In The News

Power Ploy

Marc Lynch July 27, 2006
Defying public opinion in their homelands, the Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian governments promptly condemned Hezbollah’s actions against Israel. The governments have reason for changing positions regarding Hezbollah, according to author Marc Lynch, the most important being that their leaders view the Lebanon crisis as a way to “demonstrate their value to the US,” thus stopping calls for...

Dare Violate a Copyright in Hong Kong? A Boy Scout May Be Watching Online

Keith Bradsher July 24, 2006
The Hong Kong government has unveiled a plan to use 200,000 young people from organizations like the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides as watchdogs for internet copyright infringement. Many civil liberties advocates question the use of teenagers in state-sponsored law enforcement. While Hong Kong authorities claim that the program encourages good citizenship among a population with a high rate of...

Saving the World, One Video Game at a Time

Clive Thompson July 23, 2006
The violence erupting in the Middle East is anything but a game. Desperate to eliminate world crises, philanthropists such as the MacArthur Foundation and academics are teaming up with developers of video games to teach new skills and values, particularly to youth who reject traditional media. For example, “Peacemaker” places its players in decision-making roles vis-à-vis the Israeli-Palestinian...

Dare Violate a Copyright in Hong Kong? A Boy Scout May Be Watching Online

Keith Bradsher July 18, 2006
The Hong Kong government has unveiled a plan to use 200,000 young people from organizations like the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides as watchdogs for internet copyright infringement. Many civil liberties advocates question the use of teenagers in state-sponsored law enforcement. While Hong Kong authorities claim that the program encourages good citizenship among a population with a high rate of...

British News Sites Seek Out Readers in the US

Eric Pfanner July 15, 2006
Americans are flocking online to read feisty articles of the British press. Online sites of the Times of London, the Guardian and the Sunday Times all have substantial circulations in the US. ''They got all these readers without even trying,'' said journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, as reported by Eric Pfanner in the New York Times. Sophisticated search engines assist readers...

Russia’s Signal to Stations Is Clear: Cut US Radio

Peter Finn July 14, 2006
The Russian government has asked more than 60 of its radio stations to stop broadcasting news reports sponsored by the US, claiming a violatoin of licensing laws. Russian Culture Ministry officials deny any prejudice toward the popular “Radio Liberty” and “Voice of America” programs. The programs are funded by the US, but produce independent reports. Since Vladimir Putin became president in 2000...

Deadly Conversations

Gabriel Weimann July 13, 2006
One tends to tar the Islamic militants with the same brush of terrorism, and the internet is seen as the outlet for their propaganda and grisly videos. However, conflicting perspectives of Al Qaeda and other terrorist factions found on the web could be a valuable tool for understanding their motivations and strategies, thus enabling governments to develop effective counter-strategies and prevent...