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Thứ Tư, 2 tháng 1, 2013

Media to boycott Pakistan-India cricket

Security staff with explosive detection equipment have been scoring the stadim in Bangalore ahead of the Christmas Day clash.Security staff with explosive detection equipment have been scoring the stadim in Bangalore ahead of the Christmas Day clash.News blackout for India v Pakistan cricket series Coverage boycotted in a row over press freedomFirst time Pakistan has visited India since Mumbai attacks in 2008Tight security in place at M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore

(CNN) -- Pakistan's first cricket tour of India in five years is set to be hit by a news blackout in an escalating row over press freedom.

The high profile tour kicks off with a Twenty20 international in Bangalore on Christmas Day, but all the leading news agencies, such as Thomson-Reuters and Associated Press, have decided against filing match reports.

The disagreement stems from an earlier decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to exclude photographic news agencies from covering games, including the recent Test series between India and England.

"It is regrettable that the politically-charged Pakistan tour will be affected by the BCCI's failure to recognize the long-standing importance of photographic news agencies in the flow of sport and news images every day," said the News Media Coalition, which represents a group of media organizations.

"As a direct result of the BCCI stance, great sporting moments from the cricket tours to India are going unrecorded and therefore lost forever. England's first four games were the hidden series and the Pakistan tour is heading for the same fate. That's not good for cricket -- nor for the image of India abroad," Andrew Moger, Executive Director of the NMC, was quoted on its website.

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The BCCI is arguing that international news agencies such as Getty Images use the pictures for commercial as well as strictly editorial purposes and should pay a license fee.

The World Association of Newspapers (WAN-IFRA), said in statement: "All publishers, including those in India are concerned that the BCCI has decided to act against the photographic agency sector which has for years provided images for editorial customers in every country without problem. This is denying the ability of editors to select from the best of photography for the benefit of readers."

As the row over media coverage escalated, security has been stepped up at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium ahead of the opening game.

Police bomb squad officers with sniffer dogs have undertaken a painstaking search amid fears that the game could be disrupted by protests from Indian nationalist organizations.

Read: Cricket legend Tendulkar quits one-day internationals

It is the first time Pakistan has visited India for a series of matches since the 2008 Mumbai attacks which led to a breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two sub-continent nations.

But they did meet in the semifinal of last year's World Cup in the northern Indian city of Mohali when the prime ministers of both countries shook hands.

Indian cricket fans are still digesting the news that their iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar has retired from one-day internationals with immediate effect.

The 39-year-old Tendulkar had already retired from Twenty20 internationals, but was expected to have been available for the three 50-over one day international matches against Pakistan over the New Year period.

Over 3,000 Pakistan fans are expected to watch the opener and 60-year-old Mohammed Bashir, who lives in Chicago, told AFP that the fact the matches were going ahead at all was good news.

"That the teams are playing each other on Indian soil is in itself a big thing. We should not expect anything more to come out of this encounter," Bashir, who cut a colorful figure in the green and gold of Pakistan, said.

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Thứ Năm, 20 tháng 12, 2012

Role of social media in prank

Radio hosts blamed after nurse's deathTwitter accounts, Facebook posts for DJs deleted after stuntThe hashtag #royalprank had trended shortly after the radio stunt

(CNN) -- One of the nurses duped by a prank phone call about Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, apparently committed suicide on Friday, and many social media users were quick to point fingers at the two radio hosts who made the call and then promoted it on Facebook.

Australian radio station 2DayFM posted audio of the call on its Facebook page Wednesday with the caption, "Listen to the prank that the world is talking about. Can you believe Mel and MC got away with these dodgy accents?"

The hashtag #royalprank was retweeted more than 15,000 times on Twitter after the radio station began promoting the call. It continued to be used after news of the nurse's death.

Catherine, the pregnant wife of Britain's Prince William, had been hospitalized with severe morning sickness. The prank became worldwide news as the nurse, believing the DJs were Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, forwarded the call to a second nurse who eventually revealed details of the former Kate Middleton's condition.

Concerns over privacy and the media, which had surfaced in England during the News of the World scandal and again when topless photos taken of Catherine were published, were quickly reignited.

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At the time, royal commentator Robert Jobson said he did not believe the radio call had been intended as a serious invasion of privacy.

The hospital identified the nurse as Jacintha Saldanha. As news of her death spread, commenters flooded the 2DayFM Facebook page.

A user named Gary Dawson posted, "Shame for still having this sick call on website!! Shame on the DJs and shame on the radio station."

