Video games are often criticized for being far too violent. Gamers are encouraged to run down pedestrians and animals crossing the virtual ‘street’ for added points, or to gun down anyone that pops up onto the screen. Thousands of concerned parents are up in arms over the desensitization of their kids to violence, at a […]
The thing about the Internet is, the more you know, the more skeptical you become. I used to feel the Internet just “gets me” because after we searched some product on Google I started to see the ads everywhere. But now I know it’s Google selling users’ search term history. I used to believe my […]
After reading other parts of Rebecca MacKinnon’s work, I really enjoyed reading Consent of the Networked because it brought together so many of her general ideas with really great examples. The struggle in repressive societies between companies out to make a profit and those seeking freedom online is especially interesting. Governments exert a lot of […]
In Manuel Castells’ “Networks of Outrage and Hope. Social Movements in the digital Age”, we gain an in depth look at the nature and perspectives of networked social movements. What role does the online community play in propagating a revolution or social movement? Are movements born online, or simply assisted by the lightning-fast nature of […]
“Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather.” This quote from John Perry’s manifesto […]
As we learned from MacKinnon, authoritarian states are power holders. They hold the potential to censor, build communication infrastructure, set up networks, and program those connections with the content of their choosing. This is straightforward, and as to be expected as a reflection of any authoritarian regime. The more complex beast is that of the […]
Who controls the information, controls the hearts. For nation states, there’s no dream sweeter than to have the media on their side. But even for governments as heavy-handed as China, there’s still no way to put fingers on foreign media. So it seems like a smart idea for national governments to invest into international broadcasting, […]
Is international broadcasting necessary in the context of global media? Public diplomacy has changed from a top-down approach to a more multi-lateral one. As Cull says in Hoof Beats, there is not just one player per country (the government) in the PD game anymore. Rather there are many and varied organizations and individuals. So what […]
“In any given week, from North Korea to… the Middle East, from China to Afghanistan… through Africa and India to… Cuba, 165 million people—equivalent to more than half the U.S. population—tune into the radio and television programs of U.S. International Broadcasting (USIB) by satellite, Internet and in some cases cooperating local radio stations. After more […]
No one would have thought South Park could become such a global phenomenon. The story of four 4th graders living in a small town Colorado has reached and attracted so many audiences from so many places. For 16 seasons, it continues to challenge traditional thinking, sniff at pop culture, comment on social problems, and even […]
JELS of our Global Politicking Prowess 