March 17, 2011 (House Vote on NPR)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011 (HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY)
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Happy Planniversary!
National Broadband Plan moves at dial-up speed
National Broadband Plan: Too Slow Or Just Right?
National Broadband Plan's Public Safety Recommendations -- One Year Later
The National Broadband Plan, One Year Later -- Despite fanfare, Americans still left with status quo
All Broadband Is Fiber, The Only Difference Is How Deep It Goes
Web creator to help protect ‘open internet’
Retailers Push Amazon on Taxes
Senators Urge Action On Data Roaming
Bypassing the big guys to get broadband
The Best (and Worst) States to Live for Online Shoppers
New Actelis product aims to boost DSL bandwidth
WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
FCC on spectrum inventory: Already did it
FCC's Genachowski shoots down broadcast 'hoarding' claim: 'Not true'
NAB wants FCC Data Suggesting No Fallow Spectrum
Some Hard Facts About Wi-Fi and Its Future
Macheen's "Hot" PCs Give a Whole New Meaning to the Internets
FCC Releases 700 MHz Band/Auction 92 Rules
Cellphones give hotel guests the upper hand
Rural Radio Service Comment Schedule
CYBERSECURITY
Private sector not adequately defending US cyberspace, security expert warns
GAO: Continued Attention Needed to Protect Our Nation's Critical Infrastructure and Federal Information Systems
Rep Langevin introduces cybersecurity bill
PRIVACY
FTC, White House urge Internet privacy measures
Protecting Consumers & Promoting Innovation Online: A Call for Baseline Privacy Legislation
Some Companies Actually Want More Privacy Regulation
EU wants Facebook, Google to comply with new data rules
PUBLIC BROADCASTING
House to vote on cutting off federal funding for National Public Radio
Why House Republicans are rushing to slash NPR funding
NPR needs a backbone
Punishment for NPR
NPR exposé: Shady or enlightening?
ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
The Internet and Campaign 2010
CONTENT
How TV's "vast wasteland" became a vast garden
Computer & Communications Industry Association opposes White House IP recommendations
Time Warner Cable Pulls 17 Channels From iPad App, Citing High Demand (Updated)
When the Marketing Reach of Social Media Backfires
Should the entertainment industry accept piracy as a cost of doing business? Part 2
Brits spend more time on social media than anything else online
OPEN GOVERNMENT/GOV PERFORMANCE
Sunshine Week 2011 and Our Ongoing Commitment to Open Government
President Obama receiving transparency award
Sens Leahy, Cornyn introduce Faster FOIA Act
Agencies on track to implement White House IT strategy, CIOs say
Whitehouse.gov, Brought to You By Clorox!
MORE ONLINE
You're Changing the World. Google Wants to Help.
Newspaper ad sales hit 25-year low in 2010
The Secret to Digital Sanity
Digital Textbooks Will Dominate Over Paper Ones Soon
Tyrone Brown leaving MAP after One Year
FCC Releases Accessibility Survey
Antitrust Regulators Poised to Approve Google-ITA Deal Soon
Your Consumer Advisory Committee
Do Rural Markets Have a Call Completion Problem?
INTERNET/BROADBAND
NBP MOVES AT DIAL-UP SPEED
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Tony Romm, Eliza Krigman]
One year after the Federal Communications Commission released its National Broadband Plan, more than half of the recommendations have yet to be implemented as the legacy of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski -- as well as the success of President Barack Obama’s broadband promises -- hangs in the balance. The 300-page plan’s bold vision for the nation’s broadband agenda has largely taken a backseat to the net neutrality debate at both the FCC and on Capitol Hill. Some 40 percent of the plan’s 218 recommendations are in progress, the Benton Foundation estimates, and nearly 10 percent of the recommendations have been completed. Thirty-four percent of the recommendations have not yet been touched.
