In The News

Tussle Over a Vanished Kingdom

Choe Sang-Hun October 16, 2006
The region known as Koguryo, spanning modern Mancuria and parts of North Korea and Siberia, was once a powerful nation in the Far East many centuries ago. The name “Korea” is based on the region’s name, and many Koreans take pride in historical feats of ancient warriors battling foes, ranging from ferocious tigers to invading Chinese. So alarm bells went off in South Korea after Chinese...

Across Europe, Worries on Islam Spread to Center

Dan Bilefsky October 13, 2006
Not long ago, politicians who questioned the possibility of reconciling European and Islamic values were accused of extremism and bigotry. Today, however, even moderates are pondering whether multiculturalism and tolerance should have limits. Europeans have begun to question whether Islamic religious beliefs and social values, which are at odds with typical European views on issues like...

Turkish Novelist Orhan Pamuk Wins Nobel

Hillel Italie October 13, 2006
When the Nobel Committee in Stockholm announced its decision to honor Orhan Pamuk with the Prize for Literature on Thursday morning, outpourings of praise for the Turkish novelist and his moving, lyrical work came from all over the world. But one set of congratulations was notable for its absence: those of Pamuk’s own government. Turkey has been fighting Pamuk over the past years, indicting him...

Indispensable Old Media

Susan D. Moeller October 12, 2006
Communications technology has made information exchange more widespread than ever before. Consumers are able to choose between endless sources, rendering the passive absorption of filtered knowledge obsolete. The rise of new media, however, has not diminished the importance of investigative reporters researching stories for more traditional media. Journalists still make criminals and corrupt...

Family Tree of Chinese Sage Branches Out to Include Women

Jonathan Watts October 9, 2006
The Chinese philosopher Confucius lived more than 2500 years ago, and his teachings about how to live a life of purpose still resonate today. As a code of ethics, Confucianism emphasizes peaceful relationships and benevolent dictatorships through hierarchy, requiring women to obey men, the young to obey old, and subjects to obey rulers. China’s government is promoting Confucius values –...

Tools of Engagement

R. S. Zaharna October 4, 2006
A report from the US Government Accountability Office admits that the US confronts significant anti-American sentiment in the Islamic world. However, the report’s recommendation that the US must combine public relations and diplomacy “ignores the decline in US credibility,” argues R.S. Zaharna, communications professor, in “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The US report urges repeating...

How to Buy Image

Ayman El-Amir October 2, 2006
Some Muslim leaders ponder the value of investing in Western media corporations to encourage greater appreciation of Islamic culture and ideas globally. But buying a new image is not so easy, and propaganda makes no profits, warns journalist Ayman El-Amir. “A successful media venture has to be an integral part of the socio-economic and political fabric of the nation,” he writes. Value systems...