Murdock on politics

The sinister media tycoon Rupert Murdock has decided that Britain’s next ruler should be David Cameron, leader of the conservative party. The mogul is no stranger to the political world, having known possibly as many American heads of state as anyone living today and met every US president since Harry Truman. He set his sights on the Obama camp during the previous presidential elections. Murdock was such an avid supporter that brokered a tentative truce between Obama and the head of Fox News, the influential rightwing network that had regularly ridiculed Obama. The News Corporation chairman said he was “a traditional proprietor “ , as far as the top papers are concerned. Basically, through editorial control, he decides who his media outlets back in elections

His relationship with British politics however, is on more shaky ground due to the implementation of internet paywalls. Two British Corp papers, The Times and The Sunday Times, are raising paywalls around their online news. Starting in June, users will charged a daily or weekly subscription fee. South Africa also plans to follow the British lead, Avusa plans to put paywalls on its Eastern cape titles, The Herald in Port Elizabeth and The Daily Dispatch in East London

This has been met with much protest by internet users and professional s. Many question his ability to understand the nature of the internet and new media. According to his biographer Michael Wolf, Murdock does not use the internet, let alone Google, having only recently learned how to use email. So how can such a man possibly understand the dynamics, demands and opportunities of the post-industrial, new-digital media economy. Slight diversion I know, but I just want to point out just how out of sync the old crocodile is with the current consumer milieu. Anyways, the politicians don’t like the idea of a paywall either. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke against the implementation of online paywalls in an interview with Radio Times, arguing that “ people will pay for certain things, and should pay for certain things, but I think there’s a whole sort of element of communication that’s got to be free. People mind paying for basic news”. Brown’s timely comments seem to me to have a political impetus to woe support of young internet users , who are often indifferent to print press and electoral process. Ironically, those wishing to read the interview online might be disappointed. The Radio Times is not available on the web, never mind being hidden behind a paywall. The interview has had various effect on the web, generating several rants and tweets. the most interesting one however, is the fact that Murdock’s titles recently switched from supporting the Brown’s Labour Party towards backing it opponent the Conservatives in the current elections. All journalists wish they had more say if not influence in the political world, but this type of influence leaves one thinking of a Darth Vadersque character looming over the junction between politics and new media.

Internet challenges censorship laws

May 3rd was World Press Freedom Day. In recent years, the internet has increasingly become the new battleground for press freedom. Repressive governments around the world are cracking down on bloggers and other online journalists who are breaking the bonds of censorship.

China for example continues to filter foreign and domestic content on the internet, it has 150 million internet users and despite government restrictions of online content, both domestic and international stories that censors prefer to control, manage to slip through government information firewalls. Northern Asia media expert Ashley W. Esarey conforms that it is indeed most likely that the internet will play a role in Chinese media reform, because its “absolute control has proven difficult if not impossible.” The primary space for freedom of speech in China is the blogsphere, where journalists use humour and political satire to criticise the Chinese government. In mainstream media, editors find ways to test the rules as readers in country’s flourishing economy demand hard news. However, journalists covering social issues which their editors won’t publish will simply post their stories online, such stories tend to be more edgy and critical of the social status quo in the country.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says that more online journalists are now in jail around the world than traditional journalists. This is because in the past journalists could count on news organisations for legal protection. However, with the advent of internet media the playing field has changed. According to Deputy Director of the Committee, Robert Mahoney, “Now more and more of these bloggers are independent, freelancers, who have no backing, they are on their own when their up against these huge oppressive government bureaucracies.”

African journalists too are no strangers to online censorship by government. In Tunisia, which was the first African country to ban websites, journalist Muhammad Abou was arrested and subsequently imprisoned for publishing an article on a banned website where he compared the president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.



African dictators and paranoid readers are beginning to discover cyberland where, unlike traditional media, freedom of expression is much more difficult to control. Nigeria has a huge online presence not only from bloggers but from news portals, forums and discussions groups, most of them highly critical of the government. Many dissidents and activists from the Nigerian Delta and the Igboland , both very politically unstable regions, use the internet to publish their writing which would be banned in Nigeria. Such journalists however often find themselves in the government’s radar.

After online elections observers are currently reporting larger regularise in Sudan’s first multi-party polls in 24 years. Civil society groups are also being blocked away from their internet tool monitoring the elections and their results. Access to the Sudan Vote Monitor website, a collaborative platform created by Sudanese civil society with the aim of facilitating independent monitoring and reporting of the elections and their results has been partially or totally blocked over the last week . This comes after president Omar al Bashir has supposedly ordered the end to state censorship of the media in 2008.

Although the Sudanese government is indeed cracking down hard on online journalists at such an key point in the country’s history, their feeble attempts to control online media are not enough to completely control domestic and foreign content.

Politicians climbing the social ladder one hit at a time

It seems like everywhere you turn on the internet there is another social networking website taking the internet by storm. Myspace.com paved the way for groups of all sorts to network their identities. Actors, musicians and amateurs and now politicians abound are climbing the social ladder faster than ever with the help of networking sites. The reason for the popularity of such campaign sites is that politicians gain more visibility especially to younger individuals who depend on the internet for a bulk of their information and networking interactions.

British election candidates are currently getting on the social media bandwagon. The liberal Democrats have organised political flashmobs, a Facebook campaign to stop hopeful David Cameron from becoming the prime minister. The site has already attracted 200 000 users. Conservative Tim Montgomerie, is using a more practical approach by using his blog to run a fund raising campaign. On a lighter note, Conservative, Greg Knight, who is a drummer with the Parliamentary band MP4 is using their music for campaign purposes on his website.

