Media News - Tuesday, September 30, 2008

EU outlines plans to capitalise on Web 3.0

The European Commission is considering the implications of Web 3.0 in order to help Europe lead the next generation of the internet. While Web 2.0 described the trend towards online collaborative working, including the evolution of social networking sites, wikis and blogs, Web 3.0 will rely on high-performance broadband infrastructure, according to the Commission. By the end of 2007, half of all Europeans should be able to access broadband at more than 2Mbps, a speed that supports TV over the internet, according to a new report from the Commission which details how the new generation of internet use is already on it way. The European Union recently unveiled a Broadband Performance Index that compared member states on measures such as broadband speed, price, competition and coverage. Sweden and the Netherlands came top of the index. The Commission said that the leading countries had demonstrated a ' competition-friendly' environment which drives investment in advanced technologies and keeps prices down. Social factors, such as the presence of digital skills and positive spending on ICT, also aided broadband development, according to the Commission. (VNU Net)

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Cuban journalists say US denied them visas

Two Cuban journalists covering the United Nations said Monday that the U.S. government denied them re-entry after they took a vacation in their homeland. Ilsa Rodriguez Santana and Tomas A. Granados Jimenez have covered the United Nations for the Prensa Latina news agency since 2005. 'We would also want to voice our strongest protest against such an outrageous and arbitrary act, which violates all standards regarding relations between the U.N. and the United States as the host country,' they wrote in a letter to the president of the United Nations Correspondents Association. Tuyet Nguyen, president of the correspondents association, said the UNCA 'has never been involved in helping journalists from any country get visas to enter the United States.' Prensa Latina said American officials in Havana opted not to issue the visas under a regulation that can deny entry to persons and groups considered prejudicial to U.S. interests, as well as Cuban government officials and employees. Although the U.S. in recent years has increasingly denied entry to Cuban officials and others connected with the communist government, denying visas to full-time Cuban journalists permanently assigned to cover the United Nations was seen as highly unusual. (AP via International Herald Tribune)

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UK : New watchdog to protect children on the Web

Children will be protected from suicide websites, bullying and pornography by a new Internet watchdog, the UK government said on Monday. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said it will be the biggest coalition of public and private bodies set up to safeguard young people online. It will teach them about possible dangers, target illegal sites that contain harmful content and establish a code of conduct for sites that allow people to post their own video clips or messages. The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) will also tackle violent games and promote responsible advertising online. Reporting directly to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, its 100 members include BT, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Vodafone. A list of all the members is online. Ministers have come under pressure to do more to tackle violent video games, bullying and sites that appear to glamorise suicide. In March, a report for the government by psychologist Tanya Byron included a range of measures to protect children, including a call to set up a child safety council. (Reuters)

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US: Media and tech companies unite to fight piracy

A group founded by several major media and technology companies plans to promote the Web as a place for consumers to get songs, television shows and movies without resorting to piracy. Organizers of the group, which is called Arts+Labs, are touting it as the first time technology companies and content creators have met in a room - instead of fighting in court. In recent years, the two sides and consumer advocates have waged numerous legal battles dealing with the rights of artists, distributors and users on the Web. Arts+Labs is co-chaired by Mike McCurry, who was a press secretary for former President Bill Clinton. The group's other co-chair is Mark McKinnon, who has served as media advisor to the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain. The global music industry loses USD 12.5bn a year to piracy, according to industry statistics. Founding members of the group are AT&T Inc, Viacom Inc, NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co, Cisco Systems Inc, Microsoft Corp and the Songwriters Guild of America. (Reuters)

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‘Europe, personally’ radio project launched

'Europe, Personally' is a project originated by RTVSLO/Slovenia, which has received the support of the Radio Development Fund. The project has now been launched. The long-term aim of this project is to establish a network of European radio stations within and also outside the European Union, which will regularly make radio shows about everyday life in the language of the country in which the show is made and contribute them to a common audio base. This base is available for use by all participating radio stations. Together with Val 202 (Radio Slovenija, Channel 2), six European radio stations participate in the project, with a desire to present topics regarding the lives of Europeans and their everyday dilemmas, which are connected to the specific situations of each individual: BNR (Bulgaria), CR (Czech Republic), HRT/Croatia, LR/Latvia, LRT/Lithuania and SR/Sweden. All participating radio stations carry out this project under the same brand name: Europe, Personally! The first productions are now available via the website: www.rtvslo.si/europe-personally. (EBU via Media Network Weblog)

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US: Protesters denounce The Oregonian’s distribution of DVD

About 70 protesters gathered outside The Oregonian Monday morning to reprimand the newspaper for distributing an hourlong DVD, 'Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West,' as paid advertising in its Sunday editions. In a brief news conference, speakers characterized the DVD as Muslim-bashing propaganda promoting fear, hate and division. The Oregonian distributed the DVD because it has an obligation to make its advertising as open as possible under the principle of free speech, Publisher Fred Stickel said. Newspapers generally accept all advertising that is not illegal or blatantly immoral. Nationally, about 70 newspapers distributed 'Obsession,' sponsored by the nonprofit, New York-based Clarion Fund. A few newspapers declined to package the DVD. 'Obsession' features scholars, journalists and others describing radical Islam as a worldwide terrorism movement committed to destroying Western culture. About 500 people have called The Oregonian about the DVD; the vast majority opposed its distribution. (The Oregonian)

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• 29/09/08 - Egyptian journalist gets jail for Mubarak reports
• 29/09/08 - Australia: Police Commissioner denies journalists’ phones tapped
• 29/09/08 - Head of Reporters Without Borders media watchdog resigns
• 26/09/08 - Swedish government to soften eavesdropping law
• 26/09/08 - MEPs kill EU ‘blogger registry’ that never was
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• 26/09/08 - Dutch-German newspaper marks collaboration
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• 25/09/08 - Yahoo to transform Web ads with new system
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• 25/09/08 - Free online portfolios available for university journalism students
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