"This report gives an overview of the current state of mobile phone use and services in East Africa. It outlines major trends and main obstacles for increased use as well as key opportunities and potential for upscaling mobile applications. The report draws on secondary data and statistics, as well
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as field work carried out in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda during 2008 and 2009. The publication identifies a broad range of mobile applications relevant for reaching the poor and contributing to social and economic development – from simple agricultural, market or health information services to advanced financial transaction services or mobile use for election monitoring and governance issues. A commented linklist of existing initiatives in the four countries adds to the usefulness of this well documented study." (CAMECO Update 1-2011)
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"This collective report examines the principal dimensions of media policy in 14 European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and the UK), probing into the historical forces, national traditions and distinct politi
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cal and socio-economic contexts in which media policies have emerged and developed. The analysis explores the main instruments for media regulation in the countries under study, and assesses the implications of the established media policy strategies for democratic politics. The country chapters follow a similar structure. Following a brief introduction, the analysis focuses on the media landscape of the countries under review, offering an overview of the national media market (the press, broadcast media, online media and news agencies), as well as a discussion of the status of the journalistic profession and media literacy. The third section presents the major actors involved in media policymaking and proceeds with a succinct presentation and explanation of the national regulatory framework for the media, focusing mainly on structural and content regulation. The final section provides a critical assessment of the principal issues and trends that characterise the media policies of the countries under study, together with an assessment of the degree to which they enable the media to feed the democratic process. The report also contains a chapter discussing the media-related initiatives of the European Union and the Council of Europe, focusing on the interventions that are of relevance and importance to the protection and promotion of media freedom and independence." (Introductory note, page 10)
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"The aim of this report is to understand the paradox of media freedom in Kurdistan. It first addresses the history of Iraqi Kurdistan’s media. A better understanding of the way these outlets emerged over time is essential in order to grasp the complexity of their current challenges. Originally con
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sidered as instruments of propaganda of various armed groups during an era of secrecy, the region’s media are inseparably connected to its politics, hence the difficulty journalists are running into as they attempt to exert their independence. A description follows of the problems now being faced by the media. Reporters Without Borders has included in this report recommendations to the Iraqi Kurdistan authorities, as well as to the region’s journalists." (Page 2)
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"Este texto está dividido en seis capítulos que indagan, en el tiempo, los campos culturales de los diarios y revistas, los libros, los discos, las películas, la radio y la televisión. Es una obra colectiva que incluye investigaciones, estadísticas y cartografías generadas por el Sistema de In
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formación Cultural de la Argentina (SInCA). Además, los escritos centrales que abordan cada industria cultural están acompañados de opiniones de 18 especialistas." (SInCA website)
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"Mit geschätzten 400 Millionen Internetnutzern (Juni 2010) ist die VR China vor den USA der größte nationale Internetmarkt. Nach den USA und Japan bildet China den weltweit drittgrößten Markt fur Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien. Die drei an der US-amerikanischen Nasdaq-Borse gehand
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elten chinesischen Web-Portale Sina.com, Souhu.com, Netease.com, das Web-Portal Tom.com, das zu mehr als 50 Prozent dem reichsten Mann Asiens, dem Hongkonger Tycoon Li Ka-shing, gehört und Chinas führender B2BPortalbetreiber Alibaba.com unter Leitung von Jack Ma, sind die wichtigsten Akteure des chinesischen Internet. Im Jahr 2018 will China 70 Prozent seines gesamten innerchinesischen Handels uber E-Commerce abwickeln. Der chinesische Internetnutzer ist jung, wohnt in der Stadt, verfügt als Student über eine gute formale Ausbildung, aber nur ein kleines Einkommen. Das ländliche China, das nach wie vor zwei Drittel der Bevölkerung umfasst, ist bislang vom Internet so gut wie ausgeschlossen. Kulturelle Besonderheiten des chinesischen Internet sind die weit verbreitete Online-Spielsucht, die intensive Nutzung des Netzes fur Poesie und virtuelle Friedhöfe." (Zusammenfassende Thesen, Seite 27)
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"Als in diesem Jahr der OSZE vorstehendes Land sollten für Kasachstan ganz besondere Anforderungen auch in Hinblick auf seine Pressefreiheit gelten. Die internationalen Rankings kommen allerdings zu einem äußert kritischen Urteil. Die Realität scheint komplizierter. Aus ihrer langjährigen Erfah
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rung als Journalistin in Almaty gibt die Autorin einen Überblick über die kasachstanische Medienlandschaft und die Arbeitsbedingungen von Journalisten und kann westlichen Lesern damit helfen, Nachrichten in der dortigen Presse besser einzuordnen." (Zusammenfassung)
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"Media in Balochistan - the largest of Pakistan's four province in land mass - in general and provincial capital Quetta in particular has visibly expanded since 2000 in a trend that largely reflects the shifting media landscape in the rest of Pakistan. With the doors thrown open to private ownership
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of the airwaves, independent TV channels and FM radio stations have come to be a part of daily life for many. And with competition has come the rush for news, to be the first to break news. Even though one still has to see a critical mass of private, independent TV channels and radio stations, locally owned and voicing local concerns in languages of Balochistan - something needed and often stridently demanded - media has crept into the consciousness of the people, if not through independent news and analysis then through the sheer volume of its presence. In a province long engaged in a monologue with itself - cut off as it is from the rest of the country through huge distances, lack of infrastructure and the Pakistani state's Orwellian contr over news and information from Balochistan - the proliferation of media in recent years has fueled a hunger for information, a desire to have a say and be heard." (Page 7)
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"This working paper is about the private media in Syria. A new publishing law was passed in 2001, which allowed the private sector to re-enter the media industry, having been banned from it since 1963. The relatively high number of approved publications since 2001 provides the Ministry of Informatio
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n with an argument in its favour, which it uses every time the media situation in Syria is discussed. However, even though the new law does not impose censorship as a prerequisite, it does remain very repressive and contains an arsenal of restrictions that complicate the work of journalists. It also affects all other forms of publication in Syria and entering the country from abroad, as well as printing presses, with sanctions ranging from fines to imprisonment. In appearance, there are many indicators of an increased openness, but closer scrutiny of the way that the media actually function gives a better understanding of this distinctively Syrian “static reform." (http://www.search4dev.nl)
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