At 10:54 a.m. ET, 700 comments had been posted since Wednesday. By 11:15 a.m. ET, the number had risen to more than 1,100 and was still growing rapidly. The Facebook page Hot30 Countdown, also used to promote the two DJs, did not have a post about the prank, but that didn't stop people from commenting there.

The 2DayFM posts, including the audio of the prank, were deleted by 11:41 a.m.

Although it is unclear what scrutiny Saldanha had been under since the prank, the hospital said in a statement that it had been supporting her. Neither police nor the hospital had publicly blamed the radio station for Saldanha's death.

But on Saturday the hospital released this statement:

"King Edward VII's Hospital cares for sick people, and it was extremely foolish of your presenters even to consider trying to lie their way through to one of our patients, let alone actually make the call," wrote hospital chairman Lord Glenarthur.

Management's decision then to broadcast the recorded call "was truly appalling," said Lord Glenarthur in the letter addressed to Max Moore-Wilton, chairman of Southern Cross Austereo, which owns the radio station.

"The immediate consequence of these premeditated and ill-considered actions was the humiliation of two dedicated and caring nurses who were simply doing their job tending to their patients.

"The longer term consequence has been reported around the world and is, frankly, tragic beyond words."

Lord Glenarthur called on the radio station to take steps "to ensure that such an incident could never be repeated."

At St. James's Palace, a spokesman said, "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jacintha Saldanha."

The Twitter account for radio host Michael Christian (@MContheradio) had included five updates about the prank on Friday morning. By 11:22 a.m., the account had been deleted. The account for co-host Mel Greig (@MelGreigHot30) was also deleted. The station and its parent company, Southern Cross Austereo released the following:

"Chief Executive Officer Rhys Holleran has spoken with the presenters, they are both deeply shocked and at this time we have agreed that they not comment about the circumstances. SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy."

The full statement was also posted to the 2Day FM Facebook page and in one hour received more than 4,400 comments and 234 shares. One comment linked to an online petition to fire Greig and Christian. At the time of this writing it had received 1,985 online signatures from around the world. The introduction states, "Journalists should be held to higher standards."

But there were also calls for a step back from the immediate tragedy.

"Do you know why patriots like myself defend this kind of speech until my dying breath?" posted a CNN commenter. "To find that answer, ask yourself this: Who decides what kind of speech is appropriate or inappropriate? Who decides what kind of speech is offensive or not? What if you have the power to decide? At what point does an opinion that differs from yours become offensive to you? And what will be the penalty for my supposed offense?

"We can never afford to go down the road if defining right speech from wrong speech. It throws everything else into doubt and opens the doorway for tyrants and the fringe to persecute those who are not like minded.

"The nurse, for whatever personal reasons she might have clearly over-reacted. It is sad. But that is all it is. Nobody should be prosecuted or penalized over this."

Others fired back, arguing that not all speech is protected and that no one has immunity from the negative effects of reckless actions. Still others said the discussion was pointless, since "Australia does not have explicit freedom of speech in any constitutional or statutory declaration of rights"

Another CNN commenter offered this:

"Let us also remember that she was not a native English speaker - she was front line reception at a major international private hospital where ability in many languages is the priority, and those calling may be all of stressed, powerful, and arrogant - not people to be called upon to give references before being given assistance. And that could not have been changed simply because a UK royal was in the building. So the supposed point of the "prank" - Australian xenophobic mockery of an English accent - was actually a gross exhibition of cruel racism in a world far larger than they could apparently imagine, on top of a gross breach of medical privacy, data protection, and journalistic ethics, which the radio station should never have allowed, and no one should have re-broadcast."

"Here's a social experiment for you," wrote James Breen on the Hot30 Countdown page. "Try treating people with common decency and respect."

