Media News - Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Google launches internet browser

Google is launching an open source web browser to compete with Internet Explorer and Firefox. The browser is designed to be lightweight and fast, and to cope with the next generation of web applications that rely on graphics and multimedia. Called Chrome, it will launch as a beta for Windows machines in 100 countries, with Mac and Linux versions to come. The launch of a beta version of Chrome on Tuesday will be Google's latest assault on Microsoft's dominance of the PC business. The firm's Internet Explorer program dominates the browser landscape, with 80 percent of the market. (BBC News)

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Ireland: a big increase in newspaper recycling

Ireland dramatically increased its newspaper recycling, according to figures audited by international environmental consultants RPS. The figures show 73.8 per cent of all Irish newsprint was recycled last year - up from about 28 per cent in 2002. This represents a jump of 45 per cent in five years, according to RPS. In volume terms, some 161,000 tonnes of Irish newsprint are now recycled each year. The increase was welcomed by National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) - the body which represents the State's major newspaper publishers. The NNI said improved practices by publishers, wholesalers, retailers and recyclers - as well as newspaper readers - had made a difference which was already showing a further increase of some 16.5 per cent in the past 12 months alone. NNI's environment officer, Enda Buckley, said: 'In the past year we have implemented a new policy of 'whole copy' returns to maximise the number of unsold newspapers that get recycled. 'Our target for March 2008 was to collect 50 per cent of all unsold newspapers and thanks largely to the co-operation of wholesalers and retailers, we have exceeded that target by more than 26 per cent already,' Mr Buckley said. Ireland is one of the best countries in Europe for recycling newsprint, he added. (Irish Times)

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Police break up protest held over death of Russian web journalist

Security forces early Tuesday broke up a rare protest in Russia's turbulent Ingushetia province over the fatal shooting in custody of prominent critic Magomed Yevloyev. Hundreds of protesters gathered near the bus station in the main town of Nazran where Yevloyev's body was laid out. They demanded the resignation of Ingush leader Murat Zyazikov, who had come under bitter attack on Yevloyev's website. Police and special forces arrived Tuesday morning in two trucks, firing warning shots and hitting the demonstrators with batons to disperse them. No injuries were immediately reported. Yevloyev, who owned the critical news website www.ingushetiya.ru, was fatally shot in a police car on Sunday after being arrested upon arrival at the local airport. On Sunday Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, Vladimir Markin, as saying 'an incident' took place after Yevloyev was taken into a police car 'resulting in a shooting injury to the head and he later died in hospital.' (AFP)

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English-language newspaper in Puerto Rico closes

The San Juan Star, Puerto Rico's Pulitzer Prize-winning English-language newspaper, closed Friday, the owner said, blaming the union for not agreeing to benefit cuts and layoffs to offset declining revenue. The Star, a daily that has operated for nearly 50 years in the U.S. island territory, published its last edition Friday, publisher Gerry Angulo said. The newspaper, which once employed Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy as its managing editor, had 120 employees, about 90 of them union members, including reporters and photographers. Angulo said the Star has been losing money for years but the situation worsened with a recession in Puerto Rico and the broader decline in newspaper readership and advertising. Union leaders and the paper have been in talks on a proposal to reduce medical and pension benefits for the unionized workers. The paper did not publish three days last week because the employees were on strike. The publisher also sought to have the Star distributed by a local Spanish-language newspaper, eliminating unionized distributors and other circulation employees. Puerto Rico still has three major Spanish-language newspapers and several smaller ones, as well as a weekly business newspaper in English. (AP)

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Denmark: Free newspaper Nyhedsavisen shuts up shop

Daily free newspaper Nyhedsavisen has stopped production due to a lack of funding, despite being assured of a multi-million kroner investment just a month ago. The newspaper faces accusations of leaving employees unpaid for their work in August. Angry Polish delivery workers arrived at the Holmen headquarters in Copenhagen, complaining about not receiving their wages for August. The 300 employees told Journalisten.dk that they were owed DKK 17,500 (EUR 2,345) for their work and that they had not been informed about the closure of the paper. Morten Olsen, the newspaper's shop steward, said that up to 50 journalists had not received any money in their bank accounts by Friday. His company, ML Media, increased its shares in the newspaper to 85 percent a month ago, following reports of a large American investment. Venture capitalist firm Draper Fischer Jurvetson (DFJ) planned to invest a three figure million kroner sum into Lund's company, reported DR in July. However, Jimmy Maymann, board member of Nyhedsavisen's parent company 365 Media Scandinavia, told Berlingske Tidende newspaper that the promised money had never arrived. (Copenhagen Post)

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Kid-oriented monthly newspaper to debut on Long Island

A new newspaper will be distributed on Long Island this fall, but if you want a copy, you'll have to ask your son or daughter, provided they're young. It's called Kidsville News, a free, national monthly paper to be published locally and distributed at schools and at some restaurants and amusement parks, beginning this month. In this age of the Internet, newspapers and young people may seem an unusual combination, but Kidsville News is aimed at stimulating youngsters to read about current events and educational topics, said Alyssa Nightingale, the publisher. Kidsville News will have the support of Long Island businesses, who will pay an undisclosed fee for sponsorships, which get the names of their companies in the paper as well as educational articles about their industries. Nicole Burris, director of publisher relations at the corporate office of Kidsville News Inc. in Fayetteville, N.C. said the publication got started a decade ago by Bill Bowman, publisher of a weekly newspaper in Fayetteville, who was concerned about the issue of literacy. Three years ago, Kidsville News began licensing the paper to local publishers, who pay a fee for the rights. Over the years, circulation has swelled. About 1.3 million copies are now distributed in 148 counties across the country, Burris said. In addition to current events articles, Kidsville also features stories about nature and sports, and puzzles, games and cartoons. (Newsday)

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