Media panel

Had another guest speaker in global journalism on Monday--freelance writer and "global soul" Pico Iyer. As someone who has written and traveled so extensively, his insight and optimismon the direction of globalization were encouraging. He views global integration and adaptation less as a form of cultural imperialism and more as an opportunity to engender understanding between disparate cultures...all well and good, assuming the integration isn't unilaterally and militarily rammed down people's throats.

Next up:

"Media Ownership and Media Bias: A Crisis in the Newsroom"

Saturday, May 7th 3pm
The Lobero Theater, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. in SB

Journalistand Professor Anne Louise Bardach of The Media Project at UCSB will moderatea discussion between Lionel Barber of Financial Times, New York Times Editor Bill Keller, Jacob Weisberg of Slate, and blogger Virginia Postrel.

Here's what Keller has to say about blogging:

"While he celebrated the blogger’s ability to uncover breaking news, he noted that a blog’s inherent bias might be detrimental to the reader. 'A blog is still a view of the world through a pinhole,' he said, noting that it can sometimes fall as low as being a 'one man circle jerk.'"

And the MSM doesn't do its share of intellectual masturbation?

Speaking of crisis in the newsroom--you've probably read about the chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's attempts to silence independent voices on PBS by monitoring programming for dissenting opinions. Join Free Press and tell him that partisan media influence won't be tolerated.

Seems to be a right wing coup at the CPB. From AlterNet:

"Mitchellwent on the record, telling The New York Times 'I do think there have been instances of attempts to influence content from a political perspective tha tI do not consider appropriate.'

"Among the attempts cited by the Times: the hidden hiring of a consultant by CPB Board Chairman Ken Tomlinson to 'review' the content of 'NOW with Bill Moyers'; Tomlinson's assistance inlining up $5 million in corporate financing and subsequent PBS distribution of 'The Journal Editorial Report,' the weekly chat show featuring members of the conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal; his penchant for involving the White House in matters ranging from legislation affecting the CPB board to addressing concerns about 'objectivity and balance;' all the way to remarks at a 'fun occasion' -- a post-election meeting last November-- when Tomlinson told PBS officials, including Mitchell, that they ought to make sure their programming better reflected the Republican 'mandate.'"

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