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Critical Clicks:
New and important features from the MediaChannel network

latest entry: January 2, 2003

Venezuela's Media Mindshock
The TV networks run by those determined to take down President Chavez are full of content that's closer to public brainwashing than journalism, says this report from Maracaibo. From The Gully Online Magazine

Solutions For Copyright And Free Expression
The "intellectual property" system in the United States is broken, argues this new report by the Free Expression Policy Project. They recommend specific policy changes and public domain initiatives to protect creativity, art and culture against excessive copyright restrictions. From National Coalition Against Censorship

U.S. TV News Blames Africans For Famine
The massive Southern African famine that threatens millions is barely covered by U.S. TV news. What's worse, warns Zeynep Toufe, is that the role of international policies, global warning and finance systems are never mentioned, instead African nations are blamed for the crisis. From FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting)

Media Year In Review
• Danny Schechter's year-end News Dissector weblog.
• I Want Media's top media stories of the year, and many more roundups of media news, 2002.

Artists And Activists Face Web Eviction
Internet Service Provider The Thing has hosted artist and activist sites for 10 years. But after two groups used parody Websites and an electronic sit-in in protest against powerful corporations, the host for hundreds of sites could be shut down. A collection of articles. From Newsgrist - where spin is art

The Dangers Of Wildlife Documentaries
Nature documentaries pretend humans don't exist. So for 50 years they've covered up environmental destruction and supported ethnic cleansing in Africa. George Monbiot explains. From Guardian Unlimited

Education Is Not Enough To Transform Media
Worldwide movements for critical media education have increased people's understanding of the "perils and promise" of media — but have they actually helped citizens and communities take action? Asian media activists and educators are confronting the limitations of critical media education and moving beyond them with grassroots programs to democratize and reform the media. From World Assoc. for Christian Comm.

Minority Ownership of Major Media Going Extinct
Viacom's decision to cut news programming at Black Entertainment Television (BET) is just another example of white-owned conglomerates controlling the channels that target people of color. Activism is needed now, argues Jeff Chester, to demand regulations that stop media concentration and that support the growth of independent outlets. Plus: Minorities Have Little Media Ownership and Even Less Control. From AlterNet/Independent Media Institute

Can Corporations Stop Criticism With Copyright Law?
When Dow Chemical tried to stop a parody Website that focused on the company's responsibility for India's Bhopal disaster, they used the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Corporations are arguing that any use of their trademarks, even for criticism and satire, are copyright violations. Also see: News Tracker-Copyright And The Future Of Digital Media. From Index on Censorship

TV Ads And Fear Of Queer
Protests convinced the UK's advertising regulator to pull Yahoo!'s ad featuring a leering man in a purple hat but predatory gay men and male rape are still a common comedy theme in TV ads. Commercial Closet challenges the ad industry to do better -- and hosts "the world's largest collection of gay advertising." From Commercial Closet Association

How To Make Media That Respect Kids
Far too often, media treat children only as targets for toy ads or as sensationalized victims. Journalists and producers should bookmark this excellent Website from UNICEF featuring guidelines, best practices, cases studies and useful resources for making media that respect and support children. From United Nations Children's Fund

White Journalists Have "Personal Backgrounds," Too
Journalist and Native American Kara Briggs points out the logical flaws in a recently lauded book that bashed newsroom diversity programs. She notes that "all journalists have something in our politics, religion or economic class that could at any day be used to unfairly slant some aspect of the news, or could be used to report a better story." From Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

India's Online Gays: Trapped In A High-Tech Closet?
"In a country where gay sex is still criminal, India's Internet gays have revolutionized homosexual life. But many gay activists wonder if Web-based chat rooms and social clubs postpone the difficult task of coming out publicly and politically in the nation." Sandip Roy reports for Pacific News Service. From Globalvision News Network

Consumerism: Emotions, Cultural Identity And The Body As A Brand
Brands build emotional attachments between the purchaser and the product. With economies now dominated by branded goods, our bodies are increasingly defined by the products we consume. From Although.nu

A Handbook For Afghan Journalists: Reporting The Future (PDF)
How will Afghanistan's journalists represent the challenges facing their country to themselves and the rest of the world? This excellent online handbook provides practical guidance and exercises and introduces many concepts and ideas new to Afghan reporters. (Requires Acrobat Reader) From Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Women And Images-Pageant Ignites Controversy
Despite the sentencing of Amina Lawal to death by stoning for adultery, most contestants decided to attend this year's Miss World contest in Nigeria. The subsequent riots and deaths over a controversial article linking prophet Mohammed to the pageant reaffirm cultural divisions and revive important questions concerning feminism. For more regional coverage, visit the new preview of MediaChannel:Africa. From Common Dreams

Fighting AIDS By Making Media
December 1 is World AIDS Day, designed to capture fickle media attention for the pandemic that continues to consume millions, transforming societies worldwide. With 40 million people currently infected, the struggle to educate for health and advocate for resources takes form through TV shows and posters, hip hop, Web art, radio and every possible medium.

* MediaChannel Special Report: The Epidemic And The Media
* MTV and OneWorld Radio team up for AIDS radio programs you can listen to, download and rebroadcast.
* From AIDSChannel: Communicating about HIV/AIDS requires the right message and the right medium for each culture and community.

Women Improve News, But News Is Losing Women
"A new study indicates that newspapers with more women in top-level jobs provide the type of coverage readers say they want: local, people-centered news coverage." But thanks to sexism in the newsroom, women in journalism "are looking for a way out, not up."
Also see: MediaChannel Issue Guide: Women's Media From Women's Enews

Communication Rights And Civil Society
Public-interest advocates from around the world are working to define their vision for policy, community media, corporate media ownership and more as they prepare for the "World Summit on the Information Society" in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis 2005. Most of the impact of UN Summits is actually in organizing that takes place well before the big gathering so get caught up with the issues with this edition of Media Development Journal. From World Assoc. for Christian Comm.

U.S. Radio Faces The People
•  Young Activists Hold Hip-Hop Station To Account
•  Report: Radio Deregulation Has Not Served Citizens, Musicians
•  What You Can Do About Clear Channel, The Monster That Ate Radio
From Youth Media Council, Corp Watch, and Future of Music Coalition via Center for Digital Democracy.


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