Among the goals not completed:
An ambitious goal to create a nationwide public safety network so first responders can communicate more effectively
Reform an $8 billion fund to subsidize the expansion of broadband services in rural, low-income and hard to reach areas
Establish a standard for a universal device to deliver all sorts of TV content through the Internet
To be clear, not all of the recommendations outlined in the plan could be acted on solely by the FCC. Some require legislation from Congress and others are directed to separate federal agencies. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an arm of the Commerce Department that advises the President, shares or owns responsibility for much of the plan’s agenda. But the scrutiny has been especially pointed this year, as debate over net neutrality has prompted some Republicans to question the agency’s authority over the Internet writ large. That’s meant there has been less time to focus on other elements of the broadband plan, many of which are not controversial, from moving ahead at the agency and on Capitol Hill.
benton.org/node/53042 | Politico
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TOO SLOW OR JUST RIGHT?
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: Josh Smith]
One year after the Federal Communications Commission released its National Broadband Plan, federal officials tout the past year's accomplishments while critics say the agency is moving too slowly and becoming distracted by the net neutrality debate. The truth is, both sides are right to a degree. Of the plan's 200-plus recommendations, about 34 percent remain untouched, according to the Benton Foundation, a telecommunications public interest group. But almost 10 percent of the proposals are complete, and about 56 percent are in progress or have at least been started. And with a 10-year schedule for implementing the proposals, that puts the FCC roughly on track. According to the agency's own count, it has completed about 80 percent of its first-year goals, which leaves some observers unimpressed. The people who helped draft the 300-page document say it's too soon to render judgment on how effectively the plan is being implemented. Among the plan's unaccomplished goals: a national public safety communications network and reform of a fund originally used to provide telephone service to rural and low-income areas. But the FCC has started the ball rolling on several of those major goals, while others require congressional action. And the agency has modernized a program to provide schools and libraries with Internet service; approved plans to extend broadband service to tribal lands; moved ahead with the debate over spectrum auctions; and launched a national broadband map.
benton.org/node/53090 | National Journal
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NBP PUBLIC SAFETY RECS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Jamie Barnett]
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission developed and released the National Broadband Plan (the Plan) to ensure that every American has “access to broadband capability.” A section of the Plan included a detailed strategy for achieving maximum use of broadband to advance public safety communications. One year later, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) has been working hard promoting public safety wireless broadband communications, encouraging the development and deployment of Next Generation 911 networks, and protecting and preserving critical broadband infrastructure. March 17, 2011 marks the one year anniversary of the Plan and we wanted to share with you the specifics of what we have accomplished and how we plan to further enhance broadband communications for public safety.
The FCC created the Emergency Response Interoperability Center, which is charged with drafting the technical and operational framework for public safety broadband wireless networks. The FCC took an important step towards implementation of such a framework in January, when it adopted an Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on public safety broadband network interoperability. In this item, we set the initial requirements of the network and are seeking public comment on additional critical issues.
The FCC adopted a Notice of Inquiry to explore how to bring Next Generation 911 services to consumers and first responders that will enable the public to obtain emergency assistance by means of advanced communications technologies beyond traditional voice-centric devices.
The FCC has begun an inquiry proceeding on network resiliency and preparedness that would identify the problems and survivability of commercial broadband networks. While this NOI focuses on commercial broadband communications, we are also addressing the critical sectors of our nation, the non-commercial broadband networks that are utilized by public safety, utilities, state and federal entities which all work to help you.
benton.org/node/53038 | Federal Communications Commission
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ALL BROADBAND IS FIBER
[SOURCE: App-Rising.com, AUTHOR: Geoff Daily]
[Commentary] A primary difference between the performance characteristics of the various flavors of broadband is how close they're bringing fiber to the end user. This is even true for wireless as service improves the closer antennae are to users and the more robust the backhaul networks are. With this context we can now define fiber-to-the-home as bringing the full power of the Internet to your front door. It's my belief that we can take back control over the word "fiber" if we start framing things in this way. I want to see a day where everyone starts asking the question, "So how close does your broadband solution bring fiber to me and my neighbors?" And this is the question that matters most when it comes to insuring America has the broadband infrastructure necessary to support all that the 21st century economy makes possible. So instead of demonizing profit-motivated providers, let's unify our efforts to promote a multi-faceted pro-fiber agenda that supports the upgrading of all of our country's broadband infrastructure through the deeper deployment of fiber.
