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Subject: 12th March - News World Media Briefs


News World Media Brief

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=========================================
News World Media Briefs
Powered by < <http://www.lovelacemedia.com> http://www.lovelacemedia.com>
March 12, 2001
=========================================

THE WEEK'S HEADLINES
+ Russian Press freedoms 'under threat', say campaigners (Censorship)
+ Media's role in Ghana's Presidential election praised (Censorship)
+ Singapore to curb 'errant channels', says minister (TV)
+ BBC's Sambrook pledges to 'get below the hype' (TV)
+ ITN new media chief quits to join IBM (Internet)

\=========================================================================/
News World Asia
Amien Rais, the speaker of the Indonesian parliament is set to make a
keynote presentation at News World's inaugural Asian event. In a plenary
session examining the media's role in Indonesia's return to democracy Amien
Rais will proceed a discussion with representatives from Trans TV, Metro TV,
Channel NewsAsia, CNN. For further information check
<http://www.newsworld.co.uk> www.newsworld.co.uk

News Technology 2001 - Akamai to provide keynote address.

News Technology 2001 is being opened by Ian King, general manager, Northern
Europe for streaming giant Akamai.

Akamai was founded in 1995 in an attempt to invent a new and effective way
of cutting through Internet congestion and deliver Internet content. Six
years on the company is one of the world's leaders in providing web
solutions to optimise content online. Among its customers are MSNBC and
Yahoo!

Ian's opening presentation will set the tone for the following two day's
which will focus heavily on media streaming, broadband and cross-media
convergence. The presentations will highlight the technical challenges
facing news organisations as they seek to have an effective and substantial
presence across multiple delivery platforms while seeking to reduce running
costs.

\=========================================================================/

This week's full coverage:

C E N S O R S H I P  &  F R E E D O M   O F  I N F O R M A T I O N

Freedom of Press 'under threat' in Russia, campaigners claim

Russia's provincial media is struggling to maintain its freedoms in the face
of politically motivated assaults, campaigners claim.

Oleg Panfilov, chief of the Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations,
said: "A new state propaganda machine is being created in the federal
districts, with new state-run newspapers, new state-run news agencies, new
state-run TV channels."

Fyodor Penkin, chief editor of the Volga Times, who survived a shotgun
attempt on his life earlier this year, said: "Ten years ago, when I was
creating this newspaper, I felt for the first time that I can write freely.
Now this child I have created is dying before my eyes."

Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=13331>
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=13331>

Media's role in Ghana's presidential election praised

Ghana's acting ambassador to the US has offered a glowing account of the
role played by his country's media in the recent presidential election.

Francis Tsegah said radio in particular played a significant part in
ensuring the success of the election - Ghana's first multi-party one.

He said:  "The press covered the parties and were able to send information
to the public in such a way that by the time you had the election there was
no longer any question of the media being biased towards one party."

The election was won by opposition candidate John Kufuor.
Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=13345>
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=13345>

Widow of murdered Ukrainian journalist abandons "na<ve" search for truth

The widow of murdered Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze told how she has
despaired of ever uncovering the truth about his death.

Myroslava Gongadze said her "endless moves" to find out what happened to her
husband were "na<ve".

The journalist's headless body was found near Kiev. Gongadze was a fierce
critic of the Ukrainian government, which has been implicated in his death.
Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=13302>
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=13302>

Malaysia increases pressure on media

Malaysia has increased pressure on both foreign and domestic media, by
branding people involved in award-winning news site Malaysiakini.com
"traitors" and delaying the distribution of the latest issues of Asiaweek
and the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER).

Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said of Malaysiakini: "People who love
Malaysia would not support Malaysiakini. Previously people would say
traitors but these people really behave like traitors, asking foreigners to
harm their own country."

Two Asiaweek issues and one of FEER - all carrying articles on Malaysia -
were stuck in distributions depots, and FEER Managing Editor Michael
Vatikiotis said: "We have no indication as to whether this is just a one off
or part of a policy. We have had no official communication."

Asiaweek is part of the AOL-Time Warner stable, and FEER part of Dow Jones.
Want more? News World recommends:
 <http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010305/3/jc0f.html>
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010305/3/jc0f.html <
<http://mail.lovelacemedia.com//jump/http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010305/3/jc0f.
html>
http://mail.lovelacemedia.com//jump/http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010305/3/jc0f.h
tml>

Taiwan vows to safeguard free speech over controversial book

Taiwan's President Chen Shui-ban has vowed to safeguard the island's freedom
of speech as a row over a controversial Japanese comic book continued to
divide the state.