ADVERTISEMENTDecember 12, 2012 -- Updated 1619 GMT (0019 HKT) As the family and media search for answers, a picture emerges of a generous, caring woman who was caught up in a media maelstrom.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1043 GMT (1843 HKT) Two DJs responsible for the prank call speak of their sorrow that a nurse caught up in the call apparently killed herself.December 8, 2012 -- Updated 2156 GMT (0556 HKT) Two DJs are under fire after the death of a nurse who received a hoax phone call. CNN's Matthew Chance reports.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1043 GMT (1843 HKT) In this whole tragic affair Jacintha Saldanha was truly powerless, Ross Stevenson writes, explaining why airing the call was wrong.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1042 GMT (1842 HKT) The apparent suicide of Jacintha Saldanha has provoked outrage, sadness and demands for retribution in all corners of the media.December 10, 2012 -- Updated 1535 GMT (2335 HKT) An Australian radio network defends its prank DJs, saying the media around the world has carried out a "witch hunt" against them.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1044 GMT (1844 HKT) The hospital where a nurse committed suicide after being duped by a hoax condemned the station responsible in a strongly worded letter.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1044 GMT (1844 HKT) The chairman of the Australian radio network has called the apparent suicide of one of the nurses duped by the prank "truly tragic."December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1043 GMT (1843 HKT) Many social media users were quick to point fingers at the two radio hosts who made the call and then promoted it on Facebook.December 7, 2012 -- Updated 1753 GMT (0153 HKT) Two Australian radio DJs made a prank call to the hospital where the duchess is staying, claiming to be Queen Elizabeth II and her son, Prince Charles.Most popular Tech stories right nowADVERTISEMENT

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Thứ Hai, 17 tháng 12, 2012

Tragedy brings out best, worst of media

Howard Kurtz says media rightly rushed to report the story of the vast tragedy in NewtownHe says the wrong man was identified as the shooter, and other mistakes were madeKurtz: Story deserves intense reportage, but did media go too far with branding?He says gun control flares up as a topic after these events, but media rarely pushes the issueEditor's note: Howard Kurtz is the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and is Newsweek's Washington bureau chief. He is also a contributor to the website Daily Download.

(CNN) -- A sudden tragedy brings out the best in the media: journalists racing to the scene, ferreting out the details, leading the nation through its grief.

It also brings out the worst.

In the fragmentary accounts that followed Friday's horrifying massacre at a Connecticut school, some news organizations, following in the tracks of social media, managed to identify the wrong man as the shooter.

Howard Kurtz And then television provided a platform for the instantaneous finger-pointing and point-scoring that all too often follows such shootings.

I am conflicted when I watch the instant network specials, led by top anchors and featuring theme music and fancy logos, as I did after Columbine, after Virginia Tech, after Tucson, after Aurora. Of course they want to devote time and resources to a major national story. But it also feels at times like a branding exercise, an effort to grab ratings share after a heartbreaking event.

I am conflicted as well at watching some journalists interview children who saw the carnage. I understand their value as eyewitnesses, but these are young kids who had just been through a terrible trauma. To me, at least, it feels exploitative. Some organizations, including CNN, require the parents' permission, but it is not clear that all outlets followed such a policy in the scramble that followed the shootings.

I was not conflicted at all when I read that a Hartford Courant reporter called the shooter's grandmother in Florida. "I just don't know, and I can't make a comment right now," Dorothy Hanson, 78, said in a shaky voice as she started to cry. I fail to see what that added to our understanding of the tragedy.

Watch: Jon Stewart, media critic, takes on Fox

The worst offense, though, was the headlong rush to identify the shooter as Ryan Lanza, 24, and blast his Facebook profile picture around cyberspace. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, Slate, the Huffington Post and others named Ryan Lanza as the suspect, some of them based on guidance from law enforcement sources. In this wired age, his name was bandied about on Twitter and in other social media forums.

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Watch: From Joe Scarborough to Rush Limbaugh, the conservative media meltdown

Blogger Jeff Jarvis, who teaches journalism at the City University of New York, expressed regret for retweeting information about Ryan Lanza, although Jarvis did not use his name: "I did not say this was the 'alleged' or 'reputed' account of the person named as the killer. These are basic, basic journalistic skills drilled until they are reflexes and I would use them in any story for print. I didn't use them online." Not everyone was as candid in confessing their mistakes.

The rush to judgment is hardly an isolated incident. After an Arizona gunman last year killed six people and wounded Gabby Giffords, some news organizations erroneously reported that the congresswoman was dead.

After the Aurora shooting this past summer in a theater showing a Batman movie, ABC's Brian Ross told viewers the suspect was linked to the Colorado tea party before apologizing for reporting on someone with the same name.

Watch: Is 'Zero Dark Thirty' tortured history or propaganda?

After Friday's violence, there was an instinct by some in the media to pound away at their favorite positions. Mike Huckabee said on Fox News: "We ask why there is violence in our schools, but we've systematically removed God from our schools." I respect the former Arkansas governor, but Friday did not seem like the time for such a statement.

At the same time, Rush Limbaugh ripped MSNBC's Alex Wagner and CNN's Piers Morgan for saying the massacre pointed up the need for stricter gun control.

"You've got a horrible event here, and they're already looking to politicize it. ... These people look at stuff like this as an opportunity to advance their agenda or blame conservatives." (The three guns, including an assault rifle, used by Adam Lanza were legally registered to his mother.)

