Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Newshttp://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/Latest news and opinion from the Reuters Institute for the Study of JournalismenReuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Newshttp://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/typo3conf/ext/tt_news/ext_icon.gifhttp://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/1816Latest news and opinion from the Reuters Institute for the Study of JournalismTYPO3 - get.content.righthttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssMon, 14 May 2012 12:23:00 +0100 The Impact of Censorship on the Development of the Private Press Industry in Myanmar/ Burmahttp://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/the-impact-of-censorship-on-the-de.htmlKyaw Thu, a journalist from Myanmar/Burma, has written a path-breaking study on how a long...Kyaw Thu, a journalist from Myanmar/Burma, has written a path-breaking study on how a long history of censorship of the media in his country has affected the nature and quality of the print media and the economic prospects of the industry.  In his research, entitled ‘The Impact of Censorship on the Development of the Private Press Industry in Myanmar/Burma’, Kyaw draws on unprecedented access to nearly 80 journalists and several publishers to give a remarkable snap-shot of the press in his country.
 
Kyaw first sets out the history of the press in Myanmar/Burma, reminding the reader of the extraordinary measures the previous military government followed in its use of the Orwellian censorship board known as the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD) in order to pre-censor a whole range of sensitive issues.  The PSRD procedure requires all the weekly newspapers to submit two-thirds of the draft copy to the board two to three days in advance.  Little wonder then that Reporters Without Borders in 2010 put Myanmar at 174 out of 178 countries in its annual Press Freedom Index.

Based on questionnaires and interviews, Kyaw shows the devastating impact that censorship has had on the quality of journalism in his country and on the profitability of the newspaper industry.  Editors said that about 30-40 per cent of stories were rejected by the censorship board every week.  A majority of the journalists said the censorship policy not only blocked the flow of information to the public, but also destroyed the impartiality of the news and articles.

But there are grounds for optimism.  Since the civilian government led by President U Thein Sein came to power in March 2011, the censorship board has been relaxing its policies.  Publishers and media executives said the circulation of news-focused journals jumped by 30% to 50% as a consequence of the relaxing of censorship and the permission to publish pictures of Nobel Peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and her activities.

But Kyaw is cautious about the future.  He writes,
Due to the flow of new investment in the media sector soon after the civilian government was sworn in, we can already see fierce competition between old and new media companies to control the market within the next few years. As in the former communist countries in Eastern Europe, liberalization of the media market could favour wealthy individuals or groups controlling the media market in Myanmar in the future.

]]>StickyTop HeadlinesAlumni NewsMon, 14 May 2012 12:23:00 +0100A Million Media Now! The Rise of India on the Global Scenehttp://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/a-million-media-now-the-rise-of-in.htmlIn spite of many its shortcomings, the boom in the Indian media has given positive dividends to...
  • “A Million Media Now! The Rise of India on the Global Scene”
    • Professor Daya Thussu, University of Westminster
    • RISJ seminar, Green Templeton College, Wednesday 25 April
    Swaminathan Natarajan writes:In spite of many its shortcomings, the boom in the Indian media has given positive dividends to Indian society, says Prof Daya Thussu.He began his lecture by broadly outlining the dramatic changes that have taken place in the media space since the country opened up its economy in 1991.  “The total number of TV channels has gone up from 5 to 825, out of which 122 are news channels. This is more than you have in the whole of Europe,” he said.Unlike the rest of the world, the circulation of newspapers in India is growing. As per the latest figures, every day 110 million newspapers are sold.  In addition to this, 245 FM stations are in operation.  But still only one tenth of the population have access to the Internet. While acknowledging the role of Bollywood in promoting India’s image and enhancing its soft power, Professor Daya Thussu says this has in turn helped to improve perceptions about the Indian diaspora.   He also noted lack of political diversity in the media output.“When I was in Delhi in the 80’s, we had about one dozen newspapers whose views ranged between the extreme right to the extreme left. Now that spectrum has shrunk. We have more papers but they tend to be between the right of centre and the extreme right”The Indian media industry is now estimated to be worth around $ 13 billion. Yet he says there is a lack of enthusiasm to have a global Indian TV Channel such as CCTV in China or Putin’s Russia Today.He also touched upon issues that have dented the credibility of the Indian media like the cosy relationship between top media managers and big business houses and the phenomenon of paid news - whereby newspaper space is sold to promote a particular party or candidate during an election. The Indian media’s reluctance to ask tough questions about mega defence deals and the lack of urgency to understand the Maoist insurgency which has engulfed major parts of central India were among other failures of the media, according to Thussu. While commending the public interest campaigns undertaken by the major Indian television networks, he also pointed to the increasing editorial weight given to Bollywood and cricket.   India is home to the largest number of illiterates in the world, and the total number of poor people is more than that of the entire Sub Saharan Africa. At the same time Thussu argued that India’s federal political system, its multilingual and multicultural democratic society coupled with an argumentative tradition has given rise to the evolution of a media model outside the globalised media dominated by US companies.