South African Youth leader Malema is no stranger to online music. He is known to whip crowds with political chant that many may feel to be a dangerous throwback to apartheid SA. Many internet users however are quite enthusiastic about Malema’s unwitting incursion into music . Various DJs have turned Malema’s outburst against BBC journalist into house music. The tracks often feature his exclamations “agent” and “bastard” scored with a hip hop and house beat. The remixed tracks are being circulated on social networking sites and mobile phones. Another Youtube posting of the track, “Revolutionary house mix by Malema”, has had about 5000 views.

Abuse undermining Sudan election

The Sudanese electoral process was under corruptive influences even before voting began. The Human Rights Watch accused authorities in Sudan of committing abuses ahead of the general election as far back as January. Violations of civil and political rights by Sudanese security forces throughout the country are currently seriously undermining the prospects for free, fair and credible elections. The censorship of the new media through the banning of social networking sites such as the African Elections Project is one of the various ways in which the government is injuring freedom of press in such crucial time in the country's political history.

Election watch

The new media is beginning to play a role in electoral processes of various African countries. Namibian political parties made use of new media technologies and networking sites to improve their campaign repertoires during the 2009 presidential elections. The ruling party the South West African People’s Organisation ( SWAPO,) set up a channel on YouTube, a blog and an SMS service which will allow voters to keep in touch with the party. The use of new media by political party is a good sign of progress, but a more important point to investigate is how the new media are monitoring and reporting elections in Africa. The African Elections Project uses new media to do just that. The project helps monitor the Namibian elections and set up a Namibia page on its website, a blog and a twitter page to keep track of elections news and results.

Although online social media has not become as popular in Namibia as in other countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, the use of new media to monitor important democratic processes is defiantly a step in the right direction.

Not all attempts to use online social media to monitor elections have been successful. An online plat form , Sudan Vote Monitor, which was designed to facilitate independent monitoring of the Sudanese elections is currently being blocked by the government, preventing citizens from reporting irregularities in the recent polls. The site has been monitoring the elections by allowing journalists, NGOs and citizens in Sudan to report on the voting process. Users can could also send text messages, upload video and post comments to highlight both positive and negative aspects of the poll to the site.

The Sudanese people have not been able to access the website for the past six days. Both local and international journalists believe that by blocking a website that is supposed to help monitor the elections the Sudanese government is clearly indicating its need to hide information that could potentially damage it.

http://www1.voanews.com

YouTube exposes Sudanese election fraud.

The Sudanese elections, the country’s first democratic elections in nine years are suspected of being marred with fraud according to international and local observers. Proof of foul play was confirmed by the circulation of a YouTube video showing election officials stuffing ballot boxes. The elections commission and the National Congress Party (NCP) have dismissed the footage as a fake. Such news is of no surprise to many Africans. What is surprising however, is the withdrawal of two of President Bashir’s main challengers from the poll so far in the game. Poll results are now being delayed, likely to be announced only next week.

We love you Malema

Julius Malema, just typing the name out makes me want to scrub my hands. But there seems to be no way of escaping the media typhoon that he’s become. If an alien species were to visit earth this day, use our most advanced search engine to find out about this little country the tip of Africa, a news article image of Julius Malema’s irate face with an accusatory figure pointed towards the media would be the first thing they would see.

Given his totally unacceptable and frankly juvenile treatment of a journalist and the media in general, it is very disturbing to see the amount of media attention the man receives. Clearly Malema hates the media but the internet is positively swarming with Julius Maelema news articles, blogs, photos and videos. However much he may be unmpressed by the media, South African journalists have given Malema nothing but love. He has become such a huge element, that it appears journalists are divided on the grounds of who thinks Malema is new worthy and who thinks that any self respecting journalist should not give him the time of day. Given the sensationalist dimensions of this ongoing saga, many journalists will not be able to stop reporting on Malema. Even the ones who want the media to stop covering his stories, end up talking about Malema. The name, which has almost supernatural powers over the media, has spread through the new media like wild fire. I searched through various online papers trying to find out what else is going on politically in South Africa, but was instead met with articles on how the ANC plans to reprimand Malema’s public behaviour.

I am not disputing that fact that Julius Malema is a charismatic figure. He is a young politician and who like many young people doesn’t really care about what comes out of his mouth. He often says what he wants to say, one of my personal favourites is, journalists should have skins as thick as elephants and be grateful for their freedoms, “we gave it to them on a silver platter”. Statement such as these , however absurd, are bound to get a lot of media attention. And it is because of such statements that media seem to love Malema so much. The true fact is that the media, particularly the new media, need Malema. Internet media is a highly competitive industry, the normal user can ditch your article for a better one on another site with single click on one link. Online writers need compelling material more than any other journalist and Malema is as compelling as they come.

Journalists are facing the most spoilt content consumer on the internet, this consumer is intrigued by scandal and shock as well as having the attention span of an 11 year old boy with ADD. Therefore, I would like to say that online journalist should take the higher road and rather choose to take on more authoritative view of news, reporting and content of importance and relevance to our daily lives. But in actual fact, there is no space for such high brow media morality on the internet, not if you want those hits anyways. Malema gives the online journalist everything they need for a great media package. A scandalous incident to use in the article, a random outburst to use in a video package, an absurd quote to use in a headline or intro and the promise of numerous comments and debates on your story because people are interested whether they like him or not.