One of the most vexing problems with the multilateral system is the chronic lack of broad public interaction that tends to characterise discussion and debate at the United Nations and elsewhere. While efforts at “stakeholder input” do irrefutably important work, they are rarely able to bring to the table truly broad public input — even when the issues under negotiation could eventually have wide and long-lasting impact. Part of the problem, certainly, is that the media at both the national and... MORE
The US media is failing to question presidential candidates on their denial of climate change. Quite miserably. Seven major newspapers and wire services surveyed by not-for-profit research organisation Media Matters have failed to indicate that candidates' statements conflict with the scientific consensus on the issue in approximately 43 per cent of their coverage. In case of broadcast and cable networks, barring MSNBC, the figure stands at 75 per cent. And all this, while the presidential... MORE
In the complex media landscape of Pakistan, ethnicity has emerged as a key indicator in predicting media credibility. Researchers have concluded that in a scenario where ethnic composition is critical to national politics, minority ethnic groups tend to find domestic television to be less credible, and international television or traditional media to be more credible, than do members of the majority Punjabi group. Media reliance is a significant indicator of media credibility assessment—... MORE
Readers – at least in the UK and US – are feeling increasingly deceived over sponsored content. In fact, over one-third of British and American readers of online news say they have felt “disappointed or deceived” on realising subsequently that an article that they had just read had been paid for by an advertiser. This finding poses significant risk of damage to the reputation of digital publishers. According to a study that was conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (... MORE
EFF has noted and protested when authorities deliberately cut off Internet access in times of unrest. As a restraint on the freedom of expression of those affected, communication blackouts during protests are unconscionable. But recent research by Anita Gohdes, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Mannheim, suggests that Internet shutdowns are becoming part of a toolkit for more violent repression. By analysing the daily documented killings by the government in the Syrian civil war in... MORE
When it comes to media coverage, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada has already been a major milestone for women’s sport. According to official figures from FIFA, TV records have been broken in each round so far. With a total expected TV audience of more than 1bn viewers worldwide, the tournament is set to more than double the 400m viewers who tuned in to the previous Women’s World Cup in Germany in 2011 . The tournament has been embraced as a “truly marquee event” in Germany, Sweden, the US... MORE
The US government is doing a better job of communicating on Twitter with people in sensitive areas like the Middle East and North Africa without the participation of mainstream media organisations, according to a study co-authored by a University of Georgia researcher. The study looked at the US State Department's use of social media and identified key actors who drive its messages to audiences around the world. In particular, it examined the role played by news media and the government in... MORE
Journalists are not giving up on the press release , much as it may seem to many public relations (PR) professionals. Nearly 90 per cent of responding journalists to a survey in the US have said they had used a press release within the last week with most reporters (62 per cent) having used one in the past 24 hours at the time they were surveyed. The findings are from Business Wire ’s 2014 Media Survey, which queried 300 North American journalists to determine the types of information and... MORE
No, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are not fronts for free expression when it comes to controversial issues. Certainly not in the United States. In fact, social media has been discouraging free expression, rather than encouraging it, when the subjects at hand are controversial, even offline. The conclusions are from a study conducted by the Pew Research Center , in association with Rugers University , which looked at Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations of widespread government... MORE
We have all along suspected it. But now, we have research findings to confirm our suspicions: female college students spend an average of 10 hours a day on their cellphones and male students spend nearly eight, with excessive use posing potential risks for academic performance. The study — based on an online survey of 164 college students — examined 24 cellphone activities and found that time spent on 11 of those activities differed significantly across the sexes. Some functions — among them... MORE
Date posted: July 6, 2015Last modified: May 23, 2018Total views: 7
