"The big story in this year’s data is the accelerating growth in internet users. More than 360 million people came online for the first time during 2018, at an average rate of more than 1 million new users each day. 57 percent of the world’s population is now connected to the internet, with tren
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ds indicating that all of the original ‘Next Billion Users’ are now online. We’re spending significant amounts of time online, too. The average internet user now spends more than 6½ hours online each day, meaning that the world’s digital community will spend a combined total of more than 1.2 billion years using the internet in 2019. Social media continues to account for the greatest share of that time, and the average user spends more time on social today than they did this time last year. The number of social media users around the world has increased by more than 280 million since January 2018, but there have also been some user declines across some of the world’s top social platforms. To help you make sense of this changing social landscape, we’ve included detailed data by platform across all of our reports." (Page 3)
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"Transnational Media: Concepts and Cases provides a clear and engaging overview of media communication from a global and a region-based perspective. Rather than focusing on just complex theories and industry-specific analyses, this unique book offers an inclusive, comparative approach to both journa
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lism and entertainment media--introducing readers to the essential concepts, systems, transnational influences, and power dynamics that shape global media flow. Broad coverage of different media forms from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania offers country-based and transnational perspectives while highlighting examples of media trends in television, radio, film, journalism, social media, music, and others." (Publisher description)
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"1. Majorities around the globe say that social media has increased their ease of communications & access to information, but are mixed on its impact on civility. On balance, it is seen as a positive, but not without its problems. (slides 8-34). 2. Four in ten (44%) admit to being duped by fake news
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at least sometimes. Fake news is seen as most prevalent on social media & the Internet, less prevalent in mainstream media. Online trolls & social media platforms are most commonly cited as the actors responsible for spreading fake news, but governments and regular users play a part. Few can agree who should police and determine what is fake. Strong majorities support all forms of actions to resist fake news, save for government censorship. (slides 35-61; 83-147). 3. The vast majority think that fake news is made worse by the internet & that it has negatively impacted their economy, and political discourse. The United States takes the lion’s share of the blame for spreading fake news, even among its own citizens. As many as two in five now trust the media less, as a result of fake news. (slides 62-82; 148-176). 4. Fewer than half express at least some degree of confidence that algorithms used in daily life are unbiased, in any context. Citizens living in more developed economies tend to be less confident in the unbiasedness of algorithms. (slides 177-195). 5. The most common reasons for a lack of confidence in the unbiasedness of algorithms include: a lack of transparency, a perception that they are exploitative by design & the absence of a human element from decision-making. By contrast, objectivity, a lack of human emotion to cloud decision-making & the absence of human influence are most frequently mentioned by those who express confidence in the unbiasedness of algorithms. (slides 196-210)" (Five key take-aways, page 6)
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"The aim of Measuring the Digital Transformation: A Roadmap for the Future is not to “rank” countries or develop composite indicators. Instead, its objective is to provide policy makers and analysts with key indicators for each of the dimensions of the Going Digital integrated policy framework b
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ut also additional indicators providing detail and nuance, and link to relevant policy levers, to give analysts, stakeholders and policy makers deeper insights into how their economies are performing along those dimensions. The publication draws upon the wealth of data available at the OECD, as well as other international organisations and private data providers. A forward-looking measurement roadmap develops nine actions that, if prioritised and implemented, would substantially advance the capacity of countries to monitor the digital transformation and its impacts. The first four overarching actions are directed towards building the next generation of data and indicators capable of dealing with the challenges of the digital transformation: make the digital economy visible in economic statistics, understand the economic impacts of the digital transformation, measure well-being in the digital age, and design new and interdisciplinary approaches to data collection. Five further actions target specific areas identified as requiring attention: transformative technologies, data and data flows, skills in the digital era, trust in online environments, and governments’ digital strengths. The actions build on 19 roadmap pages, spread throughout the publication, that identify policy needs for measurement, discuss the challenges and propose options for international action." (Foreword)
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"The Handbook of Research on Combating Threats to Media Freedom and Journalist Safety is an essential reference source that evaluates how diverse threats impact on journalists wellbeing, their right to freedom of expression, and overall media freedoms in various contexts and assesses inadequacies in
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national security policies, planning, and coordination relating to the safety of journalists in different countries. Featuring research on topics such as freedom of the press, professional journalism, and media security, this book is ideally designed for journalists, news writers, editors, columnists, press, broadcasters, newscasters, government officials, lawmakers, diplomats, international relations officers, law enforcement, industry professionals, academicians, researchers, and students." (Abstract)
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"The Routledge Companion to Alternative and Community Media provides an authoritative and comprehensive examination of the diverse forms, practices and philosophies of alternative and community media across the world. The volume offers a multiplicity of perspectives to examine the reasons why altern