benton.org/node/53025 | App-Rising.com
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BERNERS-LEE AND THE OPEN INTERNET
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Tim Bradshaw, Andrew Parker]
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the world wide web, has been asked by British ministers to work with broadband companies on guidelines to protect the “open internet”. Internet service providers will be urged to agree provisions to strengthen consumer rights after this week pledging greater transparency on which sites and services they block and slow down. Ed Vaizey, UK communications minister, said he wanted ISPs’ commitments to go further, after a meeting in central London on Wednesday of telecoms groups, media companies, consumer groups and Ofcom, the regulator. BT, TalkTalk, British Sky Broadcasting, Virgin Media, Google, Skype, Yahoo and Facebook attended. “It is good to see that industry has taken the lead on agreeing greater transparency for their traffic management policies,” Minister Vaizey said of the Broadband Stakeholder Group’s best-practice code. “I am pleased that someone with the expertise of Sir Tim has agreed to work with industry on expanding that agreement to cover managing and maintaining the open internet.” Broadband providers reacted with unease to Minister Vaizey’s proposal. “The challenge ahead is to build a common view on how we safeguard the benefits of the open internet whilst also ensuring ongoing investment and innovation,” said Antony Walker, chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group.
benton.org/node/53098 | Financial Times
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
SPECTRUM INVENTORY
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Sara Jerome]
In a letter to Sen Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who has authored comprehensive spectrum inventory legislation with Sen John Kerry (D-MA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski says the analysis is already done. He says the FCC's "baseline spectrum inventory" is adequate for Congress to move forward on auction proposals. The inventory data is all publicly available in the agency's Spectrum Dashboard and License View online features. The websites will get an overhaul in the coming days to make them more user-friendly, providing granular, community-level information about spectrum holdings. The tools "reflect our understanding of where the most significant spectrum opportunities lie," Chairman Genachowski said in his letter to Sen Snowe.
benton.org/node/53087 | Hill, The | Chairman Genachowski | Sen Snowe | B&C | B&C - CTIA
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GENACHOWSKI DISMISSES SPECTRUM HOARDING CLAIM
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Sara Jerome]
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski unambiguously sided with the cable and wireless industries in their spectrum dispute with broadcasters. Allegations that those industries might be "hoarding" airwaves are "just not true," Chairman Genachowski said. "The looming spectrum shortage is real — and it is the alleged hoarding that is illusory," he said. "It is not hoarding if a company paid millions or billions of dollars for spectrum at auction and is complying with the FCC’s build-out rules. There is no evidence of non-compliance."
Chairman Genachowski said its time for Congress to give the agency incentive auction authority -- and encouraged haste. Spectrum inventory legislation is not needed in advance of an auction bill, Genachowski suggested, citing the FCC's own inventory data as reliable.
"Our inventory confirms that there are no hidden vacant lots of commercial airwaves, but that there are a few areas well-suited to mobile broadband, such as the TV and MSS bands. We certainly know more than enough about existing spectrum uses to move forward with a mechanism that would simply bring new market-based options to these bands," he said.
Chairman Genachowski disposed of a competing proposal to allow broadcasters to sublease spectrum rather than auction. "This won't solve the spectrum crisis because it won't free up contiguous blocks of spectrum over broad geographic areas, which is what’s needed for mobile broadband," he said.
benton.org/node/53040 | Hill, The | read Genachowski's speech | B&C | TVNewsCheck
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NAB SPECTRUM REQUEST
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The National Association of Broadcasters wants to see the data driving Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski's assertion that spectrum hoarding assertions are not true and that there are not "vacant lots" of spectrum being sat on as a speculative play by cable and satellite operators. NAB President Gordon Smith said in a statement smacking of Senatorial courtesy that NAB "would respectfully ask for an independent study to confirm Chairman Genachowski's assurances that spectrum suitable for wireless broadband is not lying fallow, given recent verbatim remarks to the contrary from current FCC licensees."
