CLUSTER BUSTER
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-12-10-cluster-bomb-cover_x.htm
In Weapons of Mass Deception, we showed how the U.S. news media
virtually ignored the use in Iraq of cluster bombs --
anti-personnel devices like land mines that leave behind a deadly
litter of unexploded "bomblets." Now Paul Wiseman has written a
major report in which he concludes, "The Pentagon presented a
misleading picture during the war of the extent to which cluster
weapons were being used and of the civilian casualties they were
causing. Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
told reporters on April 25, six days before President Bush declared
major combat operations over, that the United States had used 1,500
cluster weapons and caused one civilian casualty. ... In fact, the
United States used 10,782 cluster weapons, according to the
declassified executive summary of a report compiled by U.S. Central
Command."
SOURCE: USA Today, December 11, 2003
More web links related to this story are available at:
http://www.prwatch.org/spin/December_2003.html#1071118801
To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit:
http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1071118801
13. RADIO FRAUDCASTING
http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=1514
Radio listeners tuning into disk jockey Jeff Kovarsky on Dallas,
Texas radio station KKMR in late 2000 could hear him extolling a
magical weight-loss remedy. iIt helped me lose 36 pounds,î Kovarsky
said. iI ate so much over Thanksgiving, I still have turkey burps.
But thanks to Body Solutions, I keep the weight off and now I'm
ready for Christmas. So, bring it on, Grandma. The honey-baked ham,
the apple pie, the Christmas cookies. I'm not afraid because I've
got Body Solutions Evening Weight Loss Formula.î Kovarsky was one
of the radio personalities at 755 stations across the country who
received millions of dollars in undisclosed payments to hawk the
products of Mark Nutritionals, which was shut down finally for
fraud by the Federal Trade Commission in 2002. "Devoid of pictures
or fine print, radio was the ideal medium," observes Andrew Wheat.
"Millions of faithful listeners heard personal pitches from
familiar voices, yet they could not see if the announcer plugging
the product really had lost weight."
SOURCE: Texas Observer, December 5, 2003
To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit:
http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1070600402
14. INDUSTRY HOPES TO CENSOR ADS ON HAZARDS OF INFANT FORMULA
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/04/business/media/04adcol.html
"Federal officials have softened a national advertising campaign to
promote breastfeeding after complaints from two companies that make
infant formula, according to several doctors and nurses who are
helping the government with the effort. After the two companies
[Mead Johnson and Abbott] and the top officials of the American
Academy of Pediatrics complained to federal health officials, the
government decided to eliminate spots discussing the risk of
leukemia and diabetes in babies not breastfed, said Amy Spangler,
the chairwoman of the United States Breastfeeding Committee, a
group that promotes breastfeeding. According to the Ad Council
newsletter, those ads said that babies not breastfed had a 30
percent increased risk of developing leukemia and up to a 40
percent increased risk of developing diabetes. ... Marsha Walker,
who sits on the leadership team of the United States Breastfeeding
Committee with Ms. Spangler, said that the information on leukemia
and diabetes should be left in the ads. ... 'This is being shot
down by an industry that has no business interfering. Ultimately it
hurts the health of our babies and our moms.' "
SOURCE: New York Times, December 4, 2003
To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit:
http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1070514002
Friday, December 19, 2003
MEDIA SILENT ON PROSECUTION OF WHISTLEBLOWER KATHARINE GUN
http://www.accuracy.org/NS121403.htm
Norman Solomon writes that "few Americans have heard of Katharine
Gun, a former British intelligence employee facing charges that she
violated the Official Secrets Act. So far, the American press has
ignored her. But the case raises profound questions about democracy
and the public's right to know on both sides of the Atlantic. Ms.
Gun's legal peril began in Britain on March 2, when the Observer
newspaper exposed a highly secret memorandum by a top U.S. National
Security Agency official. ... The NSA memo said that the agency had
started a 'surge' of spying on diplomats at the United Nations in
New York. ... In this case, Ms. Gun's conscience fully intersected
with the needs of democracy and a free press. The British and
American people had every right to know that their governments were
involved in a high-stakes dirty tricks campaign at the United
Nations. For democratic societies, a timely flow of information is
the lifeblood of the body politic."
SOURCE: Baltimore Sun, December 14, 2003
To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit:
http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1071378000
http://www.accuracy.org/NS121403.htm
Norman Solomon writes that "few Americans have heard of Katharine
Gun, a former British intelligence employee facing charges that she
violated the Official Secrets Act. So far, the American press has
ignored her. But the case raises profound questions about democracy
and the public's right to know on both sides of the Atlantic. Ms.
