Issue 64 Vol III, May 31, 2008

M E D I A

Asian Media Summit in Kuala  Lumpur

DANNY Schechter, editor of an influential American Media watch institution is a friendly but frank critic of the media. Through his non- profit MediaChannel.org, Mr. Schechter is rendering a unique service. He watches the media as media watches the world around us. How good is that media and how responsible is that central institution for democracy, he explores as he travels around the world to report. It is always worthwhile to read his perceptive well researched books and articles.

Here are excerpts from his article on Asia Media Summit in Kuala Lumpur where media is partly shackled and is making a heroic effort to snatch moments of freedom.

“The Asia Media Summit moved into a second day, with a fascinating array of speakers approaching media issues from a variety of angles. What seems so clear is that media plays a vital role in promoting education, relief assistance, support for initiatives to promote reconciliation, ease inter-group tensions, facilitate health and play a crucial developmental role. What a contrast with the largely entertainment function of US TV which promotes consumption, not citizenship, a distance from events, not direct engagement.

“So here you see the potential, perhaps even the promise media systems that want to help people, erase the digital divide and empower communications. I feel like I come from another planet. On the way into the room, a reporter for the Bangkok Post stops me to thank me because critical voices in the US, in his view, are essential or "we just give up on America.

There is discussion here of the RIGHT to communicate, as if there are media rights and a right on the part of people to receive and IMPART information-a right that has eroded in our country. In some cases, it is clear that the governments are the problem, often quick to censor or stymie debate. A representative of the South African Broadcasting Corporation is saying that there is now a general commitment to erasing the digital divide. His comments made me think of how poor people in our country are being driven more deeply in debt because of all the phones and other devices they NEED to have but can barely afford to pay for. In South Africa you buy "air time" when you need it while in most of the US you are billed on a monthly basis until the bills mount up and become unaffordable.

There was lots of talk about the groovey new generation of mobile phones that will offer TV to take with you, filled with entertainment "content"-another tool of distraction.

A number of delegates noted that economic development has to come first, programs to erode poverty and promote development. Technology is not everywhere and in every case what people need first. Multi-platforms can be a luxury.

I was surprised and pleased when a Saudi government official called for the media to play more of a bridging role but said there were many obstacles to opening media to playing a more role.

He stressed three obstacles to media change 1) a gap between developed and developing countries, a disparity in technology, channel capacity etc-and so governments have more control over content, leaving little diversity or credibility; 2) commercialization of the media undermines its potential. Making money gets in the way of providing information; and 3) most media laws are not observed, leading to unethical practices and targeting of youth and children. He spoke of an "Onslaught of bad media," and called for more regulation.

I asked him about what struck me as one contradiction to explore whether there is any debate underway about the issues he raised about the dangers of commercialization and the fact that a prominent Saudi investor Prince Waleed is a major investor in Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, a media company that is not always very friendly to the Middle East. He said that investors and the government do not interfere in decisions made by media companies. He called the questions that I have been raising in some of the sessions "controversial." He made his remarks in Arabic but then began to respond to me in English. Even he was amused.

Among the questions raised were what role media plays and what role it can it play in play in reducing poverty and hardship with an emphasis on the importance of not only messaging but opportunities for interactivity, to give people a chance to be heard.

In the final session, there was a call for more media literacy and an end to violent media overload to and media role models like Paris Hilton We also heard from China's leading expert on teaching kids and teachers to become more critical and analytical about media including cartoons. The idea is to encourage kids to think critically about media, but also to encourage parents to become better informed.

There was also a presentation by a member of Australia's Classification board to discuss ways of dealing with censorship. At issue now in Australia is a photographer's exhibition of photos of naked children-an issue that caused a major crisis, and what one of Australia's censors, ooops, “classifiers," called a "moral panic" in the media.

Outside the Summit, I met with the amazing Premesh Chandran who created the fabulous Malaysiakini.com website that has been an amazing source of honest news, blogging and investigations. Premesh is about to launch a global multi-lingual web based news channel…He's calling it the NEXT GENERATION NEWS. Watch for it at EARTH247.tv…Watch out CNN.

[Courtesy MediaChannel.org  mediachannel@mail.democracyinaction.org]

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