In The News

These Days, No Reporting Behind a Nation’s Back

Anand Giridharadas March 18, 2009
People with problems are sometimes more willing to confide in strangers than close friends or neighbors. But foreign news reports are no longer shielded by distance, explains Anand Giridharadas in the New York Times. “In the Internet age, we cover each place for the benefit of all places, and the reported-on are among the most avid consumers of what we report,” he explains. The globally astute...

Population: Some Boom, Some Decline

Joseph Chamie March 18, 2009
World population nearly quadrupled during the 20th century, and in early March, US National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that by 2025 it could grow by another 1 billion people. That would put pressure on the global environment as well as on food, water and energy supplies, setting up the potential for conflicts over resources. While...

The Globalization of Censorship

Christopher Walker March 13, 2009
Powerful individuals who engage in questionable activities manage to restrict criticism by relying on British libel laws and filing lawsuits in British courts, reports the International Herald Tribune. “English common law puts the burden of proof on the defendant, who can be hit with enormous damages and legal costs,” writes Christopher Walker for the International Herald Tribune. Walker is with...

Firewalls to Freedom

Rebecca MacKinnon March 9, 2009
To block popular dissent over policies, governments no longer simply rely on censorship, particularly the imperfect filters devised for the internet. Instead governments of all stripes master the art of spin – emphasizing certain topics and casting their own frame for any issue. Citizens who support government positions can tout policies and quickly blast doubters, as evident prior to the 2003 US...

China’s Quiet Activists

Shawn Shieh February 25, 2009
The Sichuan earthquake in May 2008 devastated entire communities, but it also witnessed the sprouting of grassroots organizations in the rubble. Notable among these has been the 512 Center, a grassroots group of activists who moved quickly to coordinate rescue efforts and alleviate suffering after the earthquake. What has also been notable is the government’s attitude toward this group. Normally...

To Shelter Its Cuisine, Italian City Bans Foreign Flavors

Nick Squires February 23, 2009
The nation that produced Marco Polo should know full well that explorers seek new ingredients and immigrants enjoy melding flavors from their old and new homes. Yet the Italian tourist town of Lucca has declared a ban on any ethnic eateries that do not meet Tuscan standards. City officials insist that they want to preserve authentic Italian flavors, and yet critics point out that some Italian...

Bangladesh’s Challenge

Philip Bowring February 20, 2009
Bangladesh has an array of economic, diplomatic and cultural challenges awaiting its newly elected democratic government, explains Philip Bowring for the Asia Sentinel. Bowring cautions that the world’s seventh most populated country cannot afford to depend on foreign aid: “Make the right moves now and Bangladesh will not only survive the global economic downturn relatively unscathed but could...