Top Stories in Media and Social Change
INTERNATIONAL
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Now that Mr. François Hollande is officially France’s president, everyone can only wish him the best of luck. In the context of free and fair elections, political change through the ballot box —what we call “alternance”— is the commendable sign of a healthy democracy. However, many people who favored the center-right Union for a Popular Movement feel some bitter resentment. They claim that if the former president was defeated, it was less by Mr. Hollande than because of the media. Read more…
SCIENCE
What Makes a Good Scientist?
The skill needed to accurately explain your results to a widely variant audience is becoming increasingly important. The impact science has on our health, our politics, our culture and our society cannot be underestimated. The ability to clearly and concisely communicate complex theories in a way that can be understood by non-scientists is critical. Read more...
JOURNALISM
Rupert Murdoch: ‘Not a Fit Person’
In the immediate aftermath of the hacking scandal, they closed the News of the World, Britain’s leading scandal sheet and highest-circulation weekly. James Murdoch resigned the chairmanship of the broadcasting division of News Corp. Some forty individuals in the company and in government were arrested and testimony taken.
All of this has triggered a round of reflection among journalists concerning what is, and what isn’t, acceptable behavior in pursuit of headlines and stories. Read more...
LAW
PIPA, SOPA, CISPA, ACTA... and the Beat Goes On...
What Every Policy Maker Should Know About The Internet, states that "the Internet today is a technology of freedom and innovation" precisely because the policies that have arisen with the technology have historically been aligned with the essential open nature of that technology. But now, the principles of the First Amendment, free speech and privacy, which underlie the Internet's continued growth and evolution are being challenged by political and market-place counter forces. Read more…
COMMUNICATION DESIGN
Apptivism
Apps are still proving themselves when it comes to social justice. While videos like Kony2012 can make headlines and inspire discussions around the world, most will inspire clicktivism rather than activism. The Occupy Wall Street movement, which started with a Twitter hashtag, has left the headlines, though it raised the issue of income inequality internationally and gave name to an issue that resonated with many. Read more...
EDUCATION
Tempering Knowledge with Values
At first blush, “values-based education” sounds like something that would be championed by the arch-conservative right or of interest only to faith-based institutions, but the concept is actually politically neutral and secular. Rather, it promotes the notion that education that focuses solely on imparting knowledge is incomplete and that society is better served if education also teaches universal social values, including “love, peace, respect, tolerance, forgiveness, co-existence, and non-violence.” Read more...
ENTERTAINMENT
Iranian Filmmakers In Jeopardy
Government persecution of Iranian filmmakers is nothing new, but the stakes have ratcheted up in the last year. Jafar Panahi’s un-documentary This Is Not A Film premiered in September at Toronto. The acclaimed Panahi, is under house arrest and forbidden to make a film for 20 years. Read more...
