News Roundup Archive

Friday, February 1, 2013

USIP's Media, Conflict & Peacebuilding Roundup

 

United States Institute of Peace

 

Center of Innovation: Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding

Weekly News Roundup, January 24 - 30, 2013

Media and Journalism

Internet and Social Media

What's New from PeaceMedia

**Click here to subscribe to USIP's Science, Technology and Peacebuilding News Roundup.**


Media and Journalism

Afghanistan Media Boomed During War, But Faces Uncertain Future As U.S. Withdraws
Danish Karokhel, like all Afghan journalists, couldn't report freely during Taliban rule in the 1990s. The Islamic fundamentalist regime allowed only a single, state-run outlet, Radio Sharia, on the air. Then came the bombs, followed by the boom. Since U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban government in the months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, U.S. government agencies and international aid organizations have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into building up the Afghan media industry.
See the full article (Huffington Post, Michael Calderone, 1/30/13)
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In Burma, Media Reform Tests the Limits of Free Speech
On the streets of central Rangoon newspaper stands hug every corner, catering to a public that consumes current affairs with voracious appetite. Happily, press freedom in Burma is now healthier than it has been in decades, according to a report released this month by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which sees "historic progress" for Burmese journalists, despite the many challenges that remain. The media environment is, for the most part, getting better.
See the full article (TIME, Charlie Campbell, 1/30/13)
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Kenya Gov't Issues Stern Warning to Int'l Media
Kenya's government spokesman appeared to make a veiled threat Wednesday against international journalists while announcing a tough stance on information deemed divisive surrounding nationwide elections March 4. Government spokesman Muthui Kariuki told a gathering of international reporters that the government will summon journalists who publish stories that have a polarizing effect. He did not say what action would then be taken.
See the full article (AP, Tom Odula, 1/30/13)
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Attacks on Kenyan Journalists Increase
Journalists in Kenya have been suffering from an increasing level of violence ahead of the national elections set for March. This month there have been a series of threats and attacks, including assaults by security officers and members of the public towards journalists who are covering political events. [Human rights body] Article 19 has called on the leaders of all Kenyan political parties to respect media freedom and to recognise the public importance of journalists providing information during the election process.
See the full article (Guardian, Roy Greenslade, 1/30/13)
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Ukrainian General Sentenced to Life in Journalist's Killing
A Ukrainian court sentenced a former security official to life in prison on Tuesday for the death of Georgy Gongadze, a journalist whose mysterious death in 2000 provoked an international outcry and helped set off protests against the president at the time. The killing came to epitomize the role that crime had come to play in Ukrainian politics and provoked a wave of demonstrations that some describe as the first manifestation of the 2004 Orange Revolution.
See the full article (New York Times, Ellen Barry, 1/29/13) *NYT sign-up may be required to view the full article
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Iran Arrests 14 Journalists Accused of Cooperation with Foreign-based Media Outlets
Iran has arrested 14 journalists for alleged cooperation with foreign-based Persian-language media organizations, several chief editors of Iranian outlets said Monday. The arrests signal a major escalation in a press crackdown that reflects Iran's zero tolerance for those who work with dissident media or outlets considered hostile to the regime. The chief editors of the arrested journalists told The Associated Press that the 14 were taken into custody Sunday night and Monday because of their "foreign contacts."
See the full article (AP, 1/28/13)
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22 Nepalese Journalists Flee After Threats
Twenty-two Nepalese journalists have fled after receiving threats from members of the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (UCPN). Their flight halted the publication of three newspapers and stopped two radio stations from broadcasting. The drama began when journalists working in the western district of Dailekh mounted a protest during a visit to the area by the prime minister Baburam Bhattarai.
See the full article (Guardian, Roy Greenslade, 1/28/13)
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'Propaganda' by Gays Faces Russian Curbs Amid Unrest
While Russian lawmakers debated a bill that would outlaw "homosexual propaganda," nationalist and religious demonstrators on Friday attacked gay rights advocates who had gathered outside the lower house of Parliament to protest the legislation. Lawmakers voted 388-1 for the bill, which would make it a federal crime in Russia to distribute "homosexual propaganda." Lawmakers voted 388-1 for the bill, which would make it a federal crime in Russia to distribute "homosexual propaganda."
See the full article (New York Times, David M. Herszenhorn, 1/25/13) *NYT sign-up may be required to view the full article
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Covering the Syrian Catastrophe
Journalists knew from the start that we were watching an opaque conflict: The restrictions on foreign correspondents made it nearly impossible to cover the conflict from the ground. Almost two years later, these obstacles continue to confound our understanding of events - leaving us to draw conclusions from threads of information, largely ones that opposition activists and a scattered few reporters can provide.
See the full article (Foreign Policy, Lara Sertakian, 1/25/13)
Click to read "Middle East in 2013: Promise and (Lots of) Peril," a USIP Peace Brief by Robin Wright and Garrett Nada.
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2 Outlets Find Prized Sources in Algeria Siege: The Fighters
There were no reporters on hand when Islamist militants emerged from the sands of eastern Algeria last week to storm a gas facility full of international workers, and Algerian security forces cordoned off the site during the hostage crisis that ensued, keeping the news media out. But two little-known news agencies from Nouakchott, the seaside capital of Mauritania, nearly 2,000 miles west across the desert, nonetheless managed to publish regular updates on the attack, citing the attackers themselves.
See the full article (New York Times, Scott Sayare, 1/25/13) *NYT sign-up may be required to view the full article
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Internet and Social Media