Gun's legal peril began in Britain on March 2, when the Observer
newspaper exposed a highly secret memorandum by a top U.S. National
Security Agency official. ... The NSA memo said that the agency had
started a 'surge' of spying on diplomats at the United Nations in
New York. ... In this case, Ms. Gun's conscience fully intersected
with the needs of democracy and a free press. The British and
American people had every right to know that their governments were
involved in a high-stakes dirty tricks campaign at the United
Nations. For democratic societies, a timely flow of information is
the lifeblood of the body politic."
SOURCE: Baltimore Sun, December 14, 2003
To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit:
http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1071378000
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Problems in Paradise? Check it out. See you on Thur. Clark
EU attack on press club rebuffed
The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association on Wednesday rebuffed the European Union's calls for the abolition of the press club system, claiming it plays an important role in disseminating news among the public.
"Each country has different systems and rules for covering news based on each country's historical background," the association said in a statement.
The association said the EU's proposals were "based on misunderstanding, biases and misperception of facts."
It added, however, that it would strive to make the press clubs more open to all reporters.
In October 2002 and again this year, the EU lambasted the "kisha club" system for restricting access to official news conferences to reporters from mostly mainstream domestic media organizations.
This practice leaves foreign reporters and freelance journalists at a disadvantage when covering national and local government offices, as well as police headquarters, the EU said.
As part of a drive to promote regulatory reform in Japan, the EU called on Tokyo to grant foreign news media better access to information at government offices.
The Japanese association claimed, however, that on the basis of discussions held by a subcommittee set up in November 2002 in response to the EU claims, the system is an important means of pressing reluctant public officials to disclose information.
It also said the system allows the media to obtain vital public information, such as information about natural disasters, quickly and accurately.
The Japan Times: Dec. 11, 2003
EU attack on press club rebuffed
The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association on Wednesday rebuffed the European Union's calls for the abolition of the press club system, claiming it plays an important role in disseminating news among the public.
"Each country has different systems and rules for covering news based on each country's historical background," the association said in a statement.
The association said the EU's proposals were "based on misunderstanding, biases and misperception of facts."
It added, however, that it would strive to make the press clubs more open to all reporters.
In October 2002 and again this year, the EU lambasted the "kisha club" system for restricting access to official news conferences to reporters from mostly mainstream domestic media organizations.
This practice leaves foreign reporters and freelance journalists at a disadvantage when covering national and local government offices, as well as police headquarters, the EU said.
As part of a drive to promote regulatory reform in Japan, the EU called on Tokyo to grant foreign news media better access to information at government offices.
The Japanese association claimed, however, that on the basis of discussions held by a subcommittee set up in November 2002 in response to the EU claims, the system is an important means of pressing reluctant public officials to disclose information.
It also said the system allows the media to obtain vital public information, such as information about natural disasters, quickly and accurately.
The Japan Times: Dec. 11, 2003
Monday, December 08, 2003
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Take a look at the notice below. These guys are really doing a good job. They produce a weekly e- newsletter called spin which is very good:
Never before have PR and propaganda been so pervasive and
deceptive. Academics find that 40 percent or more of "the
news" is PR-driven. Here at the Center for Media and
Democracy, we debunk, analyze and expose this steady barrage
of spin.
A couple of years ago, we started this free Weekly Spin
listserve to make the information we uncover as accessible
as possible. Today, I'm writing to ask what this service
means to you.
What does it mean to you to know that Lauri Fitz-Pegado,
the PR executive in charge of the 1990 campaign that sold
the first Gulf War, is now promoting a book about the
Jessica Lynch rescue?
What does it mean to you to know that the international
pharmaceutical industry spends twice what it devotes to
research on PR and hidden marketing (including forming fake
patient advocacy groups)?
What does it mean to you to know the details of the Bush
administration's selling of the Iraq war? That the
CIA-funded Iraqi National Congress was a PR creation,
as were the tightly controlled official statements and
deceptive claims leading to the war, crafted as part
of a million "PR blitz against Saddam Hussein"
under the White House Office of Global Communications?
What does it mean to you to know that British American
Tobacco is trying to reinvent itself as a "socially
responsible company," and Coca-Cola is giving money to
pediatric dentists and parent/teacher organizations?
