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Tag: news

Today’s Links

Today’s Links

Just some things that caught my eye…

A Revealing Look at the Presidential FrontRunners | Washington Post

Do you know the voting record of your presidential candidate? Time to look at it…

Members of Congress: Bio and Voting Record | Washington Post

Please comment if you have outstanding links on the objective record of non-congressional candidates.

Recent Posts in My Blogosphere

Recent Posts in My Blogosphere

I haven’t done a roundup in a while. For each blog (alpha-order) I’ve selected my favorite among recent posts.

I hope that you find a few interesting things to read here, but I remember now why I don’t do this very often. (smile)

YouTube Al Jazeera English Channel

YouTube Al Jazeera English Channel

In an interesting move, the Al Jazeera English channel put a video on YouTube asking for feedback videos on the YouTube channel. What are people’s perceptions, views, and suggestions?

(An aside – wow, is that anchorwoman Ghida Fakhry ever pretty!)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVFrryFNfEA[/youtube]

As you might expect, the video responses were of varying quality. Many respondents disguised themselves. One hid a pretty nasty message in pig latin. Others used it to interview for a job, or to express various opinions of their own. Here were a few that stood out to me for one reason or another.

The Hands-Down Best Critique.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDU61G59FoA[/youtube]

Under pressure (including murder) to dilute reporting, now importing “BBC” types for the English channel.
(Journalist author filmmaker John Pilger)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaUTTlK4MW4[/youtube]

To Address Preconceptions, Change to a Neutral Name (i.e. “Associated Press”)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zD-UqnKJI8[/youtube]

Paris Hilton (etc.) vs News – any questions?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7jB3UK4O-I[/youtube]

And, my favorite…

Save Me Some Brain Ache, Please.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFUOnh4DLeY[/youtube]

Soundbites

Soundbites

“You were in Baghdad for six hours. You weren’t even in the real Baghdad. You were in the Green Zone. That’s like going to the Olive Garden and saying you’ve been to Italy.”
— Jon Stewart,
On Bush limiting his Iraq visit to Baghdad’s Green Zone,
Jun. 15, 2006

“That’s his privilege as Vice President. He was tough, demanding, and when he thought I was out of line, he snapped my garters.”
— Colin Powell,
In an interview with AARP magazine, when asked about his advice being ignored by the White House,
Jun. 13, 2006

“Whenever …I see the weapon I invented to defend my motherland in the hands of these bin Ladens I ask myself the same question: How did it get into their hands?”
— Mikhail Kalashnikov,
Russian gun maker who designed the AK-47,
Jun. 12, 2006

“A good PR move to draw attention.”
— Colleen Graffy
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, describing the weekend suicides of three detainees at Guantanamo,
Jun. 12, 2006

Take Action: Genocide is news

Take Action: Genocide is news

Genocide is news

Genocide is the ultimate crime against humanity. And a government-backed genocide is unfolding in the Darfur region of the Sudan. As the horror in Darfur continues, our major television news networks are largely missing in action.

The vast majority of Americans continue to rely on broadcast and cable television as their primary source of information. No other source of information, including newspapers, radio and the internet, comes close to the power of television. For many of us, if an event is not reported on television, it does not happen.

Whether it is coverage of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s, the Ethiopian famine in the 1980s, or recent coverage of the tsunami, television news can help stop grave injustices and end human suffering. Increased television coverage of the genocide in Darfur has the power to spur the action required to stop a devastating crime against humanity. Increased coverage will raise public awareness and put pressure on our government to help accelerate the deployment of the African Union forces to the region, to apply coordinated international pressure on the Sudanese government, to insure that the guilty are held accountable, and to build a lasting settlement for peace. In short, increased television coverage of the genocide in Darfur has the power to help save thousands of lives.

Television reporters often complain about not having enough time to cover important events around the world. What recent coverage shows, however, is that this precious time is being devoted to matters of far less consequence than the massive loss of life in Darfur.

Call on television networks to be a witness to genocide in Darfur and to cover the real news of our world.

(thanks for sending, Elainna)