All this is reminiscent of what happened to NBC's Bob Costas when he used a halftime commentary to question the gun culture in this country after an NFL player was involved in a murder-suicide. Costas was attacked from the right for daring to inject a serious issue into a sporting event.

Watch: The media fixate on Hillary and 2016, again

Except in the days following a mass shooting, the media seem to shy away from a serious debate over gun control, perhaps fearing that it is too divisive and will alienate a broad swath of readers and viewers. The mainstream press operates under the assumption that Congress will never pass a gun-control measure because of the NRA's clout and therefore the matter isn't much worth pursuing. The issue was barely mentioned in the presidential campaign, and journalists made no attempt to force it onto the national agenda.

The same thing will happen after Newtown inevitably fades from the newscasts and the front pages, and the gun question disappears until the next big tragedy forces us to revisit it once again.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Howard Kurtz.

ADVERTISEMENTDecember 17, 2012 -- Updated 1241 GMT (2041 HKT) David Gergen says we will be judged by whether we acted to stop the plague of gun violence.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1210 GMT (2010 HKT) Saul Cornell says we need to look at the original ideals of the Constitution's framersDecember 17, 2012 -- Updated 1049 GMT (1849 HKT) Howard Kurtz says the media made mistakes in its rush to report on the Newtown shootings.December 15, 2012 -- Updated 2126 GMT (0526 HKT) Michael Simon says that in the wake of events like the Connecticut shooting, kids need quiet, calm attention.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1211 GMT (2011 HKT) LZ Granderson says parents are confronting new anxiety over their inability to protect their children in a world of violence.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1213 GMT (2013 HKT) Bob Greene says the nation finds itself once again in a bleak and familiar place -- unable to answer the most basic question of all: Why?December 16, 2012 -- Updated 2244 GMT (0644 HKT) Roland Martin asks whether the U.S. has become a nation of cowards desperate to duck real issues such as gun control, mental illnessDecember 16, 2012 -- Updated 1451 GMT (2251 HKT) Ethan Zuckerman says ignore those who warn against "politicizing" the Newtown shootings; mourn these senseless deaths by demanding we change our laws, culture to end gun violence. December 16, 2012 -- Updated 1414 GMT (2214 HKT) John Maeda says good design is often invisible but it can contribute to reshaping the way our society worksDecember 14, 2012 -- Updated 1422 GMT (2222 HKT) Amar Bakshi, a former assistant to the U.N. ambassador, says articles criticizing Rice's personality were caricatures of her real selfDecember 17, 2012 -- Updated 1418 GMT (2218 HKT) Jeff Pearlman says he wouldn't trust new Western Kentucky football coach Bobby Petrino with his dog Get the latest opinion and analysis from CNN's columnists and contributors.December 14, 2012 -- Updated 1421 GMT (2221 HKT) David Rothkopf says Rice didn't achieve her dream of becoming secretary of state, but it's likely that whoever gets the job will face a constant ordeal confronting America's global challenges.December 13, 2012 -- Updated 2249 GMT (0649 HKT) The new film Zero Dark Thirty gets it right, says Peter Bergen -- the hunt for bin Laden owed much to the role of female analysts who found key clues December 14, 2012 -- Updated 1255 GMT (2055 HKT) Dean Obeidallah says Anne Hathaway's mishap makes us wonder if we are being played for idiots by celebrities seeking attention December 13, 2012 -- Updated 2213 GMT (0613 HKT) Nelson Lichtenstein: President Obama and the Democrats need to defend trade unionism in its hour of need. December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1259 GMT (2059 HKT) Howard Kurtz says the new film "Zero Dark Thirty" is going to make a hero of a hard-charging woman who helped drive the hunt for bin Laden, but her name is a secret. December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1431 GMT (2231 HKT) Penn Jillette describes how The Monkees might offer strategy in the war on Christmas. But for a war, it's pretty harmless. December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1802 GMT (0202 HKT) The actor says Morocco has been abusing the human rights of about 200,000 Sahrawi people, and the international community should exert pressure to stop it.December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1314 GMT (2114 HKT) Gene Seymour says "Beauty" seemed somehow an insufficient description for the sounds that came from Ravi Shankar's sitar in a concert hall. December 13, 2012 -- Updated 2205 GMT (0605 HKT) Joe Cirincione: North Korea's successful launch of a satellite is a major feat, but it is not a serious military threat to other nations. Today's five most popular storiesMoreADVERTISEMENT

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