What does it mean to you that our books, website, PR Watch
magazine, and countless interviews, presentations and
articles constitute the frontline in exposing and debunking
corporate and government deception?
The non-profit Center for Media and Democracy remains the
only organization in the world whose unique mission is
rooting out deceptive and dangerous special interest
propaganda campaigns. And now, in our second decade,
we need to do an even bigger and better job. We are
expanding our programs and staff to take our work and
expertise directly to grassroots groups, activists,
students and investigative journalists.
I'm proud that we've created and launched the Disinfopedia,
a unique web-based project to document and track government
and industry disinformation campaigns. Now if you want to
know which industry funded groups say climate change is a
phony scare tactic, or who said there were weapons of mass
destruction, you can do it in a click. Check it out and
contribute your own information at the Disinfopedia site:
http://www.disinfopedia.org
John Stauber
Founder and Executive Director,
Center for Media and Democracy
Never before have PR and propaganda been so pervasive and
deceptive. Academics find that 40 percent or more of "the
news" is PR-driven. Here at the Center for Media and
Democracy, we debunk, analyze and expose this steady barrage
of spin.
A couple of years ago, we started this free Weekly Spin
listserve to make the information we uncover as accessible
as possible. Today, I'm writing to ask what this service
means to you.
What does it mean to you to know that Lauri Fitz-Pegado,
the PR executive in charge of the 1990 campaign that sold
the first Gulf War, is now promoting a book about the
Jessica Lynch rescue?
What does it mean to you to know that the international
pharmaceutical industry spends twice what it devotes to
research on PR and hidden marketing (including forming fake
patient advocacy groups)?
What does it mean to you to know the details of the Bush
administration's selling of the Iraq war? That the
CIA-funded Iraqi National Congress was a PR creation,
as were the tightly controlled official statements and
deceptive claims leading to the war, crafted as part
of a million "PR blitz against Saddam Hussein"
under the White House Office of Global Communications?
What does it mean to you to know that British American
Tobacco is trying to reinvent itself as a "socially
responsible company," and Coca-Cola is giving money to
pediatric dentists and parent/teacher organizations?
What does it mean to you that our books, website, PR Watch
magazine, and countless interviews, presentations and
articles constitute the frontline in exposing and debunking
corporate and government deception?
The non-profit Center for Media and Democracy remains the
only organization in the world whose unique mission is
rooting out deceptive and dangerous special interest
propaganda campaigns. And now, in our second decade,
we need to do an even bigger and better job. We are
expanding our programs and staff to take our work and
expertise directly to grassroots groups, activists,
students and investigative journalists.
I'm proud that we've created and launched the Disinfopedia,
a unique web-based project to document and track government
and industry disinformation campaigns. Now if you want to
know which industry funded groups say climate change is a
phony scare tactic, or who said there were weapons of mass
destruction, you can do it in a click. Check it out and
contribute your own information at the Disinfopedia site:
http://www.disinfopedia.org
John Stauber
Founder and Executive Director,
Center for Media and Democracy
Friday, December 05, 2003
Hi as some of you have been doing your interview assignment I thought you might like to look at this interview, which in itself is an interesting interview, were the interviewer talks about his worries and difficulties with the interview and some of his solutions to the problems he encounters. It's very well done.
Noam Chomsky Interview
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/politicsphilosophyandsociety/story/0,6000,1096132,00.html
'He recognises little distinction between conspiracy and cock-up.'
Noam Chomsky Interview
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/politicsphilosophyandsociety/story/0,6000,1096132,00.html
'He recognises little distinction between conspiracy and cock-up.'
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
Politicians often say sounds which really don't have any real meaning, or the meaning is so debatable that what they say would be better of not said. Clark
Rum remark wins Rumsfeld an award
Rumsfeld tries to make a point...
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has won a "Foot in Mouth" award for one of his now legendary bizarre remarks.
Mr Rumsfeld won the prize for comments made at a news conference in February last year which left observers baffled.
"There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns," he said.
The British Plain English Campaign annually hands out the prize for the most nonsensical remark made by a public figure.
Stiff competition
Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know
Donald Rumsfeld's winning comment
A spokesman for the organisation, which tries to ensure public information is delivered in a clear manner, said Mr Rumsfeld's remarks were typical of the kind of comments they were trying to prevent.
"We think we know what he means," he told Reuters news agency.
"But we don't know if we really know."
Mr Rumsfeld fought off stiff competition for the award from actor turned California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger among others.