benton.org/node/53084 | Broadcasting&Cable
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CYBERSECURITY
PRIVATE SECTOR CYBERSECURITY
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: William Matthews]
For more than a decade, the United States has relied mainly on voluntary action by private companies to protect the nation's critical cyber infrastructure, but "it's not working," a cybersecurity expert told lawmakers. Companies own 85 percent of the critical infrastructure, and they have been unwilling to invest what is needed to protect against cyberattacks, James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, told the Homeland Security cybersecurity subcommittee. That leaves key parts of the infrastructure, such as the electrical grid and financial institutions, vulnerable to crippling attacks, he said. Lewis heads the technology and public policy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "No sector has a greater incentive than banks to protect their networks," he said. "They are a constant target. Some banks, particularly top-tier banks, have sophisticated defenses. Despite this, they are hacked. "If banks cannot protect themselves, why do we think other sectors will be able to do so?" Lewis asked.
benton.org/node/53079 | nextgov
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GAO CYBERSECURITY TESTIMONY
[SOURCE: Government Accountability Office, AUTHOR: Gregory Wilshusen]
This testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies discusses the cyber threats to critical infrastructure and the American economy. Pervasive and sustained cyber attacks against the United States continue to pose a potentially devastating impact on federal and nonfederal systems and operations. In February 2011, the Director of National Intelligence testified that, in the past year, there had been a dramatic increase in malicious cyber activity targeting U.S. computers and networks, including a more than tripling of the volume of malicious software since 2009. Recent press reports that computer hackers broke into and stole proprietary information worth millions of dollars from the networks of six U.S. and European energy companies also demonstrate the risk that our nation faces. Such attacks highlight the importance of developing a concerted response to safeguard federal and nonfederal information systems. GAO recently issued its high-risk list of government programs that have greater vulnerability to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement or need transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. Once again, we identified protecting the federal government's information systems and the nation's cyber critical infrastructure as a governmentwide high-risk area. We have designated federal information security as a high-risk area since 1997; in 2003, we expanded this high-risk area to include protecting systems supporting our nation's critical infrastructure, referred to as cyber critical infrastructure protection or cyber CIP. This testimony describes: 1) cyber threats to cyber-reliant critical infrastructures and federal information systems and (2) the continuing challenges federal agencies face in protecting the nation's cyber-reliant critical infrastructures and federal systems.
benton.org/node/53076 |
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LANGEVIN CYBERSECURITY BILL
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Gautham Nagesh]
Rep Jim Langevin (D-RI) unveiled a comprehensive cybersecurity bill that would give the Department of Homeland Security the authority to regulate the security of private networks deemed part of the nation's critical infrastructure. The bill would give DHS the authority to create an enforcement risk-based security standards for utility firms, financial institutions and other private networks deemed crucial to the nation's physical and economic security. The approach appears similar to the cybersecurity bill championed by the Senate Homeland Security Committee in recent years. Rep Langevin introduced his legislation the same day as a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing examining the cyber threat to the nation's economy. Obama administration officials and experts emphasized in their testimony the gravity of the threat facing US networks.
benton.org/node/53074 | Hill, The
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PRIVACY
ONLINE PRIVACY HEARING
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
Top federal officials on pushed forward on efforts to establish mandates for Internet privacy. In a Senate hearing on Internet privacy, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission reiterated his push for a Do Not Track tool to help protect Internet users’ privacy, saying consumers should have the choice to have their activity followed online. The Obama administration also threw its support behind legislation that would strengthen privacy protections on the Web. The greater attention on online privacy reflects concerns by privacy advocates and civil liberties groups that companies such as Facebook and Apple are encouraging users to share greater information about themselves and their Internet activities on their applications. Those companies are quickly gaining more users, but federal laws have not kept up with the applications to ensure that personal information isn't being improperly used. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, said several companies such as Microsoft and Mozilla have done a good job of putting tools on their browsers to allow users to voluntarily opt out of being tracked on the Web. But he said that without “baseline privacy protections” across the Web industry, consumers will face a patchwork of privacy policies that could differ Web site by Web site.
