In The News

The Images they Choose, and Choose to Ignore

Robert Jensen April 10, 2003
Why are images of Iraqi casualties of the war available to anyone in the world with internet access but not on US television screens? Al Jazeera reporter Robert Jensen asks news networks like CNN why they will not show the whole picture. He also warns that the most popular image of the war – the toppling of Saddam’s statue – should not be taken so literally; “joy over the removal of Hussein does...

Agency Wages Media Battle

Bob Kemper April 7, 2003
If you think the Bush administration's spokespeople sound just like the US military officials speaking about the war on Iraq, there's a reason. When the Pentagon tried to launch an Office of Strategic Influence last year, the idea was shot down after cries of media manipulation from a broad spectrum of the US public. But since January, the White House has been running a similar...

Chinese Tourists Touch Down in Germany

Hugh Williamson April 6, 2003
Until recently, the Chinese middle class was able to visit only a few countries due to strict travel regulations by the Chinese State. A recent bilateral agreement between China and Germany that gave Germany the "approved destination status" has implications for tourism industries in both countries. This is the first such agreement between China and a European Union State. The...

Latino Immigrants Stepping Up to Serve the US Cause

Enrique Rangel March 31, 2003
The ultimate sign of nationalism is often seen as a willingness to give your life for your country. Since WWII, immigrants born in Latin and South America have fought for the American military, often before they even gained official recognition as American citizens. Joining the military may the fastest way to prove loyalty to a new state and to integrate oneself into a new nation. Immigrant...

The Arabs Are Watching a Different War on TV

Mamoun Fandy March 31, 2003
Arab television coverage of the war on Iraq is not unlike many US stations: talk shows, press briefings, and video footage. The messages differ, however. On Arab TV, Americans are portrayed as aggressive and barbaric, while Arabs are heroic. Networks like Al-Jazeera and Abu Dhabi TV did not exist at the time of the 1991 Gulf War, whose coverage was dominated by the likes of CNN and the BBC....

Western Media Toeing Official Line

K.K. Katyal March 28, 2003
Media in the US and the UK are too eager to report the "official" news from the war in Iraq, says this opinion piece in India's The Hindu. Western reporters "embedded" with their militaries have lost their objectivity, the author argues, despite having long lectured journalists in the developing world about ethics and responsibility. However, with competition from Al-...

The Asia Factor in Global Hollywood

Christina Klein March 25, 2003
Often criticized for overwhelming global audiences with 'American culture', evidence from the past twenty years shows that Hollywood is expanding its embrace to include actors from Hong Kong, scripts from South Korea, and production facilities in New Zealand and China. With 50% of its revenue now coming from abroad - and that's expected to increase - the American film industry...