Mr Schwarzenegger weighed in on the gay marriage debate with the comment "I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman."
I believe what I said yesterday. I don't know what I said, but I know what I think... and I assume it's what I said
Donald Rumsfeld
And European Commissioner Chris Patten came close with his remark that the British Conservative Party had committed political suicide and was now living to regret it.
Previous winners of the award have included US actress Alicia Silverstone and actor Richard Gere.
But despite Mr Rumsfeld's rather outlandish mode of speaking, fans of the tough-talking US defence secretary argue he is misunderstood.
There are dozens of websites dedicated to the "poetry" of Mr Rumsfeld and there is even a book, entitled Pieces of Intelligence, dedicated to interpreting his statements as a form of existential writing.
Rum remark wins Rumsfeld an award
Rumsfeld tries to make a point...
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has won a "Foot in Mouth" award for one of his now legendary bizarre remarks.
Mr Rumsfeld won the prize for comments made at a news conference in February last year which left observers baffled.
"There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns," he said.
The British Plain English Campaign annually hands out the prize for the most nonsensical remark made by a public figure.
Stiff competition
Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know
Donald Rumsfeld's winning comment
A spokesman for the organisation, which tries to ensure public information is delivered in a clear manner, said Mr Rumsfeld's remarks were typical of the kind of comments they were trying to prevent.
"We think we know what he means," he told Reuters news agency.
"But we don't know if we really know."
Mr Rumsfeld fought off stiff competition for the award from actor turned California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger among others.
Mr Schwarzenegger weighed in on the gay marriage debate with the comment "I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman."
I believe what I said yesterday. I don't know what I said, but I know what I think... and I assume it's what I said
Donald Rumsfeld
And European Commissioner Chris Patten came close with his remark that the British Conservative Party had committed political suicide and was now living to regret it.
Previous winners of the award have included US actress Alicia Silverstone and actor Richard Gere.
But despite Mr Rumsfeld's rather outlandish mode of speaking, fans of the tough-talking US defence secretary argue he is misunderstood.
There are dozens of websites dedicated to the "poetry" of Mr Rumsfeld and there is even a book, entitled Pieces of Intelligence, dedicated to interpreting his statements as a form of existential writing.
Saturday, November 29, 2003
Sensational reporting puts media in spotlight: panelists
By ERIC JOHNSTON
Staff writer
OSAKA -- As profits and audiences shrink, the media are under increasing pressure to compete for readers and viewers, which has led to a growing number of human rights abuses that have fueled a public backlash.
At a symposium in Osaka on Saturday titled "Human Rights and Reporting," about 40 media insiders, lawyers, university professors and students gathered to discuss the backlash and other problems related to journalistic practices in Japan, as well as steps the media itself is taking to prevent human rights abuses.
Much of the discussion focused on the way television journalists report the news.
Shiro Matsuda, a former Yomiuri Television reporter who is now with the Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization, which was created in July to monitor television programs, said broadcast journalism faces a number of issues that are different from print media when considering human rights issues.
"A recent trend among private broadcasters has been to buy 'packaged news' reports from outside producers," Matsuda said. "This saves the broadcasters money, because they don't have to pay the expenses of their own reporters and editors.
"But they only see the final product and have no idea how the news piece was filmed and edited. Thus, they can't defend themselves as easily if somebody charges that the news program violated somebody's human rights."
Panelists were divided on the issue of whether or not the Japanese media reports fairly on crimes committed by foreigners, or incidents abroad involving Japanese.
When it was pointed out that many view Japanese media reports of a rising foreign crime rate as sensationalized, Tsutomu Nomura, a local lawyer, agreed there are problems.
The Japan Times: Nov. 30, 2003
By ERIC JOHNSTON
Staff writer
OSAKA -- As profits and audiences shrink, the media are under increasing pressure to compete for readers and viewers, which has led to a growing number of human rights abuses that have fueled a public backlash.
At a symposium in Osaka on Saturday titled "Human Rights and Reporting," about 40 media insiders, lawyers, university professors and students gathered to discuss the backlash and other problems related to journalistic practices in Japan, as well as steps the media itself is taking to prevent human rights abuses.
Much of the discussion focused on the way television journalists report the news.
Shiro Matsuda, a former Yomiuri Television reporter who is now with the Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization, which was created in July to monitor television programs, said broadcast journalism faces a number of issues that are different from print media when considering human rights issues.
