DIGITAL DIVIDE
Youth Conference Promotes Rural Technology
Has the Divide Closed?
OWNERSHIP
Big Deals Looming In Wireless World
TELEVISION
A Decision on Digital Television
JOURNALISM
Identity Crisis for Journalist Group=20
DIGITAL DIVIDE
YOUTH CONFERENCE PROMOTES RURAL TECHNOLOGY
Students from 44 states and several U.S. territories came to the =
University
of Minnesota at St. Paul for the first annual 4-H Youth Tech =
Conference.
Each state delegation to the conference will return to their =
communities
with an action plan to jump-start the introduction of technology to =
rural
residents. The hundred-year-old 4-H Club is emphasizing youth and =
technology
as a way to diversify the group's focus. At the conference, delegations
shared their experiences with local partnerships and mentoring =
programs.
[SOURCE: Star Tribune, AUTHOR: Jackie Mah]
(http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/3138192.html)
HAS THE DIVIDE CLOSED?
For years, studies have suggested that minorities are less likely to =
use
computers. Now, as research shows that minorities are increasingly =
using
computers and the Internet, experts are debating the concept of a =
digital
divide and its relevance. A 2002 Tom=E1s Rivera Policy Institute report =
shows
that while Hispanics have made strides, there is still not parity with
overall population computer use. The report finds that 40 percent of
Hispanic households have computers, compared with 25.5 percent in 1998.
Additionally, 32 percent are online, compared to 12.6 in 1998. In
comparison, nearly 62 percent of white non-Hispanic households have
computers and 55.4 percent have Internet access. Meanwhile, Department =
of
Commerce (DOC) figures indicate much larger growth rates within the =
Hispanic
community for a shorter period of time. Elsa Macias, director of =
information
technology research at Tom=E1s Rivera, says the DOC report only shows a =
part
of the story, as government figures for Internet usage are based on =
computer
use from any location, not household computer ownership. Thus, says =
Macias,
the DOC report may be inflating computer and Internet usage by the =
Hispanic
community.
[SOURCE: Hispanic Business Magazine, AUTHOR: Teresa Talerico]
(http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=3D7098)
OWNERSHIP
BIG DEALS LOOMING IN WIRELESS
Industry observers believe that the next year may bring major =
consolidation
in the wireless industry. With close to half of all Americans already =
signed
up for a wireless plan, the market does not seem to be growing fast =
enough
to support six major carriers. The Federal Communications Commission =
will be
lifting limits on the amount of cellular airwaves controlled by a =
single
carrier, and analysts expect the action to trigger a number of mergers.
"It's the law of the big three," said Phillip Redman, a Gartner Group
analyst. "You see it in the auto industry. You see it in long distance. =
And
you're going to see it in wireless."=20
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Joelle Tessler]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3801124.htm)
TELEVISION
A DECISION ON DIGITAL TELEVISION
The Federal Communications Commission will vote on a regulation =
requiring
consumer electronics makers to include digital tuners in new TV sets by
2006. They will also debate whether manufacturers should be required to
embed anti-piracy technologies into computer devices and digital =
recorders.
The Consumer Electronics Association has argued against forcing
manufacturers to add digital tuners to TVs, saying it will increase =
prices
by close to $250. They have asked for a regulation that will require =
cable
companies to carry all local digital TV broadcasts signals. The cable
companies feel that such a regulation will restrict their ability to =
carry
varied programming. As for embedding anti-piracy technologies, computer
industry executives feel that hackers would be able to break any =
anti-piracy
measures, and it is not worth the added expense to manufacturers and
consumers.=20
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Amy Harmon]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/05/technology/05DIGI.html)
JOURNALISM
IDENTITY CRISIS FOR JOURNALIST GROUP
The National Association of Black Journalists Annual Meeting this year =
drew
about 2,000 participants, down 25 percent from last year. The =
association,
founded 27 years ago to promote the careers of black journalists and =
open
the profession's blinkered outlook on issues involving ethnic =
minorities,
has reached an awkward maturity. Some of the most popular workshops at =
this
year's convention focused not on becoming better at journalism, but on
leaving it. There were sessions on how to become a Hollywood =
screenwriter,
how to get into marketing and how to produce daytime talk shows. The
popularity of such sessions point to the organization's challenge to =
sustain
itself at a time when its membership is increasingly excited by the =
idea of
leaving journalism.=20
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Felicity Barringer]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/05/business/media/05MEDI.html)
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