    ]]>    StickyTop HeadlinesThu, 10 May 2012 14:29:00 +0100    Regulating the Press: A comparative study of international press councils http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/regulating-the-press-a-comparative.htmlWhat can we learn from press councils overseas? The lesson that rapidly emerges from an exploration...A presentation by Lara Fielden to “Lessons for Leveson - what can we learn from press regulation elsewhere?", an RISJ event at the Royal Society of Arts 30 April 2012What can we learn from press councils overseas? The lesson that rapidly emerges from an exploration of press regulation across the globe is that it provides not so much a window on a foreign world, as a mirror in which an array of common problems are reflected back at us. The reality is that Press Councils around the world are grappling with profound challenges. The role and status of new media; converging content across print, broadcasting and online platforms; and financial austerity are just some of these testing issues. There is no one solution, no blueprint for reform, but there are interesting and valuable perspectives.The first issue – the one we dance around when we talk about whether the PCC is, was or ever has been a regulator, the one that underlies the problem of publishers withdrawing from, or never joining, the regulatory fold, the one that raises hackles over suggestions of licensing the press – is the core question of voluntary versus mandatory regulation. But look overseas and you find not a binary choice but a spectrum of approaches...Let’s start at the entirely voluntary end of the regulatory spectrum – and spare a thought for Canada. We may think we have a problem with Richard Desmond pulling his titles out of the PCC but that’s nothing to Canada where press councils – operating on a familiar self-regulatory basis - are haemorrhaging members and shutting up shop so fast it’s hard to keep track...Download full copy of Lara's presentation]]>StickyTop HeadlinesTue, 08 May 2012 14:32:00 +0100‘More carrot and less stick’ needed to frame future press regulation in the UKhttp://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/more-carrot-and-less-stick-ne.htmlA new RISJ report argues that a ‘carrot rather than stick’ approach might be recommended in the...A new RISJ report, published  today, argues that a ‘carrot rather than stick’ approach might be recommended in the framing of any future press regulation.The report, Regulating the Press: A comparative study of international press councils, is the first comparative study of international press councils designed to inform the Leveson Inquiry and stimulate wider debate on UK press reform. It highlights the case of Richard Desmond, co-owner of The Irish Daily Star, who famously pulled his titles out of the Press Complaints Commission, the UK’s self-regulatory body, yet joined the Irish Press Council. The report suggests that Desmond’s decision stemmed from the fact that membership of the Irish Press Council offered tangible benefits in contrast to the UK’s Press Complaints Commission. Publications that join the Irish Press Council are legally recognised if they maintain a record of compliance. The study highlights the fact that this statutory recognition helps members to defend themselves in any future defamation proceedings. It suggests that this encourages news outlets to comply with the standards set by the Irish Press Council. The report author Lara Fielden is a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute and was formerly a BBC journalist before working for the regulator Ofcom. Her report suggests that more emphasis should be placed on the commercial incentives which encourage greater compliance with a voluntary code of press regulation. She argues that this approach has considerable advantages over what she calls a ‘narrow focus on penalties and enforcement’. She said:
    After comparing a range of press regulatory frameworks, I have concluded that the UK would do well to build on the Irish model where voluntary ethical incentives are intertwined with legal and therefore commercial advantages. This could transform those sections of the UK’s newsroom culture which have regarded regulation as a bit of an irrelevance. I believe this historic view of regulation has gone hand in hand with phone-hacking in the UK. We need to move towards a model where there are robust incentives to ensure that ethical compliance is viewed as a commercial selling point.