"A recent trend among private broadcasters has been to buy 'packaged news' reports from outside producers," Matsuda said. "This saves the broadcasters money, because they don't have to pay the expenses of their own reporters and editors.
"But they only see the final product and have no idea how the news piece was filmed and edited. Thus, they can't defend themselves as easily if somebody charges that the news program violated somebody's human rights."
Panelists were divided on the issue of whether or not the Japanese media reports fairly on crimes committed by foreigners, or incidents abroad involving Japanese.
When it was pointed out that many view Japanese media reports of a rising foreign crime rate as sensationalized, Tsutomu Nomura, a local lawyer, agreed there are problems.
The Japan Times: Nov. 30, 2003
Friday, November 28, 2003
Thought you should all talk a look at this great story from Kai:
Hong Kong Trip Kai Futami
Last week (November 6th), I was absent from class because I had to go on a trip to Hong Kong to help out a friend pick out some accessories to sell in a flee market going to be held in Yoyogi park November 29th and 30th. So I will write about my trip.
I left Narita Airport on the 3rd of November. I went on China Airlines for the first time. It was exciting and a nervous experience because I thought the airline was famous for crashing. We had to stop in Taiwan and then transfer onto another plane to Hong Kong. Taiwans airport had nothing. There was a big enormous soy sauce bottle object spinning in the aiport. It was rare to see such a thing. A beer bottle, I can understand, but why a soy sauce bottle? Anyways, we got to Hong Kong around 12midnight. The first meal?I ate there was wantanmen. Noodles with wantan. Another dish came along. It was fried snake skin. How Yummy, NOT! After eating the noodles, I was told that the meat of the wantan was dog meat. But eventually, that was a lie.
The next day I had yumcha for breakfast and went to a town where they sale wholesale goods. There were many interesting things and very cheap too. I wanted to shop, but I was on a business trip so I could only shop for acessories. We shopped and thenm went horse racing. It was fun. I couldn`t read the horse racing paper so I just looked at the kanji and bet on good names. We won the first bet but lost the other two. It was an exciting experience for me.
The next day we again ate yumcha and we again went shopping for acessories. At night we went to the night market, and there I was able to shop?finally. I had a good time. I didn`t shop much though. Then we went to the famous mango dessert parlor. This was the most delicious meal I had in Hong Kong. Mango with fresh coconut icecream and fruit on the side. YUMMY!! Then we went to Victoria Peak, the famous night sight seeing place. Unfortunately it was cloudy so I couldn`t see much but I was amazed.
The final day came and it was time to go back to Japan. I was again a little bit nervous about the flight. Luckily you can see it turned out all right because I am still here.
It was my first trip to Hong Kong and I found it quite interesting. Before I used to think I Hong Kong is not a very amusing place. Now I think I love it. There are few things in Hong Kong I noticed that are different from Japan. 1-The chopsticks are way longer and thicker than Japan. 2- The escalators move very quickly and people stand on the left hand side of the escalator. 3-The weather was still a bit hot. I could still walk around without a jacket. Etc... I will leave the rest for you to find out. I recommend Hong Kong a cheap and fantastic place to travel.
A picture of me at Taiwan Airport with the big enormous soy sauce bottle.
Hong Kong Trip Kai Futami
Last week (November 6th), I was absent from class because I had to go on a trip to Hong Kong to help out a friend pick out some accessories to sell in a flee market going to be held in Yoyogi park November 29th and 30th. So I will write about my trip.
I left Narita Airport on the 3rd of November. I went on China Airlines for the first time. It was exciting and a nervous experience because I thought the airline was famous for crashing. We had to stop in Taiwan and then transfer onto another plane to Hong Kong. Taiwans airport had nothing. There was a big enormous soy sauce bottle object spinning in the aiport. It was rare to see such a thing. A beer bottle, I can understand, but why a soy sauce bottle? Anyways, we got to Hong Kong around 12midnight. The first meal?I ate there was wantanmen. Noodles with wantan. Another dish came along. It was fried snake skin. How Yummy, NOT! After eating the noodles, I was told that the meat of the wantan was dog meat. But eventually, that was a lie.
The next day I had yumcha for breakfast and went to a town where they sale wholesale goods. There were many interesting things and very cheap too. I wanted to shop, but I was on a business trip so I could only shop for acessories. We shopped and thenm went horse racing. It was fun. I couldn`t read the horse racing paper so I just looked at the kanji and bet on good names. We won the first bet but lost the other two. It was an exciting experience for me.
