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A project of the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program
Social media applications for government are becoming more popular, but significant numbers of federal employees and agencies are not making use of those tools, according to a new Market Connections Inc. research survey of government social media use.
Today, particularly on the Web, openness is supposed to be the watchword when it comes to communication. But, oddly enough, rules that govern much of our information currency are being written by regulatory agencies and lawmakers in closed private meetings, accountable to no one.
Google works closely with publishers to find business solutions so journalism can thrive online, and we’re optimistic about the news industry’s future. But we strongly disagree with a number of policy recommendations set forth in the Staff Discussion Draft, such as the suggestion that Congress enact a federal hot news doctrine — something that would not only hurt free expression, but also the very profession of journalism that the proponents of hot news say they support.
A deep libertarian streak might be the only bridge uniting the perpetually feuding tribes of journalists and bloggers. So it’s actually not surprising that outlets as different as the Los Angeles Times and Buzzmachine blogger Jeff Jarvis expressed disdain toward the FTC “staff discussion draft” on “potential policy recommendations to support the reinvention of journalism.”
“Media literacy” concepts are generally part of a major effort to push adoption of voluntary “Common Core State Standards” for English and literacy in history, social, studies, science and technical subjects, an initial line-by-line comparison of drafts shows. But do the standards go far enough?
The most important thing I learned in grad school was very simple: “Draw the picture.” (Thanks Tony.) By that my advisor meant that it’s often hard or impossible to describe a complex system in words alone. And consequently, if you can’t draw a picture of what you’re trying to explain, you probably don’t understand it. Drawing pictures of complex systems also helps everyone understand where the knowledge gaps are, or where unsolved problems are buried, or where contradictions exist.
We are facing a growing information divide that is leaving more and more people with less and less access to the basic information that helps them make choices about their jobs, families and communities. We have to have a national approach to the challenge of meeting these information needs. But first we have to answer a few core questions: How do we define the information needs of communities, and how do we measure them?
Whatever the future of print, the main future of the media will be digital. Anyone who cares about the future of our democratic society, let alone the future of print in general and magazines and/or iPads in particular, should take up the challenge of debating and discussing — and, we would add, codifying — the values, standards and practices that ought to prevail online.
This paper is the second in a series of papers to examine recent proposals for an increased government role in media reform.
A new report in the US IMPACT series of studies, How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at US Libraries, examines in detail how libraries are helping people meet a variety of online needs. It provides particularly intriguing insight into who’s using library internet to engage with community life, and how they’re doing it. Keeping up with the news is a big part of that picture…
As part of its commitment to promoting public dialogue and seeking solutions to the information needs of communities, the Knight Commission presents “The Wrong Way to Reinvent Media, Part I: Taxes on Consumer Electronics, Mobile Phones & Broadband,” by Adam Thierer and Berin Szoka. Thierer and Szoka examine the potentially serious negative consequences of proposals [...]
One key recommendation in the National Broadband Plan was that the government support a scheme to wire hundreds of thousands of “anchor institutions” with 1Gbps fiber. The move would mean that schools, libraries, colleges, and community centers in every town in the country could eventually have a fat pipe and a future-proof fiber connection.
The FCC’s broadband plan is released today (Tuesday 16th March), as the Great Recession slogs through its 27th month. Central to the pitch for the plan is the economic impact of expanded Internet access: ubiquitous affordable broadband will grow businesses, spur innovation, and create jobs. There’s little doubt that the FCC plan, if enacted, would give the economy a boost.
I’ve been critical of the lack of relevance of much of what we call news. Journalists often cover processes much better than they cover substance and nuance. So what we produce seems to have the opposite effect of what we say we’re trying to do: We foster detachment rather than engagement.
The Internet has transformed America with its power to generate innovation and opportunity and by its ability to connect, inform and entertain us like no technology in history. But we are not even close to realizing the full potential of high-speed Internet, or “broadband,” access. Universally deployed broadband networks can be America’s engine for enduring job creation, economic growth and tremendous improvements and savings in education, health care and energy conservation.
