From the Media Channel.
Israel Backed by Army of Cyber-Soldiers
By Times Online.
While Israel fights Hezbollah with tanks and aircraft, its supporters are campaigning on the internet.
Israel’s Government has thrown its weight behind efforts by supporters to counter what it believes to be negative bias and a tide of pro-Arab propaganda. The Foreign Ministry has ordered trainee diplomats to track websites and chatrooms so that networks of US and European groups with hundreds of thousands of Jewish activists can place supportive messages.
In the past week nearly 5,000 members of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) have downloaded special “megaphone” software that alerts them to anti-Israeli chatrooms or internet polls to enable them to post contrary viewpoints. A student team in Jerusalem combs the web in a host of different languages to flag the sites so that those who have signed up can influence an opinion survey or the course of a debate.
[...]
Foreign Policy and The Fourth Estate
By Huffington Post.
Amidst all the troubles facing American foreign policymakers today — from the international financial crisis to growing threats from terrorism and failed states — add the continued decline of American journalism. The economic downturn in the fortunes of traditional U.S. networks and newspapers has slowly eroded coverage of global hot-spots. Recent reports on the The New York Times‘ financial woes coupled with news that National Public Radio, faced with a sharp decline in revenue, will cut back its programming and institute the first organization-wide layoffs in 25 years, are the latest examples of how America’s best and brightest news organizations are facing tough times as they compete for coverage with web-based news services, blogs, cable television and internet reporting.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg:
According to the Pew Research Center’s recent study of American journalism, coverage of international events is declining more than any other subject. In the study of 2007, 64% of participating newspaper editors said their papers had reduced the space for international news. “In a strict sense, the American media did not in 2007 cover the world,” says the Pew report. Beyond Iraq, only two countries received notable coverage last year — Iran and Pakistan.
It is easy to understand why news junkies who like foreign affairs would be rattled by these downturns. But why should a national security policymaker worry about such trends?
Firstly, without public understanding, knowledge and, ultimately, support of foreign affairs, it is impossible to build a consensus for action.
[...]
By Times Online.
While Israel fights Hezbollah with tanks and aircraft, its supporters are campaigning on the internet.
Israel’s Government has thrown its weight behind efforts by supporters to counter what it believes to be negative bias and a tide of pro-Arab propaganda. The Foreign Ministry has ordered trainee diplomats to track websites and chatrooms so that networks of US and European groups with hundreds of thousands of Jewish activists can place supportive messages.
In the past week nearly 5,000 members of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) have downloaded special “megaphone” software that alerts them to anti-Israeli chatrooms or internet polls to enable them to post contrary viewpoints. A student team in Jerusalem combs the web in a host of different languages to flag the sites so that those who have signed up can influence an opinion survey or the course of a debate.
[...]
Foreign Policy and The Fourth Estate
By Huffington Post.
Amidst all the troubles facing American foreign policymakers today — from the international financial crisis to growing threats from terrorism and failed states — add the continued decline of American journalism. The economic downturn in the fortunes of traditional U.S. networks and newspapers has slowly eroded coverage of global hot-spots. Recent reports on the The New York Times‘ financial woes coupled with news that National Public Radio, faced with a sharp decline in revenue, will cut back its programming and institute the first organization-wide layoffs in 25 years, are the latest examples of how America’s best and brightest news organizations are facing tough times as they compete for coverage with web-based news services, blogs, cable television and internet reporting.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg:
According to the Pew Research Center’s recent study of American journalism, coverage of international events is declining more than any other subject. In the study of 2007, 64% of participating newspaper editors said their papers had reduced the space for international news. “In a strict sense, the American media did not in 2007 cover the world,” says the Pew report. Beyond Iraq, only two countries received notable coverage last year — Iran and Pakistan.
It is easy to understand why news junkies who like foreign affairs would be rattled by these downturns. But why should a national security policymaker worry about such trends?
Firstly, without public understanding, knowledge and, ultimately, support of foreign affairs, it is impossible to build a consensus for action.
[...]