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ative and community media arise, how they develop in particular ways and in particular places, and how they can enrich our understanding of the broader media landscape and its place in society. The 50 chapters present a range of theoretical and methodological positions, and arguments to demonstrate the dynamic, challenging and innovative thinking around the subject; locating media theory and practice within the broader concerns of democracy, citizenship, social exclusion, race, class and gender. In addition to research from the UK, the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, the Companion also includes studies from Colombia, Haiti, India, South Korea and Zimbabwe, enabling international comparisons to be made and also allowing for the problematization of traditional - often Western - approaches to media studies. By considering media practices across a range of cultures and communities, this collection is an ideal companion to the key issues and debates within alternative and community media." (Publisher description)
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"This report shows how governments in developing countries can enhance their use of data to provide better services to citizens. It also shows how the business sector is starting to capitalize on data for competitive advantage. For citizens, the report argues that new tools can allow them to take mo
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re control of personal data and benefit more directly from its value. For the World Bank Group and its development partners, the report contains plentiful examples of how big data and open data can be harnessed for better development outcomes. But challenges loom. The growth of data platforms is changing the profile of competitive markets and business models, away from subscriber-funded networks to advertising-funded services. This has important implications for how infrastructure is financed. In this evolving context, we must ensure that data is used for inclusion, not exclusion, and for enhanced privacy, not greater threats to security. The final chapter of the report looks at data policies for the digital economy and how conflicting demands can be reconciled. At a time when governments around the world are reviewing existing data policies, and writing new ones, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, this report seeks to contribute to the debate." (Foreword)
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"A newspaper’s printers, transporters, distributors and retailers are rarely named in its masthead or credits, but they are all essential links in the long and complex press distribution chain. Without them, readers would not be able to access news each day, week or month and they would be denied
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access to diverse sources of information, essential nourishment needed to feed minds in a democratic society. Press freedom is based not only on the ability of journalists and their news organizations to work without constraint or fear, but also on the freedom to circulate the product of their work. A publisher’s financial health must be preserved, printers must be free to print whatever newspapers they want, and finally, whether state-owned, privately-owned or cooperative, distributors must distribute all print media, regardless of their nature, with the same diligence and impartiality throughout the country. Any interference or any impediment in to this process limits the public’s access to information. According to a survey by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in more than 90 countries, 68% of cases of obstruction in the circulation of newspapers are attributable to governments and state authorities, while 41% of cases of newspaper censorship take place at the point of sale. Until it reaches the hands of its readers, a newspaper continues to be vulnerable, and the predators of press freedom are infinitely imaginative. Entire newspaper issues are confiscated as they come off the press or are bought up from newsstands, content is surreptitiously substituted, crippling import duties are introduced and orchestrated shortages in essential raw material such as newsprint all take place. Using these methods, if the individual, group or government hasn’t prevented a journalistic investigation or silenced the journalist, they still have many ways to block information during the dissemination process. The methods of censorship range from the most obvious and brutal – for example, killing a newspaper seller who is shouting out a headline – to the most insidious. It sometimes takes time, but the control that an oligarch or government exercises over the print or distribution sector may allow them to get rid of an unwanted publication discreetly and definitively. In an increasingly digital world where the print media is in continual decline — it lost an average of 10% of its readers and advertising income in 2017-2018 — newspaper printing and distribution sectors are more and more vulnerable to pressure. Because of this, it is imperative to expose and make public the practices that threaten our fundamental freedom to be informed." (Foreword)
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"You will find information and advice on everything from how to source rumours and factcheck information, to how to share actionable and practical answers to address these rumours. Internews Rumour Tracking Methodology is designed to be flexible and responsive to local context – and you should be
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too. While there are minimum standards that every project should include in order to implement the Internews Rumour Tracking Methodology (see minimum standards, page 6), projects need to build on these standards based on local contexts." (Page 5)
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"This first edition of the Digital Economy Report – previously known as the Information Economy Report - examines the scope for value creation and capture in the digital economy by developing countries. It gives special attention to opportunities for these countries to take advantage of the data-d
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riven economy as producers and innovators – but also to the constraints they face – notably with regard to digital data and digital platforms. Digital advances have already led to the creation of enormous wealth in record time, but this is highly concentrated in a small number of countries, companies and individuals. Meanwhile, digitalization has also given rise to fundamental challenges for policymakers in countries at all levels of development. The Report presents recent trends and discusses key policies for value creation and capture in the digital economy, notably with regards to entrepreneurship, data, trade, competition, taxation, intellectual property and employment." (Publisher description)
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"Welcome to the first of ITU’s Measuring Digital Development series of statistical and analytical publications that replace the annual Measuring the Information Society Report. Facts and figures 2019 offers a snapshot of the most important ICT indicators, including estimates for the current year.
