The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
The Institute of Ideas hosted a panel discussion on "Rethinking Privacy in the Age of Disclosure and Sharing." They say,"The increasing reach of information technology into all areas of life, from social networking websites to data sharing in public services, has thrown up a number of questions about privacy. Information about our medical records, financial circumstances and shopping habits is increasingly likely to be stored in electronic media that are out of our...
The future of the profession of journalism appears to be in jeopardy, not only in South Africa, but throughout the world. Local newspapers are posting poor circulation figures, sending jitters throughout the industry, evidenced by an increasing number of articles in the media about the media. Recently, South Africans also witnessed the closure of Business Day's Weekender, a well-known weekly newspaper. Reasons for the print media's misfortune range from the growth of the Internet, to the...
Discussing language, politics and the role of the media in information dissemination at the Commonwealth Club in California earlier this month, Noam Chomsky also makes some interesting observations about nuclear powers, including Pakistan, which this week has been under siege of violence. Newspapers vs. the Internet Responding to the following question, Chomsky reflects on the role of newspapers and journalism in modern day society as well as access to information. In light of the...
Much has been said about the development of the Internet as an organic platform that has increased public debate. However, Alexander Cockburn argues that the Internet is not a public space. It is private commercial space, which means that any website can be pulled down by a corporate or government decision, at any time. A lot of the stuff about the web is hype. But the core thing, if you are talking about politics and power, is that it's resolutely private, contends Cockburn.