The next day we again ate yumcha and we again went shopping for acessories. At night we went to the night market, and there I was able to shop?finally. I had a good time. I didn`t shop much though. Then we went to the famous mango dessert parlor. This was the most delicious meal I had in Hong Kong. Mango with fresh coconut icecream and fruit on the side. YUMMY!! Then we went to Victoria Peak, the famous night sight seeing place. Unfortunately it was cloudy so I couldn`t see much but I was amazed.
The final day came and it was time to go back to Japan. I was again a little bit nervous about the flight. Luckily you can see it turned out all right because I am still here.
It was my first trip to Hong Kong and I found it quite interesting. Before I used to think I Hong Kong is not a very amusing place. Now I think I love it. There are few things in Hong Kong I noticed that are different from Japan. 1-The chopsticks are way longer and thicker than Japan. 2- The escalators move very quickly and people stand on the left hand side of the escalator. 3-The weather was still a bit hot. I could still walk around without a jacket. Etc... I will leave the rest for you to find out. I recommend Hong Kong a cheap and fantastic place to travel.
A picture of me at Taiwan Airport with the big enormous soy sauce bottle.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Thought some of you might be interested in this:Fellowships
USC Arts Journalism Fellowships: The USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program offers six to nine competitive fellowships to mid-career arts & culture writers and editors from print, broadcast, and online journalism to attend a three-week enrichment program in Los Angeles, March 7 to 28, 2004. The expense-paid fellowships cover lodging, meals, travel and a $450 stipend. The intensive multi-disciplinary program is designed to bring the fellows into direct contact with known and unknown artists and arts professionals who work in LA. Highlights of this year's program include New York Times critic John Rockwell as Speaker-in-Residence. Conversations are also planned with such artists + curators + directors as Amalia Mesa-Bains, Osvaldo Golijov, Dawn Upshaw, Peter Sellars, Michael Maltzan, Eric Owen Moss, Deborah Gribbon, John Malpede, Michael Ritchie and Ramaa Bharadvaj. The USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program, based at USC's School of Journalism, is funded in part by a grant from the J. Paul Getty Trust. To apply, see http://annenberg.usc.edu/getty .
Deadline : December 8, 2
USC Arts Journalism Fellowships: The USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program offers six to nine competitive fellowships to mid-career arts & culture writers and editors from print, broadcast, and online journalism to attend a three-week enrichment program in Los Angeles, March 7 to 28, 2004. The expense-paid fellowships cover lodging, meals, travel and a $450 stipend. The intensive multi-disciplinary program is designed to bring the fellows into direct contact with known and unknown artists and arts professionals who work in LA. Highlights of this year's program include New York Times critic John Rockwell as Speaker-in-Residence. Conversations are also planned with such artists + curators + directors as Amalia Mesa-Bains, Osvaldo Golijov, Dawn Upshaw, Peter Sellars, Michael Maltzan, Eric Owen Moss, Deborah Gribbon, John Malpede, Michael Ritchie and Ramaa Bharadvaj. The USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program, based at USC's School of Journalism, is funded in part by a grant from the J. Paul Getty Trust. To apply, see http://annenberg.usc.edu/getty .
Deadline : December 8, 2
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Monday, November 17, 2003
Hi I'd like you to take a look at the home page of the Toledo Blade a rather small great American newspaper. There is a banner at the top of their home page featuring a series of stories that the paper did. This is investigative reporting at it's very best. Try and read and or listen to as much of it as you can. It's called Hidden Graves. You can find the paper through Google. See you Thur. Clark
Saturday, November 15, 2003
Hi I hope those of you that went to see the play on Saturday enjoyed it. I actually saw four of you there or after. I thought that the play was really well done. A great experience. Remember next week an interview is due. There is one more thing and that is a very interesting investigating by an American newspaper the Toledo Blade about a terrrible event during the Vietnam war. The story is called Buried Secrets,Brutal Truths and is a brillant example of really good investigative reporting. The web site for the paper has audio as well as visual images and the regular reading material that a paper is expected to have. I'd like you all to look at it and try and read as much of it as you can. Good Luck. Clark
Here's the URL>http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
Here's the URL>http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
Friday, November 14, 2003
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Note that the play will start at 5:00 PM -- not at 4:00 PM, as was previously announced. Please inform students of this. Here are the _correct_ details: The International Theatre Company (London) will be performing Paul Stebbings' adaptation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at Koudou Hall/ Shibuya Campus on Nov. 15 from 5:00 PM. The doors will open at 4:30 PM. The performance is free for all.
