In The News

Spreading Digital Revolution in a Cuban Living Room

Nick Miroff April 12, 2010
Yoani Sanchez, the Cuban blogger who was been recognized internationally for her Generation Y blog, hosts a Blogger Academy to teach other Cubans the skills required to participate in social media, including Twitter, blogging, and Wikipedia. While the Cuban government has not shown any intentions to shut down the Blogger Academy, it continues to view Sanchez as “part of an aggressive US foreign...

Iran to Suspend Google’s Email

Christopher Rhoads, Chip Cummins, and Jessica E. Vascellaro February 11, 2010
On the eve of celebrations, and antigovernment protests, to mark the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iran announced the suspension of Gmail, Google’s email service, along with plans for a new, national email service in its stead. Following last year’s disputed presidential election, activists harnessed social media, both for organizing within the country and broadcasting news outside...

In Digital Combat, U.S. Finds No Easy Deterrent

John Markoff, David E. Sanger, and Thom Shanker January 27, 2010
When considering the prospect of a cyberterrorism, defense officials are forced to acknowledge that the enemy holds the cards of “stealth, anonymity and unpredictability.” Even if the general location of an attack’s origin can be determined, it is practically impossible to discover whether it was commercially, politically, or individually motivated. As such, it is difficult to say when a military...

Hungry for New Content, Google Tries to Grow Its Own in Africa

Noam Cohen January 26, 2010
Google grew because it had the best search engine and content to be found. To continue to grow, Google needs to locate and provide more searchable information. Nowhere is this more evident than in Africa, where Google struggles to find online content. Consequently, the company has sponsored a contest to encourage students in Tanzania and Kenya to create articles for Wikipedia in Swahili, a second...

Obama Backs Non-Censorship; Beijing, Apparently, Does Not

Keith B. Richburg November 17, 2009
President Obama's arrival in Shanghai featured a town hall forum with students watched by the foreign media. During the question and answer period, Obama stated his support for internet freedom of expression in response to a question on Beijing’s blocking of social media sites like Facebook. Meanwhile, Beijing did its best to make the event a non-story within China by carefully choosing the...

Entertainment the Key to Finding a Common Agenda for Africa

Mwaura Samora October 8, 2009
Reality television shows are popular across Africa, attracting young viewers and making celebrities out of the shows’ stars. The shows promote unity and integration across Africa and allow a new focus on continent-wide issues such as HIV. Supporters say the shows bring Africans together in a way that politicians have been unable to match. Critics, though, say the contestants neither represent...

Globalization, AIDS, and the Pornography Industry

September 4, 2009
Propelled by globalization, pornography has found an audience among individuals in the far corners of the world with serious consequences. In some places, like in parts of Africa, where electricity is a luxury, villagers have nevertheless viewed pornographic media from California. And the preponderance of such media is having a chilling effect on public health.. In many of these regions, the...