In Thailand, Power Comes With Help From Skype
Millions of people across the globe have cut the tethers to their offices, working remotely from home, airport lounges or just about anywhere they can get an Internet connection. But the political party governing Thailand has taken telecommuting into an altogether different realm. It might be described as rule by Skype. Or governance by instant messenger, a way for Thaksin [Shinawatra] to help run the country without having to face the warrant for his arrest in a case that many believe is politically motivated.
See the full article (New York Times, Thomas Fuller, 1/29/13) *NYT sign-up may be required to view the full article
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Will the Internet Remain Free?
From seemingly out of nowhere, the Internet has become the greatest global platform for free expression the world has ever seen. But will this last? Last month, an international conference was held that pitted nations seeking greater governmental control over the Internet -- led by Russia and China -- against countries advocating a hands-off approach. These included the United States, Canada, Israel, and nations of Western Europe including Great Britain.
See the full article (Huffington Post, Karl Grossman, 1/29/13)
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Looking Behind the Sightlines of an American Soldier under Taliban Fire
The video would be viewed more than 23 million times, making it perhaps the most-watched footage of the Afghan war. It began last April when Pfc. Ted Daniels pressed the record button on his helmet camera. The device captured what he could see: a rocky Afghan hillside dotted with shrubs and boulders, a small village and no place to hide. It also recorded sound: The pop, pop, pop of gunfire, and then Daniels's voice. The power of Daniels's video lies in its ability to deliver the viewer directly to the battlefield.
See the full article (Washington Post, Greg Jaffe, 1/26/13)
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What's New from PeaceMedia

"Peace Journalism" - TEDxLAU
Can media play a role in building peace and transforming conflicts? Is it only attractive when reporting about bad news and bringing sensational scoops? Isn't there any model that could be an alternative to the current journalistic reporting?
See the full video
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USIP's Science, Technology & Peacebuilding Roundup

 

 

 

United States Institute of Peace

 

Center of Innovation: Science, Technology and Peacebuilding

Weekly News Roundup, January 24 - 30, 2013

Table of Contents

**Click here to subscribe to USIP's Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding News Roundup,
which includes a special section on Internet and social media.**