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Latest figures show that while Internet use continues to spread, the digital gender gap is also growing. More effective action is urgently needed to address a range of barriers – cultural, financial and skills-related – that are impeding Internet uptake, especially among women." (Foreword)
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"The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust has changed profoundly in the past year—people have shifted their trust to the relationships within their control, most notably their employers. Globally, 75 percent of people trust “my employer” to do what is right, significantly more than
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NGOs (57 percent), business (56 percent) and media (47 percent). There is a 16-point gap between the more trusting informed public and the far-more-skeptical mass population, marking a return to record highs of trust inequality. The phenomenon fueling this divide was a pronounced rise in trust among the informed public. Markets such as the U.S., UK, Canada, South Korea and Hong Kong saw trust gains of 12 points or more among the informed public. In 18 markets, there is now a double-digit trust gap between the informed public and the mass population." (https://www.edelman.com)
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"Based on his extensive experience in international librarianship, Peter Johan Lor, South Africa's first National Librarian and a former Secretary General of the IFLA, has written the first comprehensive and systematic overview of international and comparative librarianship. His book provides a conc
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eptual framework and methodological guidelines for the field and covers the full range of international relations among libraries and information services, concluding with a discussion of international librarianship in domestic professional practice and career opportunities." (Publisher description)
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"Though news fixers are vital to the practice of international reporting-helping journalists to understand foreign languages, set up compelling interviews, and navigate unfamiliar terrain-their role is rarely made transparent to news audiences. Without news fixers, journalists would struggle to cove
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r stories that unfold outside their own countries. Yet, fixers are some of the most underprotected and undervalued employees in the foreign news industry. This book draws upon interviews with 75 news fixers from around the world, in hopes of learning more about fixers' own perspectives on their important work. Overwhelmingly, these news workers suggest that they play the precarious role of 'cultural mediator,' bridging the divides that might exist between foreign journalists and the people who live and work in the places the journalists cover. Fixers also suggest that they deserve more upward mobility in the field of international journalism, as well as more protection from the news organizations that depend so heavily on their work." (Publisher description)
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"At the heart of the challenges to democracy posed by digital media are three core problems: 1. Platform monopolies: two or three corporations control not only our means of communication, but also the content which is distributed, both of which are core aspects of our democracy. Whilst the market po
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wer and global mobility of these companies make it possible for them to avoid national regulatory measures, either by moving operations elsewhere or simply ignoring them; 2. Algorithmic opacity: algorithmic engines are using huge quantities of personal data to make ever more precise predictions about what we want to see and hear, and having ever increasing influence over what we think and do, with little transparency about how they work or accountability for their impact; and 3. Attention economy: the dominant business model of digital media prioritises the amplification of whatever content is best at grabbing our attention, while avoiding responsibility for the impact that content has on our collective wellbeing and our democracy. The negative impact is brutally clear from both the literature and the world around us." (Introduction, page 14)
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"According to Freedom House’s Freedom in the World data, media freedom has been deteriorating around the world over the past decade, with new forms of repression taking hold in open societies and authoritarian states alike. The trend is most acute in Europe, previously a bastion of well-establishe
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d freedoms, and in Eurasia and the Middle East, where many of the world’s worst dictatorships are concentrated. If democratic powers cease to support media independence at home and impose no consequences for its restriction abroad, the free press corps could be in danger of virtual extinction." (https://freedomhouse.org)
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"The book brings together international educators working from a variety of perspectives to engage both theory and application. Contributors address how pedagogy can stimulate ecological wakefulness, support diverse and praxis-based ways of learning, and nurture environmental change agents. Addition
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ally, the volume responds to a practical need to increase teaching effectiveness of environmental communication across disciplines by offering a repertoire of useful learning activities and assignments. Altogether, it provides an impetus for reflection upon and enhancement of our own practice as environmental educators, practitioners, and students." (Publisher description)
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