Lawrence Strickling, head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, said that "the Administration now recommends that Congress enact legislation" after a lengthy study of privacy and after issuing a paper on the topic. Strickling said any legislation should have three parts: it should establish a privacy bill of rights outlining basic levels of protections, it should ensure the Federal Trade Commission has the authority to enforce the expectations, and it should offer incentives to online companies who comply with the rules. For instance, that could include a safe harbor possibility for companies who make an effort, he said. Strickling said he wants to see a "flexible" regime that protects consumers and ensures international interoperability.
Senators voiced concern on about finding the right balance between the continued growth of advertising-based free content on the Internet and ensuring consumers feel confident that their privacy is protected when they surf the Web.
benton.org/node/53032 | Washington Post | The Hill | FTC | NTIA | Senate Commerce Committee | National Journal
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CALL FOR PRIVACY REGULATION
[SOURCE: Department of Commerce, AUTHOR: Cameron Kerry]
The time has come for Congress to pass strong Internet consumer privacy legislation that provides clear rules of the road for businesses and consumers while preserving the innovation and free flow of information that are hallmarks of the Internet economy. Consumer privacy legislation should have the following elements:
First, the bill should include the concept of a “consumer privacy bill of rights” based on comprehensive, widely accepted Fair Information Practice Principles. These consumer data privacy protections should be legally enforceable and broad and flexible enough to allow consumer privacy protection and business practices to adapt as new technologies and services emerge. Any legislation should avoid duplicating or conflicting with the requirements of existing sector-specific data privacy laws and regulations.
Second, any legislation should recognize that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) plays a vital role as the nation’s independent consumer privacy enforcement authority. The Administration recommends granting the FTC explicit authority to enforce any consumer privacy bill of rights with an eye towards appreciating that any standards should evolve and adapt to a rapidly evolving digital marketplace.
Third, the Administration will work to promote global interoperability with our allies and trading partners. The legislative approach that we recommend could help to reduce the multiple compliance burdens that companies currently face and provide consumers with more consistent cross-border data protections.
And finally, consistent with existing Federal requirements and ongoing Administration policy development in this area, the Administration recommends adoption of a Federal consumer data security breach notification law that sets national standards, reconciles inconsistent State laws, and authorizes enforcement by State authorities.
benton.org/node/53071 | Department of Commerce
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PRIVACY REGULATION
[SOURCE: paidContent.org, AUTHOR: Joe Mullin]
The Obama Administration made official its call for a comprehensive privacy law today, and there are signals that industry support for such a move might be broader than expected. To start with, a privacy official from Microsoft, a key industry player, voiced the company’s support for new federal legislation, saying that the current patchwork of industry-by-industry privacy rules is too cumbersome. The government’s proposal, which was laid out to a Senate committee today by Commerce Department official Larry Strickling, will provide a “baseline” of privacy protections. Strickling didn't define exactly what those are, but said that the administration is ready to work with Congress and hammer out the details. And Microsoft wasn't the only company in the somewhat unusual position of asking for more regulation. “If this collection of data is allowed to continue unchecked, then capitalism will build what the government never could—a complete surveillance state online,” said Barbara Lawler, Chief Privacy Officer for Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other software.
benton.org/node/53069 | paidContent.org
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PUBLIC BROADCASTING
HOUSE TO VOTE ON NPR
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
House Republicans are preparing another strike against public broadcasting with legislation to bar federal funding of National Public Radio and prohibit local public stations from using federal money to pay NPR dues. The House last month voted to strip NPR’s parent organization, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, of all federal funding through the end of the current budget year. The NPR vote is set for March 17. The legislation, which was fast-tracked by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and GOP leadership, doesn't cut any money from the federal budget. Rather, it prohibits NPR and its local affiliates from using federal dollars to produce programming or purchase content from other member stations. Affiliate stations could only use taxpayer money for administrative costs, under the bill.