    The study argues that the ultimate sanction for those newspapers that fail to comply with a voluntary code of press regulation should be suspension or expulsion from the regulatory body. This would also mean that such news outlets would have to give up the advantages and privileges associated with being members.  The study analyses different degrees of press regulation, from mandatory statutory regulation through to voluntary frameworks, in a range of countries. In Denmark, press council membership is required by law and is accompanied by the threat of a fine or prison sentence for editors that fail to publish a press council decision when required. Yet despite this ‘strong-arm approach’, the study points out that a parliamentary scrutiny has just been set up in Denmark to address a lack of active compliance. At the other end of the regulatory scale, there are codes that are entirely voluntary: The report reveals that where news outlets are able to withdraw their membership of a regulatory body without suffering any consequences, press councils in those countries have experienced a haemorrhaging of members. The study highlights Canada as a country where the voluntary approach is clearly not working. Meanwhile in Germany, publications have been challenging the press council and refusing to publish adjudications.Lara Fielden said:
    The merits of an incentivised middle way should not be underestimated. Too often the history of press councils overseas and in the UK reveals cycles of threats of state intervention, followed by expedient industry accommodation, with the public left out of the conversation. The public’s interest must be at the heart of the conversation about better press regulation.
    The study notes that overseas, press councils have started to launch kite-marking and membership badge requirements so the public can recognise news outlets that are ethically regulated as opposed to those that are unregulated. Lara Fielden concluded:
    It is currently impossible for the public to differentiate in any meaningful way between titles that are members of the UK’s Press Complaints Commission and those that are not, whether in print or online. A system that required members to display a standards mark would give consumers a clearer idea about the practices of different news outlets. It would also give members the opportunity to promote their credentials as an ethical operator, which should give them a competitive edge over those outlets that did not carry the standards mark of compliance.
    • Download Regulating the Press: A comparative study of international press councils
    ]]>    StickyTop HeadlinesThu, 26 Apr 2012 12:50:00 +0100    Survival is Success—new RISJ Challenge by Bruno and Nielsen published todayhttp://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/survival-is-success-new-risj-chal.htmlThe economics of online news today are as challenging for new entrants as they are for industry...The economics of online news today are as challenging for new entrants as they are for industry incumbents. Though internet use and online advertising is growing rapidly across Europe, it is not clear that this alone will provide the basis for new forms of journalism. Analysis of some of the most promising new journalistic ventures shows that even the most innovative enterprises can find it as difficult to break even online as their most conservative legacy media counterparts do.That is the message of a new RISJ Challenge published today, written by the Italian journalist Nicola Bruno and the Reuters Institute Research Fellow Rasmus Kleis Nielsen. The report is the first to systematically assess how journalistic online start-ups are doing across Western Europe. Based on analysis of nine strategically chosen cases from Germany, France, and Italy—including prominent pure players like Netzeitung, MediaPart, and Lettera43—it shows that the start-up scene in Europe is still at a stage where survival must been seen as a form of success in itself.Download Survival is Success: journalistic online start-ups in Western Europe]]>StickyTop HeadlinesFri, 20 Apr 2012 00:01:00 +0100Butler Lecture "The Second Superpower" now available to watch onlinehttp://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/butler-lecture-the-second-superpow.htmlOur system of democracy is in danger, and referendums are flawed devices, used when politicians...Watch the Reuters Institute / BBC David Butler Lecture ]]> Sticky Top Headlines Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:13:00 +0000 The Death of Osama bin Laden: Global TV News and Journalistic Detachment http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/the-death-of-osama-bin-laden-globa.html Richard Lawson, an editor and producer at the BBC World Service, has written a compelling and... Richard Lawson, an editor and producer at the BBC World Service, has written a compelling and timely study, investigating the way BBC World News, Al Jazeera English and CNN International covered Osama bin Laden's death in May 2011. He begins ‘The Death of Osama bin Laden: Global TV News and Journalistic Detachment’ by exploring the long-running debate around impartiality and objectivity.   He insists that journalistic detachment should remain a vital part of journalism in the 21st century, however paradoxical and difficult it often is.

