For Friday, February 7, 2014, here are some media stories of note:
The Economist paints a fascinating picture of the tension between conservatives and reformers through the lens of media in Saudi Arabia. It notes the strength of the newspaper and the rise of social media as differing forces in the effort to shed light on the life and times of the country. It isn't necessarily modern or revolutionary, but there is progress in beating back the censorious qualities there.
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In the Ukraine, the situation is more dire, due to political tensions and the rise of protests. Journalists there are attempting to forge an independence from state-run media. Deutsche Welle notes that crowdfunding is emerging as a revenue source to help the matter.
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Cory Doctorow weighs in on the distressing situation in Turkey following the passage of a new law that governs the Internet there. It grants the government's telecommunications authority the right to suppress and censor websites, down to the granular page level, and requires retention of data records to track individual online activity. It also means that "harmful" content and messages are outlawed. The law, Doctorow says, is designed to prevent the use of networks to organize political opposition.
The Economist paints a fascinating picture of the tension between conservatives and reformers through the lens of media in Saudi Arabia. It notes the strength of the newspaper and the rise of social media as differing forces in the effort to shed light on the life and times of the country. It isn't necessarily modern or revolutionary, but there is progress in beating back the censorious qualities there.
***
In the Ukraine, the situation is more dire, due to political tensions and the rise of protests. Journalists there are attempting to forge an independence from state-run media. Deutsche Welle notes that crowdfunding is emerging as a revenue source to help the matter.
***
Cory Doctorow weighs in on the distressing situation in Turkey following the passage of a new law that governs the Internet there. It grants the government's telecommunications authority the right to suppress and censor websites, down to the granular page level, and requires retention of data records to track individual online activity. It also means that "harmful" content and messages are outlawed. The law, Doctorow says, is designed to prevent the use of networks to organize political opposition.
