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Showing posts from 2012

For a future that works!

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The 'A Future That Works march' http://afuturethatworks.org/the-march/ http://afuturethatworks.org/spread-the-word/spread-the-word-online/ Why we’re marching Austerity isn’t working. Our country faces long-term economic problems. But our political leaders have failed to face up to them. For the next five years or more, unless policies change the economy will not grow, incomes will not rise, and there will be almost no new jobs. If the government keeps on with big spending cuts and austerity we face a lost decade. Even on their own terms government policies are failing. To close the deficit we need a healthy growing economy that generates tax income. But austerity has led to a vicious circle of decline.   Taken from the TUC website    Instead of just letting the banks go back to business and bonuses as usual, we need policies that promote new and old industries. This new approach would create jobs, especially for young people. It would encour...

Intermediaries a new name for the censor

When the cybermen serve as censors We can't rely on YouTube and co to stand up for free speech   The Observer , Sunday 23 September 2012 So we're now in new and uncharted territory, nicely described by one legal scholar, Eoin O'Dell, on his blog : "First, in the online world, where most of us access the internet through a range of intermediaries, government censorship does not necessarily need to target the disfavoured speech; it need only target the intermediaries. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/sep/23/innocence-muslims-youtube-censorship

Top firms, climate change and changing expectations

Rising number of top firms believe climate change is threat to business Carbon Disclosure Project reports companies acknowledge risk but are not doing enough to cut emissions   Press Association The Guardian, Wednesday 12 September 2012   http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/12/climate-change-business-cdp    

Is Harry PR's broken mirror?

Prince Harry back in Afghanistan as Apache helicopter pilot Nick Hopkins in Camp Bastion The Guardian.co.uk, Friday 7 September 2012 12.04 BST   Captain Wales begins four-month tour of duty with British army in command of Apache helicopter based at Camp Bastion   Prince Harry has wanted to return to the country ever since his first tour in 2008 ended in farce when an agreed – but controversial – media blackout was inadvertently broken by an Australian magazine and he was rushed back to Britain for his own safety. Though critics have raised concerns that his presence in Afghanistan could encourage insurgents to target both him and his colleagues, and have accused the MoD of putting good PR before common sense, commanders believe Harry's new role, and the base from where he will fly, will offer him and those around him adequate security. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/07/prince-harry-afghanistan-apache-helicopter

Journalism, PR and international politics in a blender

Why didn't CNN's international arm air its own documentary on Bahrain's Arab Spring repression? Former CNN correspondent defies threats from her former employer to speak out about self-censorship at the network http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/04/cnn-business-state-sponsored-news http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/04/cnn-international-documentary-bahrain-arab-spring-repression Glenn Greenwald guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 4 September 2012 20.01 BST

The 'nuclear power' of rhetoric!

Emails reveal UK government's moves to protect nuclear power from bad news Government officials worked closely with E.ON and RWE to soften the impact of a major blow to plans for a new nuclear programme. The Guardian July 19th By Rob Edwards http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/19/emails-nuclear-power

PR or Journalism? What are USA readers getting?

Quote approval furore forces US news media to rethink 'unacceptable' practice New York Times among news outlets reviewing policy of allowing Obama and Romney campaigns to vet journalists' quotes The Guardian, 18 of July 2012 By Adam Gabbatt http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/18/quote-approval-us-news-media-rethink

Freedom of information, what is that?

Twitter forced to release Occupy protester's tweets to New York court Micro-blogging site loses legal challenge to prosecutors' request for three months' worth of messages from Malcolm Harris The Guardian, 2 July 2012 by Matt Williams  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/02/twitter-release-occupy-prostest-tweets

CSR, what is that?

Arms and oil bosses refuse to attend corporate responsibility inquiry Firms including BAE Systems, which have benefited from UK's export credit agency, fail to attend to inquiry into its work The Guardian 17 June 2012 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/17/arms-oil-bosses-corporate-responsibility?INTCMP=SRCH

Technologies of liberation?

Google reports 'alarming' rise in censorship by governments Search engine company has said there has been a troubling increase in requests to remove political content from the internet The Guardian 18 June 2012 http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jun/18/google-reports-alarming-rise-censorship?INTCMP=SRCH

Measuring media influence and ownership

Measuring media influence is hard, even before you consider the BBC http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jun/17/measuring-media-influence-impossible?INTCMP=SRCH The Guardian by Steve Hewlett 17 of June 2012

Getting closer to big bother's dream

This snooping bill is worthy of a surveillance state Theresa May wants to monitor every personal communication we make. It's a step too far in a democratic society The Observer, 17 June 2012 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/17/henry-porter-government-invading-our-privacy?INTCMP=SRCH Other useful/related articles: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/28/the-end-of-online-privacy http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/oct/11/us-government-secretly-reads-your-email http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/15/commotion-wireless-new-america-foundation?intcmp=122 http://uk.mg40.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=a6p96rhvjknhp http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/22/big-data-privacy-information-currency Sources: The Guardian Online and the Observer

Your five minutes of glory! Be prepared

World gets second helpings of girl's school dinner blog as ban is overturned Argyll and Bute council backtracks on decision that caused nine-year-old pupil Martha Payne to cease blogging http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jun/16/martha-payne-never-seconds-blog-climbdown The Guardian 16 of June 2012 Peter Walker

RUR is here!

How bots are taking over the world | Dan O'Hara and Luke Robert Mason http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/30/how-bots-are-taking-over-the-world?INTCMP=SRCH

Is FB a good/sustainable business?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/facebook-general-motors-advertising-ipo-social-media?newsfeed=true Why GM pulling ads from Facebook is good for social media communication | Guardian Sustainable Business | guardian.co.uk