    He then uses the coverage of bin Laden's death to examine what impartiality and objectivity actually mean in practice.   He analyses the present state of BBC World News, Al Jazeera and CNN International in considerable depth, and he deploys a mixture of content analysis, close reading of the three channels’ output, and interviews with journalists to examine how journalistic detachment interacts with other factors in TV news -- funding, audiences, and each news organisation's structure and culture.

    His conclusion is that all three of these channels oscillate between genuinely global perspectives, and much more national or regional ones.   His research raises vital questions about what impartiality and objectivity ought to mean in an age of globalisation, whether 21st-century audiences want localised or international forms of journalism, and the strategic challenges currently facing global TV news.

    ]]>     Sticky Top Headlines Alumni News Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:33:00 +0000     Call for applications from Lebanon, Palestine and Syria for the new Said-Asfari Fellowships for Journalists http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/call-for-applications-from-lebanon.html We are pleased to announce the creation of a new Said-Asfari Fellowship jointly sponsored by the... The RISJ is pleased to announce the creation of a new Said-Asfari Fellowship jointly sponsored by the Asfari Foundation and the Said Foundation.  This gives a unique opportunity for journalists from Lebanon, Palestine and Syria (resident in the Levant region or Egypt) to benefit from a funded fellowship at the University of Oxford.

    The Said-Asfari journalist fellow will spend two terms (six months) in Oxford based at the Reuters Institute, where they join a diverse group of journalists from other parts of the world.  The fellows attend regular seminars each week and occasional special lectures relating to journalism, and they are encouraged to attend other academic and social events at Oxford University. During their stay in the UK arrangements are also made for the fellows to visit several major media organisations such as Thomson Reuters and the BBC. 

    In addition, the fellows undertake a study project on a topic of their choice, leading to the completion of a 5,000-8,000 word paper at the end of their stay.  Each fellow is assigned an academic advisor; usually an Oxford academic specialising in the Said-Asfari Fellow’s chosen area, for the purpose of this project.  There is a minimum requirement of 5 years’ professional journalistic experience, but exceptional applicants who do not meet this requirement may be considered.  All Institute and University/College fees will be paid by the Fellowship, and the fellows will also receive their travel costs and a modest stipend to cover housing and living expenses.  The Journalism Fellowship Programme at the Reuters Institute  supports talented mid-career journalists from around the world whose professional work would be enhanced by a period of reflection, research and intellectual exchange with other journalists in Oxford.  The Fellowship Programme has run for 28 years and has a network of 500 alumni from 89 countries.  Closing date for applications: 25th April 2012 at noon Click here for more information on how to apply for fellowships commencing October 2012.

    ]]>     Sticky Top Headlines Alumni News Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:05:00 +0000     Numbers are weapons - A self defence guide http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/numbers-are-weapons-a-self-defenc.html 49% of British households are getting below average speed for their broadband internet connections....
  • Numbers are weapons - A self defence guide
    • Tim Harford, Financial Times columnist and author of ‘Adapt’ and ‘The Undercover Economist’ 
    • RISJ seminar, Green Templeton College, Wednesday 29 April 2012
    Supriya Sharma writes: 49% of British households are getting below average speed for their broadband internet connections. The government has created a massive child care fund of £300 million. The top one percent of British tax payers are paying 28% of income tax. Such statistics routinely appear in news reports but few look closely at what they mean. Tim Harford, FT columnist, does and as a journalist, he says, he is “nauseated by misleading statistics”, some of which he goes on to systematically dismantle.  For instance, if ‘average’ stands for the ‘median’, or the middle value of a sample, the 50th percentile, then it is natural that those below the middle value, or 49% of British households, will receive below the average broadband speed. £300 million for child care for 3-4 year olds, as announced by former British prime minister Gordon Brown a few years ago, broken down over five years, comes to just a little over one pound per week per child. And as far as equity in taxation goes, the tax paid by the top 1% of income tax payers in UK is a poor indicator, since income tax is just one part of overall taxes, and the top 1% of income tax payers may or may not be the top 1% of income earners since some billionaires are not domiciled in UK.  While journalists love to pepper their stories with numbers since they look like ‘facts’, Harford cautions that they must not be bandied around irresponsibly or debased since when used well, "numbers can powerfully illuminate the truth”. He sums up the principles of good use of statistics, which he says, are no different from the principles of good journalism: ask if the numbers are true, ask what do they really mean, and ask what’s the bigger story?  This means journalists should place them and interpret them in a wider context. 

