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Sarkozy ignores press freedom

The 300 News Daily — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:33:05 +0000

The daily Le Monde is threatened with insolvency lest it come up with 100 million euros in capital.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has now spoken out against a takeover of the paper by three managers, presumably because two of them are close to his political adversaries.

The news portal Rue89 condemns Sarkozy’s behaviour:

“It’s scandalous, incongruous, an outrageous intrusion of the state in the freedom of the press which must be met with protest. However it is not new, and reflects the far-fetched ideas of French politicians … who believe that in deciding over ownership they will have the editorial offices in the palms of their hands. They think the editorial offices influence public opinion to the extent that they can decide over elections. That’s why no French politician is insensitive to the fate of a newspaper, radio or television station. However this is no more than an illusion. The media do not decide over election results. Le Monde, by the same token, neither decides over elections nor shapes opinion.”Popular Posts:

Google defies Chinese censorship

eurotopics — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:22:05 +0000

Since Tuesday night the US company Google has been redirecting Chinese visitors to its servers in Hong Kong to avoid censorship from the People’s Republic. Commentators see the move as the reasonable course of action, enhancing both the company’s image and freedom of opinion.

Google cleans up its image

Google’s decision to redirect Chinese Google users to the company’s Hong Kong web site was motivated by business concerns but may also serve to improve the company’s image, writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung: “Apart from the fact that in China too there are ways to get around Internet censorship, the whole Google dispute is above all helping the American company.

Since its launch on the Chinese market and its cooperation with the Beijing censors the latter has had to contend with quite substantial image problems. Google was obviously no longer willing to pay such a high price in terms of loss of esteem for the sake of a barely 30 percent share of a market that owing to discrimination. And the dominant position of inner-Chinese competitor Baidu showed little potential for expansion.

Now Google can at least wipe itself clean of the stain of collaborating with the Beijing censorship. The Chinese regime uses the dispute as an opportunity to make nationalist statements.” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung – Switzerland | 24/03/2010)

Freedom of opinion profits

By redirecting its visitors to its website in Hong Kong Google is above all protecting its business interests, but it is also furthering the interests of the freedom of opinion, writes the left-liberal daily El Periódico de Catalunya: “The conflict that has been fought out between Google and Beijing for the past two months and which could have serious economic consequences for the US company is not motivated by the stalwart defence of the freedom of opinion, but rather by the need for absolute operating security.

… Nevertheless freedom of opinion also gains from this conflict. Certainly, the world is not only now discovering that there is censorship in China. But this is a confirmation of how vital it is for the regime in Beijing.” (El Periódico de Catalunya – Spain | 24/03/2010)

A move that will bear consequences

Google’s relocation to Hong Kong could become a problem for China, writes the left-liberal Frankfurter Rundschau: “The [Chinese] continue to have the power to block access to web pages they find objectionable. The so-called ‘Great Firewall’ which searches content for critical words is constantly being expanded. However Chinese users will be more aware than previously that certain content is being withheld. Because although the self-censorship of the search machines is supposed to result in only harmless results being shown, with foreign search engines the censorship only takes effect when a user tries to open a link. Any user will then realise that part of the world’s knowledge is being withheld from him – and perhaps become interested in what things look like on the other side of the Great Firewall.” (Frankfurter Rundschau – Germany | 24/03/2010)

China must give up its rigid stance

The West must support Google in its efforts because other foreign companies also stand to benefit from them, writes the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: “Blunt condemnation by the West of bad Chinese practices is what is needed, but it should not lead to antagonism. Timourousness is as out of place as arrogance regarding the country that plays a prominent role on the world stage owing to its political influence and economic strength.

… In recent times feelings of annoyance have made themselves felt. Foreign companies complain about the growing restrictions. They show little desire to take sides with China in the sluggish debate about the artificially low value of the Chinese currency, which in the eyes of the West distorts trade relations. In this trial of strength Beijing would do everyone, including itself, a great favour by adopting a less inflexible stance.” (De Volkskrant – Netherlands | 24/03/2010) | eurotopicsPopular Posts:

Google plunders customers’ contact books

The 300 News Daily — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:27:50 +0000

For its social network Buzz, the Internet giant Google accessed the electronic contact books of customers of its email service Gmail and linked the contacts as friends without informing them.

But some things really ought to remain secret, writes the daily The Independent:

“It hadn’t occurred to [Google] that some people might not want all their contacts to know who else they have been contacting.

… It would be sad to believe that social networking is mostly made up of antisocial behaviour: cheating on partners; checking up on exes; meddling maliciously in other people’s affairs. But it is always worth bearing in mind how one’s innocent written comments might look to others.”Popular Posts:

Russia has won the propaganda war

The 300 News Daily — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:16:55 +0000

The Russian bear’s hide is not so thin, writes Leonidas Donskis in his blog on news portal Delfi (Lithuania).

He considers it a mistake to handle Moscow with kid gloves out of fear of insulting it:

“Allow me to ask by whom, when and how Russia is supposed to have been humiliated? By the freedom it and its colonised people have regained? Is that supposed to be the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century? Such nonsensical claims show how easily and skilfully Russia has won the propaganda war by imposing its terminology and interpretation of political concepts on the Western press. The West wants to participate in the modernisation of Russia but it forgets that each of Russia’s phases of modernisation was preceded by a lost war: Even Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, began his reforms only after being defeated by Sweden at the Battle of Narva.”Popular Posts:

The iToaster and its critics

The 300 News Daily — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:57:40 +0000

Mely Kiyak writes in the left-liberal daily Berliner Zeitung an ironic letter to Apple boss Steve Jobs on the launch of Apple’s iPad tablet computer:

“Dear Steve Jobs, I’ve had a look at your video press conference and seen how you present this device with its touch-me function dressed in your old duds.

… My exclusively male journalist colleagues are beside themselves with ecstasy … even though this new device can’t do a single thing previous devices couldn’t do.

… Some nutcases believe the beauty and elegance of certain electronic devices rub off on their users. Put that thought from your minds, gentlemen! … Watching men with huge sausage fingers pawing away at their tiny devices and continually missing the right keys is not something to whet your appetite.

… Now even publishers are wild with enthusiasm, hoping this will be the saving grace for their sector. Media companies believe this thing will revolutionise how we read newspapers and make subscribers of everyday Joes. iSay! As far as I know, a toaster is only as good as the bread you put in it!”Popular Posts: