In The News

In the Internet Age, a New Cultural Revolution: Chinese Fans Follow American TV Online – for Free

Laura Sydell June 25, 2008
The Chinese government does not allow US television shows on Chinese television networks. But that has not slowed their popularity and could even add to their allure. China has more people online than any other country, and citizens with internet access can download translated shows, available soon after the original broadcast. Volunteer translators provide Chinese subtitles including extra...

China Leader Makes Debut in Great Wall of Facebook

Edward Wong June 4, 2008
In the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, amongst the rubble, aid and rescue operations, a Facebook profile of the Chinese leader Wen Jiabao has surfaced. Regardless of the actual identity of the profile creator, its existence suggests unprecedented level approachability. Increasing numbers of politicians, including US presidential candidates, recognize the value of online social networking...

YouTube Declines Senator Lieberman Request to Remove Terrorist-Produced Videos

Heather Havenstein May 23, 2008
If US Senator Joe Lieberman had his way, videos of a droning Osama bin Laden and fuzzy car bombs would be banned from the internet. YouTube – the popular site for short internet videos on all manner of topics, from pets to politics – rejected his request to remove videos sponsored by terrorist organizations that “promote violence against the West,” writes Heather Havenstein for Computerworld....

The World Can't Wait for “Indy”? It Won't Have To

William Booth May 19, 2008
When it comes to the release of mega-hit films, the world is impatient. Films, like “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” are “released on the same day in cities around the world, in a mass moment of pop culture consumption,” writes William Booth for the Washington Post. Much has changed since 1981, when the first Indiana Jones film, “Raiders of the Lost Ark, was released to less...

So Clinton Was Right About Beijing and Jello

Richard McGregor May 8, 2008
Spreading rumors about the dangers of outside forces is easy – and even intelligent and warm people fall prey by reading and joining online attacks. In the 1990s, former US President Bill Clinton compared attempts to control political talk on the internet to “nailing Jello to a wall.” Unfortunately, anyone who hopes to promote accurate discourse faces similar challenges as rumors associated with...

Facing Facebook

Magda El-Ghitany May 7, 2008
Facebook, an online social networking site, encourages young users to share photos, hobbies and cultural opinions. But in Egypt, the social site has emerged with a strong political edge. In April, a 27-year-old Egyptian woman was detained for 16 days after organizing a Facebook protest on rising food prices – and Egyptians expect the government to pursue online monitoring and regulation. But some...

The Need for Unanimity in China Exacts a Hidden Price

Howard W. French April 24, 2008
By scheduling the Olympics in Beijing, China and the rest of the world anticipated cooperation and new understanding of the other’s ways. Instead, disagreements over human rights in Tibet and subsequent media coverage have unleashed bitter criticism all around. Perhaps most alarming for the West: the intense anger displayed by Chinese citizens on the internet, defending China’s crackdown on...