Media News - Monday, July 21, 2008

Fresh start vowed for Mainichi Daily News site following criticism of WaiWai

Mainichi Newspapers Co. pledged Sunday to make its English-language online version more "news-oriented" after canceling its WaiWai column following criticism it was "debauching Japan" and "too vulgar." The WaiWai column first appeared in 1989 and continues to appear on the Mainichi Daily News Web site, which still operates as a part of the Mainichi Shimbun. "We continued to post articles that contained incorrect information about Japan and indecent sexual content," the company said in the Sunday edition of the Mainichi Shimbun and on its website. "These articles, many of which were not checked, should not have been dispatched to Japan or the world." The Mainichi Daily News editorial department will be reorganized 1 August, the publishing company said. Foreign residents of Japan were the main readers of the WaiWai column when it appeared in print, but after it went online it was mostly accessed from overseas, according to the publishing company. The column covered customs and social issues citing translations of articles in Japanese magazines, but a few years ago it increasingly carried articles pertaining to sex. The Mainichi Shimbun quoted the column's editor as saying there was a positive reaction when sexual topics were addressed, which is why such stories continued to be selected. For more: Global Voices (Japan Times)

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TV networks fight shorter Olympic leash

For several years now the American network NBC has meticulously planned all the details for its coverage of the many sports events at the Summer Olympics in China. But with the Games only 19 days away, many at the network are concerned about how they will permitted to cover any unscheduled events, like political protests or government crackdowns - or whether the Chinese government will allow them to cover such things at all. The stakes are high for both the network, which paid $900 million for broadcast rights for the Olympics, and the reputation of NBC News. Broadcasters have been at odds with Chinese authorities over what, where and when they will be allowed to film. Seeking to defuse growing tension, network executives met face to face two weeks ago with representatives of the International Olympic Committee and Chinese officials. At an eight-hour meeting in the International Broadcast Center in Beijing, the Chinese organizing committee relented slightly, saying that broadcasters like NBC that have paid for rights to the Olympic Games may transmit live from Tiananmen Square - but for only six hours a day, from 06:00 to 10:00 and 21:00 to 23:00. The broadcasters, which include the BBC in Britain, the CBC in Canada, the Seven Network in Australia and SABC in South Africa, unanimously pressed for further access, according to minutes of the meeting obtained by The New York Times. According to two people at the meeting, when the Beijing vice mayor, Cao Fuchao, remarked that his country's authorities would not reverse their decision to restrict access, Alex Gilady, an IOC commissioner and NBC vice president, said: "We still have one month to go. We will pursue this to the end." (IHT)

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Shrinking newsrooms dent papers’ quality, study shows

The many and deepening cuts at newspapers across the United States are starting to take a toll on their content, according to a study being released Monday. Newspapers must find more revenue on the Internet, says the Project for Excellence in Journalism's study, called "The Changing Newsroom: What is Being Gained and What is Being Lost in America's Daily Newspapers." Newspaper managers need to "find a way to monetise the rapid growth of web readership before newsroom staff cuts so weaken newspapers that their competitive advantage disappears." Stories are shorter overall, the study found, and staff coverage tends to focus on local and community news. Even when foreign and national news makes it into the papers, it is being relegated to less prominent pages. The reasons for the newsroom cutbacks are well known: Newsprint costs have jumped, and advertising and circulation revenue have quickened their descent this year as advertisers follow readers online. Newspaper websites capture only a small fraction of the revenue lost as they sell fewer print ads, which fetch more money. The results of the survey, conducted online by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between Jan. 29 and Feb. 29, include responses from over 50 percent of US papers with 100,000 or more in circulation and more than 30 percent of papers with 50,000 to 100,000 in circulation. (CNN)

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Egypt media under renewed attack by state

The government in Egypt is reviewing a draft law from the ministry of information that would make transmission of audio and visual materials from Egypt more difficult. The law, currently under consideration by government oversight bodies, would give Cairo the authority to restrict and monitor transmissions that originate in Egypt. The ministry of information refused to comment to the Middle East Times on the proposed law, saying "it is currently under review and we do not want to reveal the full extent of the law before it is finalized." Foreign reporters are worried that the new law seems to include them and is intended to restrict the information they can broadcast home. Rights groups and journalists were already enraged by a joint Egyptian/Saudi proposal calling for broadcast regulations at an Arab League meeting of foreign ministers earlier this year. The controversial charter, Principles for Regulating Satellite Broadcast and Television Transmission and Reception in the Arab Region, was condemned widely by media watchdogs for its calls to member states to ensure that satellite channels do not disrupt social order, unity and morale. The draft law requires those responsible for "transmission" to observe the "audience's right to receive accurate information" and "not to have a negative affect on social harmony, national unity, nationalism, public order and public morale." Worries abound over the addition of "computer networks" into the charter. Analysts say the proposal is an attempt to quiet Internet bloggers and journalists from reporting on events deemed inappropriate by Arab governments. (Middle East Times)

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Unsafe chargers ‘flooding’ UK

Hundreds of thousands of unsafe chargers for mobile phones, games consoles and music devices could have made their way into the United Kingdom. Trading standards officers studying dangerous chargers being imported from China say vast numbers are available on the Internet and in shops. Their tests show one brand can overheat or cause electrocution. One of the chargers concerned has the code marking DE62347066. Others have no code and are called Travel Charger. A specific warning has already been issued about chargers for Nintendo DS and DS Lite machines, but which could also be used to charge Gameboy machines. Trading standards officers are trying to recall the chargers. But Chris Holden, senior trading standards officer at Buckinghamshire County Council, told the BBC that investigations were shedding light on a much bigger problem. Some chargers carry a CE safety mark which officers believe to be fake. Officers have primarily found unsafe chargers for use with games consoles, although others are available to use with music devices and mobile phones. Wires become detached after being used for a while leading to a risk of electric shocks. The pins do not fit properly into UK sockets causing overheating. (BBC)

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Chinese media accused of belittling Taiwan

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party lashed out at Chinese state media yesterday for allegedly belittling Taiwan by referring to the national Olympic team as "China, Taipei" ahead of the opening of Beijing Summer Olympics. Cheng Wen-tsan, director of the DPP's Cultural and Publicity Department, argued that the ambiguous term implied that Taiwan is part of China, which is unacceptable. Chinese Central Television and Xinhua news agency reportedly referred to Taiwan's athletic team as "China, Taipei" (Zhongguo, Taipei) while reporting that the island had selected its representative team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Cheng pointed that under a protocol signed with the International Olympics Committee, Taiwan's Olympic team is called "Chinese Taipei" (Zhonghua Taipei), rather than "China, Taipei" or "Taipei, China." The Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's top China policy coordinator, and the Sports Affairs Council should publicly protest against the two media organizations, he contended. Also, DPP Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chi-mai called on the ruling Kuomintang administration to lodge a protest with Beijing authorities through proper channels to prevent a downgrading of Taiwan's status during the Olympics. In response to opposition party's remarks, Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi stressed that Taiwan's Olympic team is indeed called "Chinese Taipei." Taiwan has participated in international sports event under the English title "Chinese Taipei" since 1981 based on a protocol signed between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and the IOC in Hong Kong in 1989. The agreement stated that all sports teams or organizations representing Taiwan would follow IOC regulations when participating in sports events in China. (Asia Media)

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