March 9, 2009 Global Media and Press Freedom

Midterm Papers Please hand them in now… Presentation slides are due after you finish your presentation

Extra Credit or Just because… Peter Baker, New York Times Washington correspondent, on the Obama Administration—Kelsey? China, International Law, and Human Rights: INTERNATIONAL LAW WORKSHOP Monday, March 9, :00 - 5:15 p.m. Room 116 Hutchins Hall (Law School) "U.S.-China Relations and International Human Rights"

Media Journal Comments Watch spelling of homonyms—accept and except, bare and bear…these may be issues of writing quickly, but please do a quick read through of your work before you post. As the blogosphere grows up, so too must our grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Focus on word choice, quotes, photos, headlines. Why do you think each media is making the decisions that they are? Feel free to speculate. We won’t know exactly what the choices are behind how stories are framed, but we can postulate why this is happening: press model, control of the government or corporations, laziness, disinterest etc. Be specific, cite examples, and examine why you think each media made the decisions that it did. You can go out on a limb on this because we can’t always know why media makes the decisions that they do—but we can speculate. Common themes: watch spelling and punctuation going forward. It’s versus Its American journalism runs to the more narrative structure—more analysis, but is this a good thing? Other media often comes across as “just the facts” but is that a good thing…or is it simply that both are versions of journalism that we need to understand.

Media Journal comments Simpson’s piece—the power of subjective journalism The China section seems to have come off as I expected and wanted…you came away with a more varied view of China and its people and saw how both the U.S. and Chinese press frame versions about the country in different ways. China…women and arranged marriage and one-child policy. The similarities between these young people and your lives. Celebrity journalism abroad is a lot less than it is here in the U.S….or would we see more of it if we were reading these papers on the native language…I think you’re right that most countries are a lot less celebrity focused than we are …and when they do celebrity journalism often it is covering American celebrities. Things I learned: Bolivia and lithium, France supporting its newspaper through subscriptions to 18 year olds, the whole Ukraine-Russia gas issue, Zimbabwe

Some things to think about: *Commenting on your fellow students blogs *media journal for March 25 If you haven’t, comment on at least three blogs this week. What do you think of Obama now? Choose a speech that he gives in the next couple of weeks and explore your reactions to it compared to what you wrote about the inauguration.

Midterm presentations Respect the speakers. No speaking while they are speaking…or texting, or ing, or anything else… Q&A—write down questions on index cards as they are presenting. Jackie Coats and Jill Peplinski: France and Marguerite Duran Samantha Grassle and Chelsea Fuchs: Cuba and Manuel Vasquez Portal Rachel Gonzalez and Lisa Erickson: U.S. and Edward R. Murrow Faith Bentzel, Colleen Yancy, and Augusta Baron: South Africa and Kevin Carter Kat Martin and David Miller: Nigeria and Isioma Daniel