replaces or reconfigured by convertor boxes
to complete the transition.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Joel Brinkley]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/07dtv.html)
OWNERSHIP
SURVEY OF MINORITY BROADCAST OWNERS
Issue: Ownership
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is requesting
help in obtaining important information about the experiences of minority
broadcast owners. The purpose of the questionnaire is to gather data and
statistics that the NTIA will use to assess the state of minority broadcast
ownership in the United States, and to analyze the impact of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 on minority broadcast ownership.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/minoritymediaroundtable/survey.html)
INTERNATIONAL
IRANIAN LEADER BARS REFORMERS' PRESS BILL
Issue: International/Journalism
A bill aimed at restoring a free press in Iran received a major blow when
the supreme religious leader today sided conclusively with the country's
conservatives and ordered Parliament to scrap it. Reformers had hoped to use
their newly won strength in Parliament to revive the once vigorous liberal
press. The proposed law to deregulate the press was the centerpiece of
President Mohammad Khatami's package for the new Parliament, which opened in
late May. In the last six months, courts closed nearly every reformist
newspaper and jailed editors and intellectuals. In refusing to permit the
bill to be debated or voted on, Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme religious
leader took the exceptional action of circumventing the normal institutional
checks on legislative power. The Iranian Parliament, while directly elected,
is relatively weak. The Council of Guardians, a conservative clerical body,
must approve any law passed by Parliament. A law rejected by the council can
then be appealed by Parliament to another group, the Expediency Council,
which is also dominated by hard-liners. Only then -- at least until today --
did the supreme leader intervene to make a final decision about the
constitutionality of a measure.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A9), AUTHOR: Nazila Fathi]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/080700iran-parliament.html)
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