    ]]>     Sticky Top Headlines Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:55:00 +0000     Constraints and Motivations affecting Journalism in Egypt after February 2011 http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/news/item/article/constraint-and-motivations-affectin.html Professor Naomi Sakr started by considering change and continuity before and after February 2011....
  • Constraints and Motivations affecting Journalism in Egypt after February 2011
  • Professor Naomi Sakr, University of Westminster, London
  • RISJ seminar, Green Templeton College, Wednesday 15 February
    • Hend Selim writes: Professor Naomi Sakr started by considering change and continuity before and after February 2011. She compared the coverage by Al Ahram state newspaper during Mubarak's era and Al Tahrir private newspaper after the revolution. She said Al Ahram celebrated Mubarak’s birthday and published an article entitled: “Egypt was born again”.  On one occasion in 2010, it used Photoshop to change a photo of the American President Barak Obama and a number of leaders in the White House to put Mubarak in front.  In contrast, Al Tahrir newspaper published a photo of the army’s brutality after the revolution. She classified the situation of journalism in Egypt after the fall of Mubarak in February 2011 under ‘constraints’ and ‘motivations’.  Under ‘constraints’ she listed violence and intimidation against journalists, smear tactics, fear of litigation, the self-preservation of the media business elite and the confusion over licences. As regards the violence against journalists she noted incidents under former president Hosni Mubarak. For example, the journalist Ibrahim Eissa received a prison sentence because he reported about Mubarak’s health. A senior journalist in Al Ahram newspaper disappeared. Another journalist was attacked and his clothes were taken. She then pointed to reports of the military police attacking at least 10 journalists in Cairo and 6 in Alexandria in November 2011; according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a number of journalists were attacked by thugs in Suez.  The blogger Alaa Abdul Fatah was arrested and held for about two months in connection with clashes between the army and Christian demonstrators in October. The state’s media misreported the clashes.  She said the smear tactics which took place during Mubarak’s era had continued.  For example, Mohamed ElBaradei, an important figure in the revolution, was branded by the Egyptian state media as anti-Islam, American, Israeli and Iran’s agent after he participated in anti-government demonstrations. His daughter’s account on the Facebook was hacked and a photo of her wearing a bikini and a photo of alcohol being drunk at her wedding were published. In the last days of Mubarak’s era, there was a systematic campaign to smear foreign journalists on the part of State media and even some private stations.  Professor Sakr also talked about the fear of litigation. The journalist and blogger Hossam Al Hamalawy talked about the military ill treatment of protesters in a talk show hosted by Reem Majed. Next day, they were summoned to meet the military prosecutor. The Egyptian journalist syndicate said civilian issues should not be treated by the military.  She said an outspoken journalist may not be backed by the owner of the medium where they work. For example, the journalist Yossri Fouda talked about the military council in his talk show program. He refused to accept any interference in his program and resigned.  In another case, Hafez El Marazi interviewed the Editor-in-Chief of AlMasry AlYoum newspaper Magdy Al Galad who had complimented and praised Gamal Mubarak in the old days. He confronted him with that clip. The channel’s management was pressurized to take the clip out. It reran the show without the clip but Hafiz objected.  Sakr also mentioned the confusion over broadcast licenses.  There is no clear system for channels. Al Jazeera was stopped in September under the pretext that it did not have a license although it had applied for a license since March and it had broadcast without any government objections during that period. Finally she talked about the current motivations in Egyptian journalism, including solidarity, reclaiming public space, benefiting from digital convergence and more professional autonomy of journalists. She noted that there had been more solidarity between the people when they came together in Tahrir square. She reviewed some statistics about Egypt from 2011: mobile users: 87.11%, internet: 26.74%, Facebook: 11.40% and Fixed broadband 1.79%. The revolution was often reported by people via their mobile phones, and not by news organizations, which has led to different forms of journalism and different synergies between citizen and mainstream journalists.   She also talked about the professional autonomy after the Egyptian Journalist syndicate witnessed its first fair election in October 2011. In the past, the Mubarak government had pushed its own candidates in the syndicate’s election.  Professor Sakr concluded that constraints are only partially effective. New techniques and new outlets for journalism as well as flexible and resilient new media collectives have all opened up new spaces.   

    ]]>     Sticky Top Headlines Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:07:00 +0000