Media Crackdown

SOURCE: Federal Trade Commission

This past Sunday, February 6th, marked the two week duration of the uprising in Cairo and the protesting of Mubarak's regime by Egyptian citizens. Reporting from Tahrir Square in the country's capital, Democracy Now's Sharif Abbdel Kouddous detailed the current "media crackdown" experienced by other journalists and ground reporters covering the revolution. In response to the army general's request for protesters to leave Tahrir on Saturday night, the crowd replied with "we're not leaving until he leaves", alluding to the end of Mubarak's regime. The "crackdown" on reporters has killed one person and left many others beaten and battered. Police, guised in plain clothes, have even gone so far to search and scan the footage the journalists have accumulated by checking their cameras, laptops, and cell phones. Cell phones are extremely crticial in this situation as being the last resort of the reporters' publication tool because carrying cameras are a dead giveaway. Kouddous spoke with Dana Smillie, a multimedia journalist, who has lived in Cairo for 15 years and currently ten minutes from Tahrir, but described "the last 12 days [being] the most exhilirating and the most terrifying 12 days of [her] life." Another reporter, Steffen Jensen from TV2Denmark, said he was attacked by a group of Mubarak supporters behind a museum. Although yet to be confirmed, the latest news suggests that all journalists entering Tahrir must get confirmation from the Ministry of Interior by registering their pictures and gaining permission thereafter.

    Under the assumption that the media effectively acts as a fourth branch of government, being a "watchdog" of sorts, it is responsible for the presentation of information to the public and creation of the public's reaction to the content. Supported by the Agenda Setting theory in the field of communications, the media emphasizes and influences the way people think about certain issues and their importance. The Egyptian government told their citizens that the journalists reporting and gathering information in Tahrir were spies and went so far to shut down the internet from February 25th to the 28th. The "systematic targeting" of journalist is a direct reflection on the Egyptian government’s efforts to contain the revolutionary activities within their borders. The withholding of this information can, and will, essentially contribute to the world's oblivion regarding the atrocities occurring, both witnessed and unknown, because the publication of stories are in jeopardy along with journalists' lives. Detrimental to the human rights organization and other countries' aid efforts, the monitoring of information will play a vital role, globally, in the coming events of the protest and the end of Mubarak's regime.


Here is the article's link on Democracy Now!'s website in addition to other articles following the African revolutions.

SOURCE: CartoonStock.com

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) supports an alternative view adhering to network neutrality principles that act as “an important safeguard for free speech on the Internet.” The principles are basically designed to prohibit networks from tampering with information from the source, as it is en route to the receiver, by either halting or slowing the process of data. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suggested a rule that protects the openness of the Internet but only for wired connections, whereas the wireless service can be dominated by companies through their varied rates and charges for their services. The ACLU argue that the Internet should be granted the same exact rights as free speech to protect the customers because without it, the consumers and users are subjected to “large telecommunications companies [from] manipulating or interfering with the public’s access to information online.” There is a valid argument in that the ACLU wants to prevent the infiltration of big companies regarding the passage of original content, but the free speech and press protection is too broad. The way to uphold the individual integrity of online text is to create a law specifically stating and addressing the issue. If we continue to honor the broad spectrum of the First Amendment, which really only details speech as in oral and press as in print, then there will be numerous cases causing continuous debate.

Visit ACLU on the web for the full article and more information regarding the organization's fight for civil liberties.

Meet and Greet: New Media

In relation to new media, I see myself as an individual creator and contributor to its development. I am an avid user of Twitter, Facebook, Google, and YouTube which all allow the exploration of various subject matter and content. Personally, I view my usage as a direct link in the online transition our society is undergoing. With my generation in such a pivotal position, having the pleasure of utilizing both conventional and modern technology, I feel that I have the opportunity to decide the next, new trend. The World Wide Web caters to users' every need and alters accordingly, deeming nearly anyone an author, blogger, editor, publisher, and so forth. Coming from an aspiring journalist perspective, I hold myself responsible for being skilled in New Media, and specifically its effect on the delivery of news and other information to the public.

Buffalo Wild Wings has launched its "Home Court Advantage" campaign throughout the 730 restaurant chain locations within the country, according to the New York Times. This initiative primarily promotes the usage of social media, particularly Scvngr which is similar to the likes of FourSquare, that allows customers to "flag their presence at a specific spot, and notify friends of their location."  The target audience includes young adults within their 20s and 30s in hopes of generating a social media community centered around the activities occurring in the restaurant. Adding an interactive sector will not only create expansion in services of Buffalo Wild Wings, but will also provide quick feedback from customers aiming to enhance the quality of the services offered. To ensure a mutual exchange on the customers' behalf, the restaurant provides customer giveaways and rewards such as "free chicken or soft drinks on each of the first three visits." New media has already infiltrated the way in which we communicate, and this same technology has begun to invade our conduct of business as well.

Read "Restaurant Reach Customers With Social Media" on the New York Times' website in full text!