bless us every one,
Note that the play will start at 5:00 PM -- not at 4:00 PM, as was previously announced. Please inform students of this. Here are the _correct_ details: The International Theatre Company (London) will be performing Paul Stebbings' adaptation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at Koudou Hall/ Shibuya Campus on Nov. 15 from 5:00 PM. The doors will open at 4:30 PM. The performance is free for all.
bless us every one,
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Spy Chips' Tested on the Sly
The Chicago Sun Times reports that P&G and Wal-Mart did a secret test of RFID chips in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where Max Factor Lipfinity lipstick containers were equipped with RFID chips. "The shelves and Webcam images were viewed 750 miles away by Procter & Gamble researchers in Cincinnati who could tell when lipsticks were removed from the shelves and could even watch consumers in action," the article says.
This latest report "proves what we've been saying all along," says Katherine Albrecht, founder and director of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN). "Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and others have experimented on shoppers with controversial spy chip technology and tried to cover it up," Albrecht says. "Consumers and members of the press should be upset to learn that they've been lied to."
The Chicago Sun Times reports that P&G and Wal-Mart did a secret test of RFID chips in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where Max Factor Lipfinity lipstick containers were equipped with RFID chips. "The shelves and Webcam images were viewed 750 miles away by Procter & Gamble researchers in Cincinnati who could tell when lipsticks were removed from the shelves and could even watch consumers in action," the article says.
This latest report "proves what we've been saying all along," says Katherine Albrecht, founder and director of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN). "Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and others have experimented on shoppers with controversial spy chip technology and tried to cover it up," Albrecht says. "Consumers and members of the press should be upset to learn that they've been lied to."
- FORUMS -
Questions for . . . John Noble Wilford
To mark the 25th anniversary of the section, the reporter and former Science Times editor will answer questions about covering science over the years.
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/readersopinions/questions-wilford.html?th
Here are some expamples of questions and answers in an interview from the above:
QUESTIONS FOR . . .
John Noble Wilford
This week, the reporter and former Science Times editor will answer questions about covering science over the years.
November 11
When you first covered the 1996 Mars meteorite story, were you more skeptical or more excited? Can you describe the arc of your own take on the likelihood that it provided evidence for real life on Mars, from Aug. 1996 until now? -- Dr. James Strick, Lancaster, Pa.
A. Dear Dr. Strick:
A very interesting question. For two or three days, as I tried to learn details about the rumored "life on Mars" rock, I was quite excited. Late one afternoon, when the embargo on the journal report was lifted, I read the paper and spoke with some of the authors and others familiar with the work. I was still excited. But I could see that the conclusion of a possible discovery of signs of past life on Mars was highly qualified at several turns. My story began by saying what the researchers thought they had discovered, but quickly raised questions and noted that the scientists would be defending their announced results at a news conference the following day. The story out of that conference was somewhat more skeptical, though one had to repeat what the researchers said they were claiming.
Two or three weeks later, I wrote a story that took a reverse tack. The skeptics and critics described their misgivings and reservations, and the original research team responded to their best defense. Four months later, I wrote a story that appeared on page one of The Times that cast strong doubt that the Mars meteoritic rock contained evidence of past life on Mars.
My view of Martian life (microbial or some such) has risen and fallen several times since the Viking landings in 1976. Martian life then looked extremely doubtful. Then in the 1980s, geologists studying the Viking orbital pictures saw so much evidence of erosion (water perhaps) that they developed scenarios in which Mars in its earlier history was warmer and wetter and life could have emerged, perhaps about the same time (3.6 billion years ago) that it apparently did on Earth and then it vanished as Martian conditions worsened. Or life emerged and still exists in some forms, presumably in subsurface watery layers or near the polar ice caps. To be honest, I hope that there is some simple form of life on Mars and that we detect it; it would make a great news story and stunning revelation in scientific and philosophical terms. We will have all the more reason to keep searching for the planets and moons of other stars, looking for cosmic companionship.
Best regards,
John Noble Wilford
Q. In your perception of the responses of readers to your journalistic work on science, have there been any significant changes regarding the attitudes and perceptions about science over the time?-- Rainer Kamber, Basel, Switzerland
A. Dear Rainer Kamber:
For the most part, readers of Science Times over the years tend to be eager to savor and learn about what is happening in science and medicine. A few occasionally object to the emphasis we give one line of research over another, or one scientific group over another. A few call our attention to omissions and mistakes on our part. But mostly they write in appreciation and with suggestions for other stories they would like to read.