The book claimed that many Taiwanese women, forced to act as sex slaves to
Japanese soldiers during World War Two, were volunteers. Some politicians
demanded the cartoonist be denied a visa to visit Taiwan while others
insisted that he be allowed his freedom of speech.
Want more? News World recommends:
<
<http://english.hk.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/asia/afp/article.html?s=hke
/headlines/010308/asia/afp/Taiwan_president_vows_to_protect_freedom_of_speec
h_in_sex_slave_row.html>
http://english.hk.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/asia/afp/article.html?s=hke/
headlines/010308/asia/afp/Taiwan_president_vows_to_protect_freedom_of_speech
_in_sex_slave_row.html>

\=========================================================================/
Reporters Sans FrontiSres-UK is holding its first annual meeting on Wed.
March 14:
For discussion: Killers of journalists and the sword of Damocles:  How can
we bring the killers of journalists to justice? Many murders worldwide go
unpunished. Can these killers be made to answer for their crimes?  Robert
M,nard, General Secretary of Reporters Sans FrontiSres, will
speak about the RSF project Damocles Network, which will seek to do just
this; deploying investigators, international lawyers, ballistics experts and
others.
Other principle speakers: Richard Tait of ITN and the IPI; Lindsey Hilsum,
C4 Diplomatic Correspondent; Jeremy Bowen of the BBC.
Please try to attend on: Wednesday, March 14 at 6.30 for 7pm at the offices
of the FREEDOM FORUM at Stanhope House, Stanhope Place, London W2 2HH.
Nearest tube: Marble Arch.
RSVP to Veronica Forwood or Helene Lembanaka of RSF-UK on 0207 479 5904 or
email:  <mailto:veronicaforwood@hotmail.com> veronicaforwood@hotmail.com
\=========================================================================/

T V

BBC's Sambrook pledge to "get below the hype"

BBC News director Richard Sambrook has vowed to improve the quality of his
empire's output by better integrating its disparate parts, and "getting
below the hype".

In an interview with The Times' media editor, Ray Snoddy, Sambrook, who
officially takes the director's chair this week from the departing Tony
Hall, says he is running a "fantastic operation". But, he admits, it
"misfires slightly as we go down the road. We do not quite pack the punches
that we ought to".

Sambrook says he has discussed how best to coordinate journalists in the UK
regions, and World Service, with senior BBC executives.
Want more? lovelacemedia recommends:
< <http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,66-96207,00.html>
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,66-96207,00.html>

Broadcasters face curbs in Singapore

Foreign broadcasters who "engage in the domestic politics of Singapore"
could soon face restrictions.

Information and Arts Minister Lee Yock Suan said he was set to introduce a
bill that would allow the government to restrict distribution of a broadcast
service if the company was deemed to be meddling in the city-state's
internal affairs.

Singapore's Newspaper Act can ban distribution of a newspaper or magazine
and has been used against The Economist and Asian Wall Street Journal, but
up until now broadcasters have been left alone.

Lee said foreign media operated in Singapore as a matter of privilege, not
of right.

He added: "Our aim is not to ban information but to restrict subscriber and
advertising revenue to an errant channel."
Want more? News World recommends:
 <http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010310/3/jsh1.html>
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010310/3/jsh1.html <
<http://mail.lovelacemedia.com//jump/http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010310/3/jsh1.
html>
http://mail.lovelacemedia.com//jump/http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010310/3/jsh1.h
tml>

Australia's ABC must decentralise to lessen Sydney bias, MD says

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation must decentralise both staff and
activities to prevent it from becoming a Sydney mouthpiece, managing
director Jonathan Shier said.

Shier said that by June 2003, the ABC wanted to increase its
non-news/current affairs production in centres other than Sydney or
Melbourne by 40 percent.

He also said that the internet had its place within media and should not be
sidelined just because of the recent dot com gloom.

Unions claim that the decentralisation talk is just a "stalking horse for
getting rid of staff".
Want more? News World recommends:
  <http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2001/03/07/FFXITYPGYJC.html>
www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2001/03/07/FFXITYPGYJC.html <
<http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2001/03/07/FFXITYPGYJC.html>
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2001/03/07/FFXITYPGYJC.html>

Journalist Ware reportedly offered safe house by BBC

The BBC has reportedly offered a safe house to Panorama reporter John Ware,
the journalist most closely associated with the expose on the Omagh bombing.

According to the Times newspaper, the Corporation has also offered Ware
personal protection.

The bomb blast outside the BBC's west London centre is being blamed on the
Real IRA, who may have acted in revenge over the Panorama reports.

Meanwhile, speculation that the BBC might move flagship current affairs
programme Panorama back to a weekday slot - but on BBC2 - refuses to go
away.

MediaGuardian quotes an 'insider' as saying: "Sunday may just have been a
transition. If it moved to a weekday slot, possibly even to BBC2, it would
increase its audience and get more share."