New Global Water Risk Maps Offer Free Knowledge and Data
A lack of water might mean you can't operate; become involved in conflict with local communities who feel you are compromising their water needs and new water regulations that may make it uneconomical to operate in specific locations. But even though water is critical to economies, business and public health, it has been historically difficult to work out where the high and low water risk areas are in the world. The World Resources Institute is hoping to change that with the launch of Aqueduct, a new version of global water-risk mapping tool.
See the full article (Guardian, Flemmich Webb, 1/30/13)
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Wristwatch to Combat Sexual Violence in India
In the wake of a brutal string of gang-rapes of female bus passengers - one in New Delhi and one in Gurdaspur - Indian officials have unveiled a new weapon they're hoping can help combat violence against women. The watch would be equipped with a button that sends a text message to the nearest police station and chosen relatives. A GPS system within the device will help pinpoint the wearer's location. The watch will also feature a built-in video camera that will be activated and record for 30 minutes once the button is pushed.
See the full article (Mashable, Nic Halverson, 1/30/13)
Click to read about USIP's upcoming event "The Missing Peace Symposium" on February 14, 2013 at 8:30am.
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Google Releases Detailed Map of North Korea, Gulags and All
Until Tuesday, North Korea appeared on Google Maps as a near-total white space - no roads, no train lines, no parks and no restaurants. The only thing labeled was the capital city, Pyongyang. This all changed when Google, on Tuesday, rolled out a detailed map of one of the world's most secretive states. The new map labels everything from Pyongyang's subway stops to the country's several city-sized gulags, as well as its monuments, hotels, hospitals and department stores.
See the full article (Washington Post, Chico Harlan, 1/28/13)
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U.S. Weighs Base for Spy Drones in North Africa
The United States military is preparing to establish a drone base in northwest Africa so that it can increase surveillance missions on the local affiliate of Al Qaeda and other Islamist extremist groups that American and other Western officials say pose a growing menace to the region. For now, officials say they envision flying only unarmed surveillance drones from the base, though they have not ruled out conducting missile strikes at some point if the threat worsens.
See the full article (Washington Post, Eric Schmitt, 1/28/13)
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Kenya's Geeks Click Away to Ensure Peaceful Polls
Five years ago, a handful of bloggers invented a way to track -- and hopefully prevent -- bloody post-election violence that hit Kenya and claimed more than 1,100 lives. The group of friends that set up Ushahidi -- which means "to witness" in Kenya's Swahili language -- have seen their concept become a worldwide success, used in conflict and disaster zones, and again in Kenya ahead of March 4 polls. Their non-profit software company now bears witness to a technology boom in what has traditionally been a rural East African country.
See the full article (AFP, Boris Bachorz, 1/27/13)
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FBI is Increasing Pressure on Suspects in Stuxnet Inquiry
Federal investigators looking into disclosures of classified information about a cyberoperation that targeted Iran's nuclear program have increased pressure on current and former senior government officials suspected of involvement, according to people familiar with the investigation. The inquiry, which was started by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. last June, is examining leaks about a computer virus developed jointly by the United States and Israel that damaged nuclear centrifuges at Iran's primary uranium enrichment plant.
See the full article (Washington Post, Peter Finn, 1/26/13)
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Let Freedom Ring: Gen. Cartwright Says 4G is America's Lasting Legacy in Afghanistan
What will the longest-lasting and perhaps most important legacy of the United States' 11-year war in Afghanistan be? A 4G cell phone network capable of supporting smartphones. That's right, according to retired Marine Corps Gen. James "Hoss" Cartwright, who stepped down as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in August 2011, smartphones are the most important thing the West has introduced to Afghanistan.
See the full article (Foreign Policy, John Reed, 1/24/13) *Foreign Policy sign-up may be required to view the full article
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U.N. Launches Drone Investigation
An independent U.N. human rights researcher this morning announced the opening of an investigation into the use of drone attacks and other targeted assassinations by the United States and other governments. Ben Emmerson, the U.N. special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, told reporters in London this morning that the "exponential" rise in American drones strikes posed a "real challenge to the framework of international law," according to a statement issued by his office.
See the full article (Foreign Policy, Colum Lynch, 1/24/13) *Foreign Policy sign-up may be required to view the full article
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John Kerry: Cyber Conflict One of World's Greatest Threats
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) mentioned the need for "cyber diplomacy" during his confirmation hearing to be the next secretary of state today. No, Kerry wasn't talking about diplomats sending Someecards to one another when he dropped the term on his fellow senators. He was discussing the need for the international community to develop a host of new standards, or norms of behavior in cyber space. Kerry was responding for questions from Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) who called for Kerry's thoughts on the secretary of state's role "in a world where cyber security is our greatest threat."
See the full article (Foreign Policy, John Reed, 1/24/13) *Foreign Policy sign-up may be required to view the full article
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Click here to subscribe to USIP's Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding News Roundup,
which includes a special section on Internet and social media.

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