benton.org/node/53110 | Associated Press | Wall Street Journal
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WHY GOP TARGETING NPR
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Gail Russell Chaddock]
House GOP leaders are rushing a vote to ban all federal funding for NPR in an effort to reforge party unity a day after it splintered badly. Fifty-four conservatives defected Tuesday to vote against a spending bill that would forestall a government shutdown for three weeks that they felt didn't go far enough to cut spending. But there is little chance of House Republican leaders losing votes in its bid to kill funding for NPR – the third such vote in weeks. The issue has been a rallying point among conservatives for decades. The bill's pell-mell rush to the floor ignores several promises made to party members and the GOP base, including the freedom to attach amendments and 72 hours to review a spending bill before voting. These moves suggest Republican leadership feels an urgent need to show cohesiveness. “The emergency is that Republicans are starting to break apart. Before they go home [Friday], leadership is trying to find votes to show that Republicans are on the same team and committed to conservative values,” said Julian Zelizer, a congressional historian at Princeton University. In response, conservatives say that they are targeting NPR as a move toward fiscal discipline, not for ideological reasons.
benton.org/node/53108 | Christian Science Monitor, The
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NPR NEEDS A BACKBONE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Meghan Daum]
[Commentary] Is National Public Radio liberal? A study conducted in 2004 by Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, which found that when you used partisan sources, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by more than 3 to 1 (regardless of who was in the White House). Incidentally, that study also showed that NPR relied "on the same elite and influential sources that dominate mainstream commercial news and falls short of reflecting the diversity of the American public." Does that sound "liberal" to you? Here's the real problem, NPR. No matter how mainstream your audience is in truth, or how balanced you are in substance, or how many opinions you solicit from average red-state Joes, the prevailing feeling is that your style is unmistakably liberal. In other words, NPR, you may not be left-leaning, but you're left-seeming. So please, NPR, the only recourse is to tell the truth. Do the reporting, show us the answers. Stop telling us to listen and decide for ourselves. Because you clearly can't rely on the American people for rationality. That folksy music drowns it out.
benton.org/node/53107 | Los Angeles Times
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PUNISHMENT FOR NPR
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] Here is the latest example of House Republicans pursuing a longstanding ideological goal in the false name of fiscal prudence: On Thursday, they have scheduled a vote to kill federal support for National Public Radio. The bill, sponsored by Rep Doug Lamborn (R-CO) would block all taxpayer dollars that NPR might receive, starting with any of the money given to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Local stations could not buy programming from NPR — such as “Morning Edition” or “All Things Considered” — or any other source using the $22 million or so that they get from the Treasury for that purpose. It would not actually save any federal money; it would simply make sure that none of those dollars go to NPR. “I wish only the best for NPR,” said Rep Lamborn, unpersuasively. He said he simply wants NPR to survive “without the crutch of government subsidies.” This is not a serious bill. Unattached to a budget measure, it will never survive the Senate or a presidential veto. It is designed simply to send a punitive message to a news organization that conservatives have long considered a liberal bastion. The politicized criticism amped up last week when a fund-raiser for the organization was secretly recorded calling the Tea Party a racist organization and criticizing Republicans.