The BBC has insisted that Panorama will remain in its Sunday night slot,
despite opposition from some prominent figures, including Ware.
Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-94592,00.html>
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-94592,00.html>
< <http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,447534,00.html>
http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,447534,00.html>

N E W S P A P E R S  &  M A G A Z I N E S

Indonesian copies of Time censored by distributor

The Indonesian distributor of Time Magazine censored pictures of headless
corpses -victims of the ethnic bloodshed in Indonesia's Central Kalimantan
province - in the Asian edition of the magazine, as he feared it would
incite more violence.

The front cover image and photographs inside the magazine, where decapitated
bodies were shown, were blacked out by hand in all copies being sent to
Indonesia. The distributor said it had not come under pressure from the
government to censor the pictures.

Time journalist Jason Tedjasukmana said he was concerned that the move could
lead to other companies taking censorship into their own hands.
Want more? News World recommends:
 <http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,1870,28271,00.html>
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,1870,28271,00.html <
<http://mail.lovelacemedia.com//jump/http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/s
tory/0,1870,28271,00.html>
http://mail.lovelacemedia.com//jump/http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/st
ory/0,1870,28271,00.html>?

Diamond anthology to be published this year

An anthology of writings by columnist and broadcaster John Diamond will be
published later this year.

The book will be edited by Sunday Telegraph editor Dominic Lawson, brother
of Diamond's widow, the journalist Nigella Lawson.

Diamond, whose writing included a weekly column for the Times, died this
month of cancer.
Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/index2.htm>
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/index2.htm>

I N T E R N E T

UK broadcasters on guard against online poll rigging in Election run-up

The UK's top broadcasters have pledged to be on alert for attempts by
political activists to rig online polls in the run up the General Election.

The BBC's assistant director of news Mark Damazer told how the Corporation
had ran a poll during its Europe week coverage, only to inadvertently
receive an e-mail from a pressure group asking its supporters to '"keep
e-mailing this site, we need to get in as many votes as we can".

And ITN's editor-in-chief Richard Tait said: "We are going to be extremely
careful not to allow any online polling to be hijacked by an individual
group."
Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/UK/Media/2001-03/election110301.shtml>
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/UK/Media/2001-03/election110301.shtml>

The Times loses its online editor to AOL UK

The Times has lost its web site editor. Andy Bull is joining AOL UK as
general manager and director of editorial.

In an e-mail to staff, Bull said: "You should not take this as a vote of no
confidence in our online operations. On the contrary, I believe we have
collectively created a very robust website ..."
Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,7496,450601,00.html>
http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,7496,450601,00.html>

MSNBC.com offers 'free' news feed to other web sites

US web site MSNBC.com is offering other sites the chance to receive its
news.

The sites must sign up at a 'NewsStand' section to secure their free
delivery of each day's top stories.

However, there is a catch ... they must also agree to place an MSNBC.com
banner at the top of their home page.
Want more? News World recommends:
<
<http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ephome/news/newshtm/stories/030801n1.htm>
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ephome/news/newshtm/stories/030801n1.htm>

ITN new media chief Baines leaves to join IBM

ITN new media chief Garron Baines is joining IBM's consulting arm as
managing principal for media and entertainment services.

Baines, MD of ITN New Media since 1997, pioneered the launch of ITN's
services on the internet, digital TV, mobile phones and handheld devices.

ITN CEO Stewart Purvis said: "Garron has made ITN New Media a force to be
reckoned with." Added Baines: "I leave behind a top class management team
backed by commercial acumen and an editorial team that embodies the best of
ITN's enterprise journalism."
Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,7496,447431,00.html>
http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,7496,447431,00.html>

Media Guardian says happy birthday to Rupert Murdoch

Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has just turned 70 and to celebrate Media
Guardian has created an online tribute.

In its birthday special "Seven Ages of Murdoch", the site tells Murdoch's
life story in seven animated cartoons. Its online birthday card has Murdoch
cutting a cake in the shape of the globe.

Tributes have been sent by The Telegraph's proprietor Conrad Black and
advertising chiefs Lord Saatchi and Sir Martin Sorrell. Says former Pearson
MD Frank Barlow: "Whether you love him or hate him, you can't help but
admire his achievements which are immense indeed." Visitors can send their
own tributes to the site's editor.
Want more? News World recommends:
< <http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,448696,00.html>
http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,448696,00.html>


(c)  2001 lovelacemedia limited.  All rights reserved. While reasonable
effort is made to ensure accuracy, lovelacemedia cannot be held responsible
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registration is now available online (< <http://www.newsworld.co.uk>
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contacting News World by phone, fax or email ( <mailto:info@newsworld.co.uk>
info@newsworld.co.uk < <mailto:info@newsworld.co.uk>
mailto:info@newsworld.co.uk>) or downloading the brochure in PDF format from
the website.  Check the website regularly for speaker/agenda updates.
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