But we do have some who write in with complaints that we misrepresent or overlook other theories and points of view. There are a few who reject the Big Bang, or the overall Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. Science has certainly not resolved all issues regarding these two pillars of research, but a strong case has been made and repeatedly tested that the theories are the most reasonable explanations for cosmology and biological evolution.
For more observations on public perceptions of science today, you should take a close look at the lead article by Bill Broad and Jim Glanz in today's 25th anniversary issue of Science Times. Several polls and observations by specialists indicate a growing unease over science. The prestige of scientists has apparently slipped, though it remains relatively high. Irrational beliefs like miracles, ghosts and astrology are strong. And there's a nagging feeling that science is failing to solve social ills. Give the article a read; it goes to the heart of your question.
Regards,
John Noble Wilford
Questions for . . . John Noble Wilford
To mark the 25th anniversary of the section, the reporter and former Science Times editor will answer questions about covering science over the years.
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/readersopinions/questions-wilford.html?th
Here are some expamples of questions and answers in an interview from the above:
QUESTIONS FOR . . .
John Noble Wilford
This week, the reporter and former Science Times editor will answer questions about covering science over the years.
November 11
When you first covered the 1996 Mars meteorite story, were you more skeptical or more excited? Can you describe the arc of your own take on the likelihood that it provided evidence for real life on Mars, from Aug. 1996 until now? -- Dr. James Strick, Lancaster, Pa.
A. Dear Dr. Strick:
A very interesting question. For two or three days, as I tried to learn details about the rumored "life on Mars" rock, I was quite excited. Late one afternoon, when the embargo on the journal report was lifted, I read the paper and spoke with some of the authors and others familiar with the work. I was still excited. But I could see that the conclusion of a possible discovery of signs of past life on Mars was highly qualified at several turns. My story began by saying what the researchers thought they had discovered, but quickly raised questions and noted that the scientists would be defending their announced results at a news conference the following day. The story out of that conference was somewhat more skeptical, though one had to repeat what the researchers said they were claiming.
Two or three weeks later, I wrote a story that took a reverse tack. The skeptics and critics described their misgivings and reservations, and the original research team responded to their best defense. Four months later, I wrote a story that appeared on page one of The Times that cast strong doubt that the Mars meteoritic rock contained evidence of past life on Mars.
My view of Martian life (microbial or some such) has risen and fallen several times since the Viking landings in 1976. Martian life then looked extremely doubtful. Then in the 1980s, geologists studying the Viking orbital pictures saw so much evidence of erosion (water perhaps) that they developed scenarios in which Mars in its earlier history was warmer and wetter and life could have emerged, perhaps about the same time (3.6 billion years ago) that it apparently did on Earth and then it vanished as Martian conditions worsened. Or life emerged and still exists in some forms, presumably in subsurface watery layers or near the polar ice caps. To be honest, I hope that there is some simple form of life on Mars and that we detect it; it would make a great news story and stunning revelation in scientific and philosophical terms. We will have all the more reason to keep searching for the planets and moons of other stars, looking for cosmic companionship.
Best regards,
John Noble Wilford
Q. In your perception of the responses of readers to your journalistic work on science, have there been any significant changes regarding the attitudes and perceptions about science over the time?-- Rainer Kamber, Basel, Switzerland
A. Dear Rainer Kamber:
For the most part, readers of Science Times over the years tend to be eager to savor and learn about what is happening in science and medicine. A few occasionally object to the emphasis we give one line of research over another, or one scientific group over another. A few call our attention to omissions and mistakes on our part. But mostly they write in appreciation and with suggestions for other stories they would like to read.
But we do have some who write in with complaints that we misrepresent or overlook other theories and points of view. There are a few who reject the Big Bang, or the overall Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. Science has certainly not resolved all issues regarding these two pillars of research, but a strong case has been made and repeatedly tested that the theories are the most reasonable explanations for cosmology and biological evolution.
For more observations on public perceptions of science today, you should take a close look at the lead article by Bill Broad and Jim Glanz in today's 25th anniversary issue of Science Times. Several polls and observations by specialists indicate a growing unease over science. The prestige of scientists has apparently slipped, though it remains relatively high. Irrational beliefs like miracles, ghosts and astrology are strong. And there's a nagging feeling that science is failing to solve social ills. Give the article a read; it goes to the heart of your question.
Regards,
John Noble Wilford
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