benton.org/node/53105 | New York Times
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NPR EXPOSE
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR Martha Moore]
The hidden-camera exposé of shady business practices is a staple of sweeps week on local TV news. But when the target is National Public Radio and the videomaker is a practiced political provocateur, the takedown of a fundraising executive has reverberations well beyond simple consumer outrage. An 11-minute, edited video of a meeting between supposed Muslim donors and NPR fundraisers, posted last week on the conservative political news site the Daily Caller, was quickly picked up by news organizations. The fundraiser's anti-Republican, anti-Tea Party comments cost the head of NPR her job. Today, the House will likely vote on yanking NPR's public funds — a speedy reaction that few mainstream media investigations achieve. James O'Keefe, the political activist who orchestrated the sting, says his video is investigative journalism. Many journalists say it absolutely is not, because O'Keefe used false identities and misleading editing. The video follows a long, if not always honorable, tradition of muckraking exposés. It also is a stepchild to the political tactic of tracking an opponent with video until a gaffe occurs, then capitalizing on it. The sting's impact was magnified by the quick dissemination-without-scrutiny that is a hallmark of Internet-driven media. An analysis of the video by conservative website The Blaze — which compared the edited version with the original two-hour video — raises questions about O'Keefe's tactics, but also about the news organizations that jumped on the story.
benton.org/node/53104 | USAToday
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ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
THE INTERNET AND CAMPAIGN 2010
[SOURCE: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, AUTHOR: Aaron Smith]
54% of adults used the internet for political purposes in the last cycle, far surpassing the 2006 midterm contest. They hold mixed views about the impact of the internet: It enables extremism, while helping the like-minded find each other. It provides diverse sources, but makes it harder to find truthful sources. Fully 73% of adult internet users (representing 54% of all US adults) went online to get news or information about the 2010 midterm elections, or to get involved in the campaign in one way or another. We refer to these individuals as “online political users” and our definition includes anyone who did at least one of the following activities in 2010:
Get political news online – 58% of online adults looked online for news about politics or the 2010 campaigns, and 32% of online adults got most of their 2010 campaign news from online sources.
Go online to take part in specific political activities, such as watch political videos, share election-related content or “fact check” political claims – 53% of adult internet users did at least one of the eleven online political activities we measured in 2010.
Use Twitter or social networking sites for political purposes – One in five online adults (22%) used Twitter or a social networking site for political purposes in 2010.
Taken together, 73% of online adults took part in at least one of these activities in 2010. Although our definition of an online political user has changed significantly over time, the overall audience for political engagement and information-seeking has grown since the most recent midterm election cycle in 2006—using a different array of activities to measure online political activity, we found at that time that 31% of adults used the internet for campaign-related purposes.
benton.org/node/53094 | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project | B&C
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OPEN GOVERNMENT/GOV PERFORMANCE
OPEN GOVERNMENT
[SOURCE: The White House, AUTHOR: Steve Croley]
This week is “Sunshine Week.” Led by the American Society of News Editors and originally funded by the Knight Foundation, Sunshine Week is observed by media organizations around the country. It coincides with National Freedom of Information Day—March 16—selected to fall on James Madison’s birthday. Journalists, good-government groups, transparency advocates, educators, and many others interested in government transparency host events throughout the week to promote open government and freedom of information. They do so to assess the extent to which government is truly open, and to encourage citizens to seek information from their government and participate in public affairs.
Sunshine Week provides an ideal time to recount the Administration’s many open government successes since last March. And so each day this week, we will identify various ways in which agencies have made our government more open and, in turn, more democratic and more efficient. On Monday, the Department of Justice launched FOIA.gov, and we reviewed some of the substantial progress agencies across the government have made to disclose more and withhold less. We will recount, among other things, how greater transparency has saved government resources, and how technology and openness have been fused in ways that improve the everyday lives of our citizens. We will also feature the enormous work many agencies have done over the past year to make government more open and foster public participation. As the examples are too numerous to catalogue here, I encourage you to visit agencies’ own Open Government websites, which feature their recent successes.
Open government is a commitment, though, not a task. Thus the Administration’s efforts to promote open government are, as they should be, still ongoing. Nor is greater transparency desirable in every case and circumstance. Our government also owes its citizens, among other things, protection of their personal privacy and business confidentiality, effective law enforcement, and a strong national defense. That understood, the Administration’s commitment to open government, and the great progress it has made so far, are unmistakable.
benton.org/node/53021 | White House, The | WH - Open gov investments
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