Bloging Foreign Correspondents

transcript

New Foreign Correspondents

International CommunicationInternational Communication

Foreign Correspondents Foreign Correspondents

•Traditional definition (and image)

•an employee of a large news organization

•Christopher Allbritton, former AP and New York Daily News reporter

•$15,000

•PayPal journalist

•Traditional definition (and image)

•an employee of a large news organization

•Christopher Allbritton, former AP and New York Daily News reporter

•$15,000

•PayPal journalist

http://www.back-to-iraq.com/

Accessing Foreign News 2000

Audience

Web sites of newspapers and

governments

Independent media

(challenging MSM)

Personal Web sites of citizens in other

countries

Doesn’t

happen a lot

Accessing Foreign News 2008

•184 million blogs in the world

•346 million people read blogs

•184 million blogs in the world

•346 million people read blogs Universal Universal McCannMcCann

More people read blogs for More people read blogs for political and international info political and international info

Global Phenomenon Global Phenomenon

• Idea of “Global Village” by Marshall McLuhan

•Leads to reconsidering the concept of “unequal flow of information”

•Global Voices Online (millions of blogs)

•better sources of information “on the spot”

•question of reliability

•“the poor don’t blog” (?) but may eventually

• Idea of “Global Village” by Marshall McLuhan

•Leads to reconsidering the concept of “unequal flow of information”

•Global Voices Online (millions of blogs)

•better sources of information “on the spot”

•question of reliability

•“the poor don’t blog” (?) but may eventually

Blogs and MSM Blogs and MSM

•Some blogs (mega-blogs) become a part of the MSM

•Majority of media outlets have blogs

•Blogs used as a source (still not enough)

•Blogs are almost impossible to replace as the most convenient medium in foreign correspondence

•Some blogs (mega-blogs) become a part of the MSM

•Majority of media outlets have blogs

•Blogs used as a source (still not enough)

•Blogs are almost impossible to replace as the most convenient medium in foreign correspondence

London Bombing London Bombing

•An open blog by The Guardian

•Witnesses

•Collaborative journalism

•Filling gaps in traditional media reports

•An open blog by The Guardian

•Witnesses

•Collaborative journalism

•Filling gaps in traditional media reports

Power of People Power of People

•Blogs are created by individuals (The Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan)

•Criticizing MSM (traditional media)

•especially foreign news coverage

•(Local ) bloggers are able to spot mistakes because they usually know a country better

•Steel need to speak English

•Blogs are created by individuals (The Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan)

•Criticizing MSM (traditional media)

•especially foreign news coverage

•(Local ) bloggers are able to spot mistakes because they usually know a country better

•Steel need to speak English

Power of PeoplePower of People

•Effectiveness of blogs in dictatorships

•VOA and BBC were jammed during the Cold War

•Blogs are blocked

•Maybe we are just too enthusiastic

•Effectiveness of blogs in dictatorships

•VOA and BBC were jammed during the Cold War

•Blogs are blocked

•Maybe we are just too enthusiastic

Bringing ‘em down Bringing ‘em down

•Some countries introduce licensing procedures for bloggers (or even accreditation)

•registering with the government

•Internet access and IP monitoring

•Jail sentences for “provoking instability and civil unrest” or “creating a negative image”

•Some countries introduce licensing procedures for bloggers (or even accreditation)

•registering with the government

•Internet access and IP monitoring

•Jail sentences for “provoking instability and civil unrest” or “creating a negative image”

Salam PaxSalam Pax

•“Dear Raed”

•Introduced the concept of “bloggers as foreign correspondents”

•War, problems, opportunities, personal profiles

•Translator for Peter Maass (Slate Magazine)

•Why did the blog become popular?

•“Dear Raed”

•Introduced the concept of “bloggers as foreign correspondents”

•War, problems, opportunities, personal profiles

•Translator for Peter Maass (Slate Magazine)

•Why did the blog become popular?

http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/

Salam PaxSalam Pax

•Started as a personal journal (as many blogs do)

•Limitations of local media (content and language)

• What is it like to live in Iraq as an Iraqi?

•personal details

•personal routine

•The Guardian publishes some posts and treats them as “foreign news”

•Started as a personal journal (as many blogs do)

•Limitations of local media (content and language)

• What is it like to live in Iraq as an Iraqi?

•personal details

•personal routine

•The Guardian publishes some posts and treats them as “foreign news”

View from IranView from Iran

•Iran has 23 million Internet users (34% of population)

•around 100,000 blogs

•70% of Iranians are under 30 years old

•the most blogged country in the Middle East

•Iran has 23 million Internet users (34% of population)

•around 100,000 blogs

•70% of Iranians are under 30 years old

•the most blogged country in the Middle East

View from Iran View from Iran

•Anonymous way to communicate (in and outside Iran)

•Bloggers are punished for their posts

•Written in English

•posts assume that readers are not familiar with life in Iran

•Anonymous way to communicate (in and outside Iran)

•Bloggers are punished for their posts

•Written in English

•posts assume that readers are not familiar with life in Iran

http://viewfromiran.blogspot.com/http://viewfromiran.blogspot.com/

Radio Free Nepal Radio Free Nepal

•Anonymous authors

•Sharing information/news

•Drawing attention to the situation in Nepal

•Acting as foreign correspondents

•Anonymous authors

•Sharing information/news

•Drawing attention to the situation in Nepal

•Acting as foreign correspondents

Akaevu.netAkaevu.net

•Kyrgyzstan

•Prezident Akaev

•Public protests and even revolution

•No information on the events

•Neighboring countries are silent

•Russian media condemned the revolution

• State media are pro-Akaev

•Kyrgyzstan

•Prezident Akaev

•Public protests and even revolution

•No information on the events

•Neighboring countries are silent

•Russian media condemned the revolution

• State media are pro-Akaev

Akaevu.netAkaevu.net

•“Down with Akaev”

•Alliance of bloggers/Web reporters

•witnesses

•pictures and videos (cell phones)

•forums

•media reviews (local and foreign)